Movie Reviews : NPR

'Pop Aye': A Man, An Elephant And An Amiable Amble Across Thailand

Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroha), a successful Bangkok architect, is reunited with old acquaintance (Bong), in Pop Aye. Kino Lorber hide caption

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Kino Lorber

'Pop Aye': A Man, An Elephant And An Amiable Amble Across Thailand

June 29, 2017 • In writer-director Kirsten Tan's first feature, an aging architect reconnects with his long-lost elephant, and the two embark upon a loosely structured, slightly surreal journey.

The Polaroid Photographer Who Captures 'The B-Side' Of Her Subjects' Lives

Elsa Dorfman in The B-Side. NEON hide caption

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NEON

The Polaroid Photographer Who Captures 'The B-Side' Of Her Subjects' Lives

June 29, 2017 • Errol Morris' unusually straightforward documentary about portrait photographer Elsa Dorfman is as charming as its sunny, voluble subject.

Bong Joon-Ho's 'Okja' Is As Weird A Hybrid As Its Porcine Star

Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) and Mija (An Seo Hyun) in Okja. Barry Wetcher/Netflix hide caption

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Barry Wetcher/Netflix

Bong Joon-Ho's 'Okja' Is As Weird A Hybrid As Its Porcine Star

June 29, 2017 • Bong's clever dark comedy, about a enormous, genetically modified pig and the adorable moppet who loves her, veers wildly in tone, but the CGI oinker at its center is a marvel.

'Baby Driver' Is An Action-Packed, Elegant Joyride

Fresh Air

June 28, 2017 • Director Edgar Wright rejects computer-generated unreality and instead focuses on breathtaking driving in his new heist thriller. Critic David Edelstein says the result is terrifically entertaining.

'Baby Driver' Is An Action-Packed, Elegant Joyride

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In 'Baby Driver,' The Action, The Script And The Music Go Full Throttle

Baby (Ansel Elgort) looks dubious as Doc (Kevin Spacey) convinces him to do One! Last! Job! in Edgar Wright's Baby Driver. Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. hide caption

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Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.

In 'Baby Driver,' The Action, The Script And The Music Go Full Throttle

June 27, 2017 • "This is a squealing-tires symphony that owes more to Jacques Tati ... than to Justin Lin or Michael Bay," says critic Chris Klimek.

In Ambitious 'Okja,' A Teen Attempts To Save Her Super Pig From Slaughter

Fresh Air

June 27, 2017 • You'll root for 13-year-old Mija at every step of this new Netflix film. And Okja, the huge, genetically modified pig, is among the most touching and realistic computer-generated characters ever made.

In Ambitious 'Okja,' A Teen Attempts To Save Her Super Pig From Slaughter

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Garish Melodrama Becomes Universal Tragedy 'The Beguiled'

June 23, 2017 • Sofia Coppola has taken a 1971 Southern Gothic psychodrama directed by a man and remade it from a female perspective — and the result is powerful.

Garish Melodrama Becomes Universal Tragedy 'The Beguiled'

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With The Swoony Pleasures Of 'The Beguiled,' Sofia Coppola Shows Us Something New

Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman) puts one foot forward in The Beguiled. Ben Rothstein/Focus Features hide caption

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Ben Rothstein/Focus Features

Pop Culture Happy Hour

With The Swoony Pleasures Of 'The Beguiled,' Sofia Coppola Shows Us Something New

June 23, 2017 • In her previous work, director Sofia Coppola looked out from inside the bubble that wealth and privilege create. Her latest film grapples with a different — but related — form of isolation.

A Wounded Union Soldier In A House Of Southern Women: 'The Beguiled'

L to R: Elle Fanning as Alicia (Elle Fanning), Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman), Edwina (Kirsten Dunst), Jane (Angourie Rice), Amy (Oona Laurence), Emily (Emma Howard), and Marie (Addison Riecke) in The Beguiled Ben Rothstein/Focus Features hide caption

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Ben Rothstein/Focus Features

A Wounded Union Soldier In A House Of Southern Women: 'The Beguiled'

June 22, 2017 • Sofia Coppola's lush visual aesthetic infuses this study in sublimated lust with just enough sly, Southern-Gothic bodice-ripping to intrigue and satisfy.

'The Big Sick' Is A Tonic For What Ails You

Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) and Emily (Zoe Kazan) in The Big Sick. Sarah Shatz/Lionsgate hide caption

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Sarah Shatz/Lionsgate

'The Big Sick' Is A Tonic For What Ails You

June 22, 2017 • Critic Andrew Lapin praises the "unique, understated comic irony" of this largely autobiographical rom-com about a couple whose young relationship gets tested by matters cultural — and medical.

Documentary Scours Our Noisy Globe 'In Search Of Silence'

Tea ceremony participants in Kyoto, Japan from In Pursuit of Silence. Cinema Guild hide caption

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Cinema Guild

Documentary Scours Our Noisy Globe 'In Search Of Silence'

June 22, 2017 • Director Patrick Shen features plenty of talking heads opining about our essential need for quiet and solitude, but this film works best when he captures moments of pristine, meditative stillness.

'The Big Sick' Is A Wonderful Movie And An Imperfect Milestone

Fresh Air

June 21, 2017 • Comedian Kumail Nanjiani steps into the leading role in a semi-autobiographical love story. It's a quietly groundbreaking crowd-pleaser, though some characters aren't as fully dimensional as others.

'The Big Sick' Is A Wonderful Movie And An Imperfect Milestone

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Movies

'Maudie' Paints Intimate Portrait Of Canadian Painter Maud Lewis

June 19, 2017 • The new film Maudie is an intimate drama about self-taught Canadian painter Maud Lewis. The film also takes a deep dive into her paintings and legacy.

'Maudie' Paints Intimate Portrait Of Canadian Painter Maud Lewis

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'Maudie' Made Such Joyful Art, You'd Never Guess How Tough She Had It

Sally Hawkins stars in Maudie, the true story of Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis, who painted cheerful scenes on whatever materials she could find. Duncan Deyoung/Courtesy of Mongrel Media hide caption

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Duncan Deyoung/Courtesy of Mongrel Media

'Maudie' Made Such Joyful Art, You'd Never Guess How Tough She Had It

June 19, 2017 • The film tells the true story of Maud Lewis, a woman from a small town in Nova Scotia, who, with no formal training, became one of Canada's most celebrated folk artists.

'Maudie' Made Such Joyful Art, You'd Never Guess How Tough She Had It

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Why 'The Mummy' Is The Most Important Bad Movie Of The Year

June 16, 2017 • The lousiness of The Mummy isn't the stars' fault — it's the storytelling. Universal has announced plans to make more like it, which is scarier than anything in the movie itself.

Why 'The Mummy' Is The Most Important Bad Movie Of The Year

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Movie Reviews

Thursday June 29, 2017

'Pop Aye': A Man, An Elephant And An Amiable Amble Across Thailand

The Polaroid Photographer Who Captures 'The B-Side' Of Her Subjects' Lives

Bong Joon-Ho's 'Okja' Is As Weird A Hybrid As Its Porcine Star

Wednesday June 28, 2017

'Baby Driver' Is An Action-Packed, Elegant Joyride

Fresh Air

'Baby Driver' Is An Action-Packed, Elegant Joyride

Tuesday June 27, 2017

In 'Baby Driver,' The Action, The Script And The Music Go Full Throttle

In Ambitious 'Okja,' A Teen Attempts To Save Her Super Pig From Slaughter

Fresh Air

In Ambitious 'Okja,' A Teen Attempts To Save Her Super Pig From Slaughter

Friday June 23, 2017

Garish Melodrama Becomes Universal Tragedy 'The Beguiled'

Garish Melodrama Becomes Universal Tragedy 'The Beguiled'

Pop Culture Happy Hour

With The Swoony Pleasures Of 'The Beguiled,' Sofia Coppola Shows Us Something New

Thursday June 22, 2017

A Wounded Union Soldier In A House Of Southern Women: 'The Beguiled'

'The Big Sick' Is A Tonic For What Ails You

Documentary Scours Our Noisy Globe 'In Search Of Silence'

Wednesday June 21, 2017

'The Big Sick' Is A Wonderful Movie And An Imperfect Milestone

Fresh Air

'The Big Sick' Is A Wonderful Movie And An Imperfect Milestone

Monday June 19, 2017

Movies

'Maudie' Paints Intimate Portrait Of Canadian Painter Maud Lewis

'Maudie' Paints Intimate Portrait Of Canadian Painter Maud Lewis

'Maudie' Made Such Joyful Art, You'd Never Guess How Tough She Had It

'Maudie' Made Such Joyful Art, You'd Never Guess How Tough She Had It

Friday June 16, 2017

Why 'The Mummy' Is The Most Important Bad Movie Of The Year

Why 'The Mummy' Is The Most Important Bad Movie Of The Year