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Movie Reviews Reviews of new movies, classic and art films, foreign films, and popular movies. Featuring Bob Mondello, Kenneth Turan, David Edelstein, and Mark Jenkins.

Movie Reviews

Arts & Life

A Quick Look at Oscars' Shorts

Fresh Air

Oscar contenders in the two categories devoted to short films — animated and live-action — include a new take on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl, an alien abductor in training (Lifted), a brief musical comedy set among falafel stands (West Bank Story) and the story of a door-to-door Mormon evangelist in love with a married woman.

A Quick Look at Oscars' Shorts

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Arts & Life

'Amazing Grace' and the Power of Truth

The film Amazing Grace focuses on William Wilberforce, who led the movement in the British Parliament to abolish slavery. It tells a story of idealism and speaking truth to power.

'Amazing Grace' and the Power of Truth

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Arts & Life

Smart Street: The Madcap 'Avenue Montaigne'

Avenue Montaigne is a "boulevard comedy" — a breezy romp with sophisticated characters — that's actually about a boulevard. The locale is an elegant block in Paris populated with culture mavens.

Smart Street: The Madcap 'Avenue Montaigne'

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Arts & Life

'Breach' Spins a Harrowing, Human Spy Tale

The story of FBI spy Robert Hanssen makes for a film that offers a tale of real-life espionage that doubles as a compelling psychological drama. A cast led by Chris Cooper offers a compelling look at the complexities of human relationships.

'Breach' Spins a Harrowing, Human Spy Tale

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Movies

Peter O'Toole, Young and Old, Is Back on Screen

Actor Peter O'Toole is up for an Oscar for his movie role in Venus. But he is also known for his best-actor nod in the 1964 film Becket. That movie has been restored and is back in theaters.

Peter O'Toole, Young and Old, Is Back on Screen

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Arts & Life

Go Tough. Go Dance. Go 'Stomp the Yard'

The new movie Stomp the Yard is about a young man who leaves Los Angeles to go to a historically black college — and gets caught up in its step-dancing rivalries. Step has been a tradition in black fraternities and sororities for decades.

Go Tough. Go Dance. Go 'Stomp the Yard'

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Movies

Mexican Directors Give Commentary, not Blockbuster

Mexico's top three filmmakers have had successful careers in Hollywood, but Bob Mondello says that their latest works Pan's Labyrinth, Children of Men and Babel are more social commentaries than Hollywood blockbusters.

Mexican Directors Give Commentary, not Blockbuster

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Arts & Life

'Pan's Labyrinth' Is Realer than Reality Itself

What Guillermo del Toro has accomplished in Pan's Labyrinth cannot easily be put into words. That's because the Mexican-born director is a master creator of images, atmosphere and mood.

'Pan's Labyrinth' Is Realer than Reality Itself

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Movies

'Painted Veil' a Portrait of Marriage Coming Unglued

The Painted Veil, a new film starring Edward Norton and Noami Watts, is based on W. Somerset Maugham's romantic epic. It was filmed exclusively in China -- the first time a major western picture has been allowed to do that in decades.

'Painted Veil' a Portrait of Marriage Coming Unglued

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Arts & Life

Stallone, O'Toole Age Well in New Films

In Rocky Balboa and Venus, veteran film stars Sylvester Stallone and Peter O'Toole give spry performances as the durable boxer and an aging actor who becomes involved in the life of a young woman.

Stallone, O'Toole Age Well in New Films

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