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November 16, 2012 Cinematic adaptations of beloved literary tales are nothing new. Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is no stranger to the adaptation process, and newcomer Silver Linings Playbook enters the romantic comedy game. NPR critic Bob Mondello has his review of both.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

November 16, 2012 David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook stars Bradley Cooper as a bipolar high school teacher trying to put his life back together. But critic David Edelstein says it's the performance of co-star Jennifer Lawrence that makes the film a hot ticket.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

November 16, 2012 Will Sloan talks to Monty Python veteran Eric Idle about his long career and his new "pseudo-radio play," which features actors like Russell Brand, Eddie Izzard, and Tracey Ullman.

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November 16, 2012 Wright has made four feature-length movies, three of which have been adapted from literature. His newest film, Anna Karenina, tackles Leo Tolstoy's iconic love tragedy. He speaks with NPR's Renee Montagne about making a familiar story his own.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 15, 2012 Joe Wright's adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel Anna Karenina is both visually stunning and lacquered with a thick coat of theatricality. Critic Ella Taylor says a lackluster performance by Keira Knightley is balanced by a fully committed performance by Jude Law as Anna's husband.

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November 15, 2012 Todd Kellstein's documentary follows two 8-year-old Muay Thai boxers, providing insight into the lives of Thailand's 30,000 child fighters. Critic Mark Jenkins says the adults surrounding them — and the film itself — take an apathetic view of the issue.

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November 15, 2012 Sibling filmmakers Kevin and Matthew McManus tell a new coming-of-age tale in Funeral Kings. Critic Ian Buckwalter praises the film's portrayal of opportunistic young friendships, but says the performances of its young stars hold the story back.

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November 15, 2012 David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook refuses to pretty up the topic of mental illness. The film, which stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, follows a teacher on the upside of a breakdown. Critic Stephanie Zacharek says the cast makes an extraordinary plot entirely believable.

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November 15, 2012 Parker Posey stars as a relentless go-getter in the world of grocery management in Price Check. Posey's scene-stealing performance reminds critic Scott Tobias why she was crowned the "queen of the indies" in the '90s, commanding the attention of her audience and the characters around her.

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November 15, 2012 Alex Gibney's Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God literally gives voice to four of the voiceless victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic church. As Mark Jenkins explains, the film delves more deeply into the issue than other documentaries before it. (Recommended)

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November 15, 2012 In the ultimate exercise in collective filmmaking, a new documentary will explore the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and his fans.

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November 15, 2012 Tony Kushner wrote the screenplay for the film Lincoln, which focuses on the 16th president's tumultuous final months in office. Kushner read more than 20 books before writing about Lincoln, a man who had "an enormous capacity for grief that didn't deprive him of the ability to act."

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

November 15, 2012 James Bond and The Rolling Stones both turn 50 this year. As critic John Powers points out, both may have been born in response to a dying British Empire, but their evolving legacies have reflected the times through which these brands have lived.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist