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November 26, 2012 How did Suraj Sharma end up starring in Oscar-winning director Ang Lee's new film Life of Pi? All he needed to do was learn to act, learn to swim, and learn to understand tigers.

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November 24, 2012 Actor-writer-director Ed Burns could watch the Oscar-nominated drama Tender Mercies a million times. "I love films that are not plot-driven," he says. "I like small character studies."

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

November 23, 2012 On its 50th anniversary, Robert Aldrich's classic horror film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? has just been released on Blu-ray. Though it's far from a musical, classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says its musical elements are crucial to the film.

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November 23, 2012 Ang Lee's meticulously controlled style makes a perfect fit for Life of Pi, a passionately overcontrolled adaptation of a wondrous adventure story with a surprisingly harsh sting in its tail.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

November 22, 2012 Rise of the Guardians is based on the William Joyce book series The Guardians of Childhood. Critic Stephanie Zacharek says that on the big screen, the story of Santa Claus and other mythical figures saving the world's children is too cluttered and manic to be truly enjoyed.

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November 22, 2012 Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon document the wrongful 1989 rape conviction of a group of teens in The Central Park Five. Critic Mark Jenkins says the directors' careful consideration of the topic sheds light on racism and the state of the criminal-justice system. (Recommended)

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November 22, 2012 Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts star in a richly romantic adaptation of Rust and Bone, about an underemployed single father and a marine-mammals trainer who has suffered a tragedy. (Recommended)

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November 22, 2012 Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock contemplates the relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, during the making of Psycho. Critic Ella Taylor says Anthony Hopkins' turn as the famous director falls flat, while the film adds little new insight into the story.

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November 22, 2012 Lincoln biographer Ronald White critiques the accuracy of Stephen Spielberg's new film about the Great Emancipator. White says that while not every detail of the film is true, "the delicate balance or blend between history and dramatic art comes off quite well."

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 20, 2012 Rose Bosch's docudrama, La Rafle, recounts the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup in Paris, in which 13,000 Jews were sent to detention camps. Critic Joel Arnold says that although the film is compelling, it stretches the docudrama format nearly to the breaking point.

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November 20, 2012 Dan Bradley's remake of 1984's Red Dawn retells a story of high schoolers fighting off communist invaders. Critic Mark Jenkins says the new version suffers the same fate as many reboots, lacking weight and coming off as an inadvertently comic misfire.

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November 20, 2012 Ang Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel's 2001 best-seller employs cinema's most advanced digital techniques in the service of an adventure yarn that's gloriously old-fashioned — and often just glorious. (Recommended)

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist