Thai Treasure? Born to a rural family, Tony Jaa herded elephants as a kid and apprenticed with stuntman and action-film director Panna Rittikrai when he was 15. Magnet Releasing hide caption
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.
Stories By
Kenneth Turan
He's King Of His World: Max (Max Records) brandishes his scepter before his loyal — well, loyal as wild things can be — subjects. From left: The Bull (Michael Berry), Douglas (Chris Cooper), Alexander (Paul Dano), Judith (Catherine O'Hara), KW (Lauren Ambrose), Ira (Forest Whitaker) and Carol (James Gandolfini). Warner Bros. Pictures hide caption
Life studies: A 16-year-old schoolgirl (Carey Mulligan, center) learns hard lessons — but also discovers a thing or two about the value of experience — as she navigates an affair with an older man. Kerry Brown/Sony Pictures Classics hide caption
The Sky Is Falling: With his world crashing down around him, physics professor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) looks for a new perspective. Wilson Webb/Focus Features hide caption
"Now a soft kiss ..." A dying John Keats (Ben Whishaw) locks lips with his "stedfast" muse and secret lover, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). Apparition hide caption
For the love of the game: Paul (Patton Oswalt) and his buddy Sal (Kevin Corrigan) are die-hard Giants fans who watch games on TV in the stadium parking lot. First Independent Pictures hide caption
Up Where They Walk, Up Where They Run: Ponyo, a goldfish turned little girl, gets her chance to live where the people are in a sweet-natured film by Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki. Nibariki-GNDHDDT hide caption