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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

Review

Movies

Spies Like Us: 'Duplicity' Doubles Down On Deceit

If you've been waiting for big stars to come back to the movies, your wait ends today. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are back in a twisty corporate espionage thriller, and Kenneth Turan says it's worth the wait.

Spies Like Us: 'Duplicity' Doubles Down On Deceit

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Review

Movies

Misery And Muses On 'The Edge Of Love'

The wife and the lover of poet Dylan Thomas become unlikely allies in the lushly filmed Edge of Love. Critic Kenneth Turan says in this case, less — of its self-involved characters — might well have been more.

Misery And Muses On 'The Edge Of Love'

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Review

Movies

Comics Heroes Who Should've Stayed On The Page

If you're a comics fan, this is the weekend you've been looking forward to — Watchmen finally hits the big screen. Critic Kenneth Turan says the long wait was hardly worth it.

Comics Heroes Who Should've Stayed On The Page

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Review

Movies

'Crossing Over': Like 'Crash,' Without The Subtlety

Remember Crash, the blunt Oscar-winning film about racism, with lots of intertwined stories? The makers of Crossing Over sure do, but critic Kenneth Turan says it's not a happy memory.

'Crossing Over': Like 'Crash,' Without The Subtlety

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Movies

3-D Filmmaking Comes Of Age In Stunning 'Coraline'

The new movie Coraline is the story of a little girl who follows a secret passage into an alternate universe. It is the first stop-motion animated film to be conceived and shot in 3-D.

3-D Filmmaking Comes Of Age In Stunning 'Coraline'

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Review

Movies

'Taken' Lightly: An Unintentionally Funny Abduction

When kidnappers steal his teenage daughter from a Paris hotel, an ex-spy takes matters into his own hands and plunges into the underworld of human trafficking.

'Taken' Lightly: An Unintentionally Funny Abduction

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Review

Movies

Tale Of 'Defiance' Among The Third Reich's Targets

Two brothers kept 1,200 Jews alive in the forests of Belarus during World War II. Edward Zwick's drama retells their story — and the film is best when it's honest about their tense relationship.

Tale Of 'Defiance' Among The Third Reich's Targets

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Review

Movies

In 'Benjamin Button,' A Curiously Chilly Passion

David Fincher's romance — based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald — ages Brad Pitt backward until he's the right age to love Cate Blanchett. Kenneth Turan says the peculiar tale is an odd fit for the director's talents.

In 'Benjamin Button,' A Curiously Chilly Passion

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Review

Movies

'The Wrestler': Low Blows, But No Punches Pulled

As year-end approaches, the Oscar chatter gets louder, and no actor has had more buzz than Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Critic Kenneth Turan says the hype is justified — sort of.

'The Wrestler': Low Blows, But No Punches Pulled

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Review

Movies

Baz Luhrmann, Dreaming Big In 'Australia'

What would Thanksgiving weekend be without an epic film opening on the nation's big screens? This year is no exception: Critic Kenneth Turan says Baz Luhrmann's latest is as colorful and expansive as the Outback.

Baz Luhrmann, Dreaming Big In 'Australia'

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Review

Movies

'Twilight': For Teens, A Swooningly Risky Romance

Morning Edition's movie critic is not, and never has been, a 13-year-old girl. But Catherine Hardwicke's dead-on screen take on Stephenie Meyer's vampire books makes him wish he could be — if only to get the full effect.

'Twilight': For Teens, A Swooningly Risky Romance

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Review

Movies

Bond's New Villain? He's A Gift In 'Christmas Tale'

Mathieu Amalric plays two completely different characters in Quantum of Solace, the new Bond film, and A Christmas Tale. Critic Kenneth Turan says the latter's licensed to thrill.

Bond's New Villain? He's A Gift In 'Christmas Tale'

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Review

Movies

In 'Stranded,' Survival As A Team Effort

In 1972, a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes. Of the 45 members, 16 survived — on grit, resolve and the flesh of their dead companions. For the first time, they tell their own story.

In 'Stranded,' Survival As A Team Effort

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Opinion

Movies

Movie-Reality Check: How Real Is 'Real,' Anyway?

There's a reason people say "based" on a true story: Movies, however scrupulous, tend to heighten reality. Critic Kenneth Turan wonders how true a "true story" can ever really be on the big screen.

Movie-Reality Check: How Real Is 'Real,' Anyway?

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