archive

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Movies

Ending The 'Silence' Around Priests' Sex Abuse

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God documents the claims made by four deaf men who accused a Catholic priest of sexual abuse — and in chronicling the response of the church, details the role the current pope played in such scandals earlier in his career.

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)

Summary

Movies

The New British Empire: Pop-Culture Powerhouses

The HBO documentary Crossfire Hurricane, about The Rolling Stones, prompts critic John Powers to reflect on the band's five decades of fame.

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.

Transcript

On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

Friday, November 09, 2012

Movies

Historical, Fictional Icons Take To The Big Screen

Daniel Craig stars as the quintessential MI6 agent, James Bond, in Skyfall. The Bond franchise is 50 years old this year.

November 9, 2012 Two of the year's most highly anticipated movies arrive this week. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, and Skyfall, the third film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond 007, directed by American Beauty Oscar-winner Sam Mendes. Film critic David Edelstein has this review of both.

Transcript

On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Movies

'Lincoln': A Great Emancipator, But Not Quite A Saint

Daniel Day-Lewis takes on one of America's most famous presidents in Lincoln.

November 8, 2012 Steven Spielberg's biographical drama portrays the 16th president of the United States as a conflicted leader not above twisting arms and exploiting the system to get the right thing done.

Summary

Movies

Between Friends, Age Is Nothing But A Number

A part-time adult-film actress and a full-time burnout, Jane spends much of her time getting high with her friend Melissa (Stella Maeve).

November 8, 2012 Sean Baker's Starlet is a kind of Harold and Maude for a new generation. Critic Scott Tobias says the film's central relationship — a friendship between a young porn star and an octogenarian — is charming, perplexing and thoroughly true to life. (Recommended)

Summary

Movies

'In Another Country,' A Chance To Explore The Self

In Another Country is structured as three different stories around three women named Anne — all played by Isabelle Huppert. Moon Seong-keun plays Munsoo, a filmmaker with whom one of the Annes has an affair.

November 8, 2012 Three separate narratives place three women named Anne in the same Korean beach town, where she'll face many of the same thematic issues. As Sam Stander explains, the film serves as a delightfully disorienting case study in human interaction. (Recommended)

Summary

Movies

'Dangerous Liaisons' Gets A Far-East Makeover

Xie Yifan (Jang Dong-gun) sets out to seduce a young widow, Du Fenyu (Zhang Ziyi), at the behest of his former flame.

November 8, 2012 With an eye on an international audience, this Shanghai-set adaptation of the 18th-century French novel focuses most of its energy on being visually appealing. Critic Mark Jenkins says the setting of the film isn't entirely justified — but it does serve as a glossily seductive distraction.

Summary

Movies

Romance, Scandal And 'A Royal Affair' Of The Heart

The titular affair takes place between the Queen of Denmark (Alicia Vikander) and her ailing husband's physician (Mads Mikkelsen).

November 8, 2012 This year's foreign-film Oscar entry from Denmark is visually stunning and thematically timely; as critic Ella Taylor explains, the film shows that the road to autocracy is often paved with betrayal, scandal and gamesmanship. (Recommended)

Summary

Movies

'Chasing Ice,' And Capturing Climate Change On Film

Environmental photographer James Balog captures a multiyear record of the world's glaciers in Chasing Ice.

November 8, 2012 Photographer James Balog set up dozens of cameras around the world, hoping to compile a visual record of glacier melt. Jeff Orlowski's documentary is a striking chronicle of the results. (Recommended)

Summary

Movies

Bond Is Back And Living Up To His Reputation

Daniel Craig returns for a third outing as James Bond in Skyfall, the 23rd installment in the spy movie franchise, and its 50th-anniversary release.

November 8, 2012 Film's most iconic superspy is back in his 23rd movie, Skyfall, and the franchise's 50th-anniversary release doesn't disappoint, says NPR's Bob Mondello: With director Sam Mendes' sleek vision and a superb supporting cast, Skyfall may be one of the best Bond films to date. (Recommended)

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Movies

'The Details': Dirty Doings In A Stepford Suburb

Nealy and Jeff Lang (Elizabeth Banks and Tobey Maguire) struggle with infidelity, secrets, guilt and a raccoon problem in The Details.

November 1, 2012 Writer-director Jacob Aaron Estes tries to bring something new to a drama about infidelity and secrets within a marriage. Joel Arnold says that by taking tropes to their extremes, The Details is able to do just that.

Summary

Movies

In 'The Bay,' A Plunge Into Suspense For Levinson

The dog days of summer turn deadly in The Bay.

November 1, 2012 The veteran director teams up with the producers of the Paranormal Activity films for a found-footage thriller that breathes new life into the genre. Critic Jeanette Catsoulis says The Bay successfully plunges its audience into a world of suspense not too dissimilar from our own.

Summary

Movies

Amid Discord, A 'Quartet' Strives For Harmony

Members of a famous string quartet (Mark Ivanir, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken and Catherine Keener) fight to stay together despite internal conflict.

November 1, 2012 Yaron Zilberman's A Late Quartet, which follows the internal collapse of a string quartet, goes down the all-too-familiar path of a work-family drama. But critic Ella Taylor praises the quiet performances from the film's seasoned stars, including Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Summary

Movies

Eyeliner, Lipstick And Finding Your 'Place'

Aging musician Cheyenne (Sean Penn) and his wife, Jane (Frances McDormand), live a relatively normal life out of the spotlight.

November 1, 2012 Italian director Paolo Sorrentino's first English-language film, This Must Be the Place, stars Sean Penn as a Goth rocker trying to settle his dead father's scores. Critic Mark Jenkins says the film is an eccentric showcase for the idea that even adults have a lot of growing up to do.

Summary

Movies

A Life And A Plane, In Free Fall From 20,000 Feet

Airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) is hailed as a hero after averting disaster when his plane malfunctions — but as Flight goes on, it turns out he's anything but a shining example.

November 1, 2012 Director Robert Zameckis returns to live action with Flight, about an alcoholic pilot who faces disaster of every kind. Critic Scott Tobias says the film situates its audience in a gray area, making it hard to point the finger of blame at any character. (Recommended)

Summary

NPR thanks our sponsors

Become an NPR Sponsor

Podcast + RSS Feeds

Podcast RSS

  • Movies
     
  • Movie Reviews
     
 

Movies

J.J. Abrams isn't the first guy to bait <em>Star Trek</em> fans by messing with the brand.

The Starfleet Divide: The 'Star Trek' Universe Revisits One Of Its Great Debates

J.J. Abrams isn't the first guy to bait Star Trek fans by messing with the brand.

The director examines the five-year love affair between the flamboyant pianist and Scott Thorson.

Soderbergh's Liberace, 'Behind The Candelabra'

The director examines the five-year love affair between the flamboyant pianist and Scott Thorson.

Beth Lapides' event bills itself as a venue for "idiosyncratic, conversational comedy."

At L.A.'s UnCabaret, 25 Years Of Letting It All Hang Out

Beth Lapides' event bills itself as a venue for "idiosyncratic, conversational comedy."

The comedy legend is among a handful of people who've won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.

Mel Brooks: 'I'm An EGOT; I Don't Need Any More'

The comedy legend is among a handful of people who've won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.

When actress Katie Aselton saw <em><em>Point Break</em></em> for the first time, she says "it totally got me."

The Movie Katie Aselton Has 'Seen A Million Times'

When actress Katie Aselton saw Point Break for the first time, she says "it totally got me."

In this third film about Jesse and Celine, they're married, and romance has changed along with them.

One Couple, Nearly 20 Years, All 'Before Midnight'

In this third film about Jesse and Celine, they're married, and romance has changed along with them.

more