Culture Enigmatic Dad, Precocious Daughter: 'Jack and Rose' March 25, 2005 • Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan says director Rebecca Miller's life with her famous father, the late playwright Arthur Miller, has given her a deft hand for the story she tells in her latest film. The Ballad of Jack and Rose centers on an enigmatic father, a precocious daughter and an island retreat.
Culture Slate's Summary Judgment: 'Miss Congeniality 2,' 'Guess Who,' 'D.E.B.S.' March 25, 2005 • Slate contributor Mark Jordan Legan offers a round-up of what movie critics are saying about this weekend's major film releases -- Miss Congeniality 2, Guess Who and D.E.B.S.
Culture 'Old Boy' Fresh Air March 25, 2005 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews Old Boy, a South Korean film that won the Grand Jury Prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival.
Culture Allen Mixes Comedy, Tragedy in 'Melinda and Melinda' Fresh Air March 18, 2005 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews Melinda and Melinda the new Woody Allen film, starring Will Ferrell.
Culture 'Best of Youth' Was Worth the Wait March 18, 2005 • Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan first saw Best of Youth, which was originally made for Italian television, two years ago at Cannes. He's been waiting to review the movie -- which intertwines one family's story with 40 years of post-war Italian history -- ever since. It was, he says, worth the wait.
Culture Costner Back in 'Upside of Anger' Fresh Air March 11, 2005 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews The Upside of Anger starring Joan Allen and Kevin Costner.
Culture Despite Its Length, 'Best of Youth' Is Worth the Time March 4, 2005 • A six-hour Italian epic with subtitles may not sound like everyone's cup of cafe. But critic Bob Mondello says The Best of Youth's sprawling story of two brothers, and the different paths their lives take over the years, is among the most affecting films you'll see this year.
Culture David Edelstein on 'The Best of Youth' Fresh Air March 4, 2005 • Critic Edelstein looks at The Best of Youth, a six-hour drama first shown on Italian television.
Culture Film Documents Wild Parrots in San Francisco March 4, 2005 • On the breezy hills of San Francisco's Telegraph Hill, a homeless musician named Mark Bittner finds a place with a flock of wild parrots. Their friendship is documented in the film, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan says it's definitely a far cry from Hitchcock's The Birds.
Culture German Film 'Downfall' Mulls Hitler's Last Days February 25, 2005 • Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan reviews the German film Downfall, a retelling of Hitler's final hours with an emphasis on the human being at the center of an unspeakable wave of evil. It was a controversial hit in Germany, and has been nominated for a best foreign film Oscar.
Culture 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' Fresh Air February 25, 2005 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews Diary of a Mad Black Woman, starring Tyler Perry and Cicely Tyson.
Culture Edelstein on 'Nobody Knows' Fresh Air February 18, 2005 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews the new Japanese film Nobody Knows.
Culture 'Lost Embrace' Explores Argentinean Jewish Quarter February 18, 2005 • Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan says Lost Embrace, an Argentinean film that is just now debuting in the States, is a charming and original story about ordinary life set in a Jewish neighborhood in Buenos Aires.
Culture Turan: 'Head-On' a Bittersweet Love Story February 11, 2005 • Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan reviews the German and Turkish film Head-On, a love story that begins with attempted suicides from both protagonists.
Culture Reconsidering 'Deep Throat' Fresh Air February 11, 2005 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews Inside Deep Throat, a new documentary that explores the 1972 adult film considered the most profitable of all time.