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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.
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Kenneth Turan

Movies

Scorsese Brings 'Hugo' To The Big Screen

Hugo is the latest film directed by Martin Scorsese. It's based on a children's book, and is decidedly less dark and violent than the films he's most known for.

Scorsese Brings 'Hugo' To The Big Screen

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'Happy Feet Two' Lacks Satisfying Story

It's hard to resist dancing penguins, but Happy Feet Two makes you want to try. It features tens of thousands of Antarctic types toe-tapping their way across the screen, but it doesn't have a clear idea of what else it wants them to do.

'Happy Feet Two' Lacks Satisfying Story

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Clint Eastwood Takes On FBI Legend 'J. Edgar'

The new movie J. Edgar is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover who headed the FBI for 48 years. Hoover championed scientific crime fighting in general and the use of fingerprints in particular.

Clint Eastwood Takes On FBI Legend 'J. Edgar'

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'Like Crazy' Makes First Love Feel Real

"Los Angeles Times" and "Morning Edition" movie critic Kenneth Turan calls the Sundance standout "Like Crazy" a simple love story. It's about a young couple divided by geography.

'Like Crazy' Makes First Love Feel Real

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'Margin Call' Sheds Light On Wall Street Meltdown

Margin Call is based on the financial collapse of 2008. The firm in the movie is so over-committed to risky real estate loans that it owes more money than the company is worth. The cast includes Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Jeremy Irons and Stanley Tucci.

'Margin Call' Sheds Light On Wall Street Meltdown

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The Dancing Is Hotter In 'Footloose' 2011

As long as daughters pout when fathers proclaim, "I don't want you to see that boy," Footloose will endure. As long as kids want to dance and Hollywood wants to profit from that passion, it will do more than endure. It will be remade.

The Dancing Is Hotter In 'Footloose' 2011

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'Benda Bilili!' Congolese Band Achieves Success

Benda Bilili! is a music documentary that will have you shaking your head in astonishment as well as moving your feet to some unstoppable rhythms. This film is set in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It features the high energy, propulsive music of Staff Benda Bilili, a band that is as unusual as it is overpowering.

'Benda Bilili!' Congolese Band Achieves Success

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'Moneyball' Revolutionizes How Baseball Is Played

The new film Moneyball opens in theaters this weekend. It is a rare sports movie that deals with more than wins and losses. It follows the entertaining, real-life quest of a sports revolutionary who wanted to rethink how baseball is played.

'Moneyball' Revolutionizes How Baseball Is Played

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'Contagion' Spreads To No. 1 At The Box Office

Contagion starts with a cough and ends with death on an unimaginable scale. The movie shows 30-something days in the life of a global pandemic, a lethal virus that travels like the wind and kills without a trace of mercy. This may not sound like entertainment, but it certainly keeps your eyes on the screen.

'Contagion' Spreads To No. 1 At The Box Office

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'Gainsbourg' Brilliantly Depicts The French Musician

The new film Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life is an unconventional biopic about French musician Serge Gainsbourg. He is celebrated in France for the songs he wrote, and the affairs he had with beautiful women like Brigette Bardot.

'Gainsbourg' Brilliantly Depicts The French Musician

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Gleeson Shines As Irish Anti-Hero Cop In 'The Guard'

Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan has a review of The Guard, a black comedy starring veteran Irish actor Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle.

Gleeson Shines As Irish Anti-Hero Cop In 'The Guard'

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'Captain America' Unexpectedly A Humble Hero

It was just a few months ago that comic book superhero Thor had a movie, and now Marvel Entertainment teammate Captain America has one too. Captain America: The First Avenger is not the best of the Marvel comics movies — but it does have something the others do not: Chris Evans in the title role.

'Captain America' Unexpectedly A Humble Hero

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Last 'Potter' Movie Is One Of The Best

Harry Potter has headlined seven films over 10 years, and brought in $1 billion in domestic box office sales. The eighth film opens at midnight, and it already has sold more than $32 million in tickets.

Last 'Potter' Movie Is One Of The Best

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