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David Edelstein David Edelstein is a film critic for New York magazine and for NPR's Fresh Air, and an occasional commentator on film for CBS Sunday Morning.
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David Edelstein

The Music Soars As A Singer Burns Out In A Muddled 'Blaze'

Singer-songwriter Blaze Foley (Ben Dickey) met Sybil Rosen (Alia Shawkat) in 1975. Later, the two lived together in a tree house in the woods. Courtesy of IFC Films hide caption

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Courtesy of IFC Films

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Movie Reviews

The Music Soars As A Singer Burns Out In A Muddled 'Blaze'

Fresh Air

Critic David Edelstein says Ethan Hawke's new film about country singer-songwriter Blaze Foley is best at its simplest: "When [star Ben] Dickey performs, the movie is great."

The Music Soars As A Singer Burns Out In A Muddled 'Blaze'

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Documentary Reveals The 'Secret History' Of Hollywood Pimp Scotty Bowers

Fresh Air

A veteran of World War II, Bowers bought a gas station on Hollywood Boulevard in 1946 and began arranging trysts for stars. A new documentary that's "as sympathetic as it is lurid" tells his story.

Documentary Reveals The 'Secret History' Of Hollywood Pimp Scotty Bowers

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'Three Identical Strangers' Tells The Astounding Story Of Triplets Separated At Birth

Fresh Air

Tim Wardle's new knockout documentary starts out as a Parent Trap-like lark about three young men who, by chance, realize that they are triplets, but ultimately takes a more devastating turn.

'Three Identical Strangers' Tells The Astounding Story Of Triplets Separated At Birth

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'Leave No Trace' Follows A Father And Daughter Off The Grid

Fresh Air

Director Debra Granik's new film is based on a true story about a veteran suffering from PTSD who lives secretly in a municipal forest with his teenage daughter.

'Leave No Trace' Follows A Father And Daughter Off The Grid

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A Birdbrained Library Heist Is Suffused With Irony In 'American Animals'

Fresh Air

In 2004, four young men stole rare art books valued at more than three-quarters of a million dollars from a college library. American Animals blends fiction and documentary to retell the story.

A Birdbrained Library Heist Is Suffused With Irony In 'American Animals'

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2 Women Share The Stress And Sleeplessness Of Motherhood In 'Tully'

Fresh Air

An exhausted mother hires a free-spirited night nurse to tend to her baby in a Diablo Cody's latest film. Critic David Edelstein calls Tully a "strange and mythic" movie.

2 Women Share The Stress And Sleeplessness Of Motherhood In 'Tully'

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Amy Schumer Deftly Challenges Beauty Standards In 'I Feel Pretty'

Fresh Air

A woman with low self-esteem hits her head and suddenly sees herself as madly attractive. Critic David Edelstein says I Feel Pretty suggests the notion of what's "pretty" should be "elasticized."

Amy Schumer Deftly Challenges Beauty Standards In 'I Feel Pretty'

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Giddy, Over-The-Top 'Blockers' Makes Parents The Butt Of Prom Night Jokes

Fresh Air

Three teenage girls make a pact to lose their virginity after senior prom — and three parents embark on a hysterical odyssey to stop them — in Kay Cannon's raunchy new sex comedy.

Giddy, Over-The-Top 'Blockers' Makes Parents The Butt Of Prom Night Jokes

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Philosophically Rich 'Isle Of Dogs' Is A Howl Of Joy

Fresh Air

Wes Anderson's new animated feature centers on canines living on a garbage dump off the coast of Japan. David Edelstein says the film will make you laugh — even as you gasp at its visual brilliance.

Philosophically Rich 'Isle Of Dogs' Is A Howl Of Joy

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Humor Blends With Tragedy In The Farcical 'Death of Stalin'

Fresh Air

Armando Iannucci's new film satirizes the days in 1953 when the Soviet Union lost its totalitarian leader and members of his inner circle argued, plotted and killed while selecting a successor.

Humor Blends With Tragedy In The Farcical 'Death of Stalin'

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Spy Thriller 'Red Sparrow' Is A Long Slog With Minimal Suspense

Fresh Air

Jennifer Lawrence is unconvincing as the star of the Bolshoi Ballet in the espionage thriller Red Sparrow. Critic David Edelstein says the film features "one bad note after another."

Spy Thriller 'Red Sparrow' Is A Long Slog With Minimal Suspense

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Mythic 'Black Panther' Is A Momentous Event In Pop Culture History

Fresh Air

As originally conceived in 1966, the Black Panther was an African king who fought crime in a high-tech panther suit. David Edelstein says Marvel's new film about the character was worth the wait.

Mythic 'Black Panther' Is A Momentous Event In Pop Culture History

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Clint Eastwood Celebrates Old-Fashioned Heroism In 'The 15:17 To Paris'

Fresh Air

In 2015, three Americans on a Paris-bound train stopped a terrorist attack in progress. Eastwood recreates the incident — and audaciously casts the real-life heroes as themselves — in his new film.

Clint Eastwood Celebrates Old-Fashioned Heroism In 'The 15:17 To Paris'

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Documentary Offers A Devastating Look At The Obama Administration's 'Final Year'

Fresh Air

Greg Barker's new film follows Obama's foreign policy team as they set about negotiating an arms deal in Iran, a climate accord in Paris and a response to refugee crises in Syria and parts of Africa.

Documentary Offers A Devastating Look At The Obama Administration's 'Final Year'

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The Vigilant Thriller 'In The Fade' Melds Tragedy With Nihilism

Fresh Air

Diane Kruger plays a German woman whose Turkish husband and young son are killed in a bomb attack. David Edelstein says that despite its crisp storytelling, In the Fade is "a little disappointing."

The Vigilant Thriller 'In The Fade' Melds Tragedy With Nihilism

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