Accessibility links
Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan is the film critic for the Los Angeles Times and NPR's Morning Edition, as well as the director of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes.
thumbnail
Stories By

Kenneth Turan

Review

Arts & Life

'Catch a Fire' Breathes New Life into an Old Story

Catch a Fire sounds like an awfully familiar story. And, in some ways, it is. Movies on how South Africa suffered under apartheid, and the heroic efforts made to resist that repressive system, are hardly new. So it's tempting to write off this newest look at that era as too familiar and too late. That would be a mistake.

'Catch a Fire' Breathes New Life into an Old Story

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6391281/6391282" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

'Infamous' Fails Where 'Capote' Succeeded

Infamous tells the story of Truman Capote as he wrote In Cold Blood. If that sounds familiar, it's because a movie about the exact same thing came out a year ago, and it was a better film.

'Infamous' Fails Where 'Capote' Succeeded

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6259809/6259810" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

'King's Men' a Masterful Retelling of an Old Favorite

All the King's Men is a Hollywood remake that may be even better than its Oscar-winning predecessor of 1949. Sean Penn, Jude Law and Kate Winslet star in this wrenching tale of populist politics based loosely on the life of Louisiana Gov. Huey P. Long.

'King's Men' a Masterful Retelling of an Old Favorite

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6123025/6123026" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

Documentaries View the Iraq War from Two Sides

Two new documentaries are out about the Iraq war: The Ground Truth and My Country, My Country. My Country shows what the war has been like for Iraqis, while Ground Truth concentrates on the personal traumas U.S. soldiers have to deal with when they return home. Both movies offer compelling views of the costs of war.

Documentaries View the Iraq War from Two Sides

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/6080566/6080567" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

'Hollywoodland' Doesn't Quite Measure Up

Hollywoodland is an ambitious film that succeeds up to a point, but no further. It's a reasonable facsimile of film noir, but it's also an overly derivative piece of work that thinks it is doing and saying more than it is. And this despite a subtle and effective performance by, of all people, Ben Affleck.

'Hollywoodland' Doesn't Quite Measure Up

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5787021/5787022" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

'Not Yet Rated' Takes Viewers for a Ride

A new documentary called This Film is Not Yet Rated takes aim at the MPAA rating system, and the mysterious workings of the anonymous ratings board. The film has been a hit at film festivals. But it's final rating should be "B" for boring.

'Not Yet Rated' Takes Viewers for a Ride

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5748378/5748379" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Review

Arts & Life

'Factotum' a Satisfying Blend of Sensibilities

Factotum is a delicate melding of a trio of different sensibilities you wouldn't think would naturally cohere. It gracefully combines the bleak world of the despairing poet and novelist Charles Bukowski with the droll point of view of Norwegian director Bent Hamer.

'Factotum' a Satisfying Blend of Sensibilities

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5669222/5669223" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

Stone's Sept. 11 Movie Is Forced and Unconvincing

Oliver Stone's movie World Trade Center feels like an attempt to craft a feel-good movie out of a ghastly situation. That makes the film unconvincing. Reviewed by Kenneth Turan.

Stone's Sept. 11 Movie Is Forced and Unconvincing

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5629335/5629336" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

'Talladega Nights' Might Make You Laugh

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is from the same pit crew that brought us Anchorman. Dutifully, Talladega Nights does for NASCAR what the earlier movie did for journalism.

'Talladega Nights' Might Make You Laugh

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5616638/5616639" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

'Miami Vice' Looks Pretty, Acts Tough

Michael Mann's movie re-make of his classic 80s TV show Miami Vice is visually stunning. But its poor plot leaves the viewer wanting more. Morning Edition and Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan says its a "B" picture with an "A" picture budget.

'Miami Vice' Looks Pretty, Acts Tough

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5588681/5588682" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

'Superman Returns' with Strong Action, Weak Story

Morning Edition and Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan gives his take on the new Superman movie, Superman Returns. Turan likes the action, but he says the characters and plot are not made of steel.

'Superman Returns' with Strong Action, Weak Story

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5514424/5514425" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Arts & Life

'Cars' Likely to Continue Run of Pixar Hit Movies

Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan reviews the new Pixar animated film Cars. He says the movie will likely continue Pixar's run of hits.

'Cars' Likely to Continue Run of Pixar Hit Movies

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5473455/5473456" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Movies

Coppola, Cruz Two Highlights from Cannes

Film critic Kenneth Turan talks about what he's seen so far at the Cannes Film Festival. Turan weighs in on French reaction to Sophia Coppola's new film about Marie Antoinette, and says Penelope Cruz gives one of her career-best performances in Pedro Almodova's Volver. He also highlights an unusual sports film about the star of the French soccer team.

Coppola, Cruz Two Highlights from Cannes

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5433469/5433470" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

'The Da Vinci Code'

'Da Vinci' Plays It Safe

Film commentator Kenneth Turan talks to Renee Montagne about yesterday's premier of The Da Vinci Code at the Cannes Film Festival. He says the movie sacrifices excitement as it strives to remain true to the book.

'Da Vinci' Plays It Safe

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5414321/5414322" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript