archive

December 13, 2012 In The Girl, a troubled single mother must care for a young Mexican girl — despite her inability to care for her own child. Critic Jeannette Catsoulis says the lead performances from Abbie Cornish and newcomer Maritza Santiago Hernandez carry a rare and touching emotional weight. (Recommended)

Summary

December 13, 2012 Lizzy Caplan stars in the romantic comedy Save the Date, which despite a solid supporting performance from Alison Brie, is too dull to be a star vehicle for an outstanding actress whose body of work hasn't brought her the limelight she deserves.

Summary

December 13, 2012 Any Day Now, set against the backdrop of the 1970s, tells the story of a gay couple's fight to adopt a neglected boy with Down syndrome. Director Travis Fine's film lacks technical polish, but critic Ella Taylor says the story's heart makes up for most of its faults.

Summary

December 13, 2012 A documentary from Liz Garbus, Love, Marilyn is a love letter to the legacy of Marilyn Monroe. Critic Stephanie Zacharek says the film's heartfelt message and the performers reading the icon's words take a back seat to her ever-present specter.

Summary

December 13, 2012 Writer-director Victoria Mahoney marries her experiences as a biracial woman to the drama of an unstable family in Yelling to the Sky. Critic Mark Jenkins says the film, which stars Zoe Kravtiz as a troubled teen, struggles to build convincing relationships among its disadvantaged characters.

Summary

December 13, 2012 Peter Jackson takes his audience back to Middle-earth in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, set in a time before the Lord of the Rings films. NPR's Bob Mondello says that where the Rings films struggled with what to omit, The Hobbit labors to justify its three-hour running time.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 11, 2012 Chris Sullivan's debut animated feature, Consuming Spirits, deploys multiple styles to convey a surreal, semi-autobiographical portrait of life in a small Appalachian town. Critic Ian Buckwalter praises the film's emotional rawness as a labor of love on the part of the filmmaker. (Recommended)

Summary

December 11, 2012 Our comics blogger examines the new 'Man of Steel' from a historical perspective and asks, Is Zack Snyder making Ma and Pa Kent ... interesting?

Summary

December 8, 2012 Musician and composer Gustavo Santaolalla, best known for his Oscar-winning scores for The Motorcycle Diaries and Brokeback Mountain, could watch Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life a million times. "It gives me hope," he says.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 8, 2012 The epic novel Anna Karenina has been adapted for TV and film dozens of times. This time, Keira Knightley plays the leading role. Host Guy Raz talks with the actress about bringing Leo Tolstoy's book to life in 2012.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 8, 2012 The Oscar-winning epic Lawrence of Arabia was first released in theaters 50 years ago this month. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Omar Sharif about playing Sherif Ali in the film.

Transcript

On Weekend Edition SaturdayPlaylist

December 7, 2012 When we go to the movies, we want our heroes big and our villains bigger. But Hollywood actors are only slightly taller, on average, than their fans. NPR critic Bob Mondello takes a look at actors' heights: who's commandingly short, or diminutively tall.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 6, 2012 Academy Award-winning director Stefan Ruzowitzky's Deadfall follows criminal siblings as they flee to the Canadian border. Critic Mark Jenkins says it's a survival parable about a gaggle of eccentrics with serious daddy issues.

Summary