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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 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 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 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

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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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