Review Love, Loss and Le Carre: 'Constant Gardener' Fresh Air August 31, 2005 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews The Constant Gardener, the new thriller based on the John Le Carre novel. The film is directed by City of God's Fernando Meirelles and stars Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz.
Culture New Hope for Revitalizing a Civil Rights Classic August 30, 2005 • Eyes on the Prize, the historic documentary of the civil rights movement, is getting a new life, thanks to a grant from the Ford Foundation and philanthropist Richard Gilder. There are plans to release the restored documentary to educational institutions next summer and have it shown again on public television next fall.
Actor Scott Goes the Distance with 'Saint Ralph' August 28, 2005 • He's played Robert Benchley and Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. He's been cast as an introspective dentist, an atomic scientist, a cop and Hamlet. Now, in the film Saint Ralph, Campbell Scott takes a turn as a priest coaching an unlikely marathoner.
Culture Slate's Summary Judgment: 'The Brothers Grimm,' 'Undiscovered,' 'The Cave' August 26, 2005 • Fairy tales, struggling actors and stranded scientists want your movie dollars this weekend -- but are any of them worth the cash? Slate contributor Mark Jordan Legan looks at what the critics are saying about this week's new movie releases, including The Brothers Grimm, Undiscovered and The Cave.
Diversions 'March of the Penguins' and Homosexuality August 26, 2005 • Marriage advocate and conservative columnist Maggie Gallagher praised the recent surprise hit documentary March of the Penguins for extolling the values of love and devotion. But instances of homosexuality in the penguin world might add an unwanted twist to her analogy.
Bringing 'Barbershop' to the Small Screen August 26, 2005 • John Ridley, executive producer of the new Showtime television series Barbershop, talks about adapting the popular feature film for broadcast.
Actor Morris Chestnut: From 'Urban' to Action August 26, 2005 • Actor Morris Chestnut, who first hit the big screen with a role in Boyz n the Hood in 1991, talks about going from "urban" films to big-budget Hollywood action movies. His latest film is The Cave.
Review Culture Dutch Noir: 'Memory of a Killer' August 26, 2005 • Film critic Kenneth Turan reviews Memory of a Killer, a Dutch noir thriller about a hit man who's developed Alzheimer's disease. The film is based on the much-praised crime novel series by Jef Geeraerts.
Opinion Finding the Right Role: Offbeat Women in Hollywood Fresh Air August 25, 2005 • Critic-at-large John Powers comments on the history of roles for offbeat women in Hollywood. Powers recently saw the hit film The 40-Year-Old Virgin and got to thinking about the actress Catherine Keener, who co-stars.
Ice-T Looks Back at 'New Jack City' August 25, 2005 • Rapper and actor Ice-T, one of the pioneers of the "gangsta rap" genre, now has a regular role as an undercover cop on the NBC crime drama Law and Order. Born Tracy Marrow, the rapper got his big acting break in the film New Jack City. He talks about his acting career and the film's 15th-anniversary release. Note: Segment contains language some may find offensive.
Culture Fiennes Takes on Intrigue in 'Constant Gardener' August 25, 2005 • Robert Siegel talks to Ralph Fiennes, star of The Constant Gardener. Fiennes talks about his role as Justin Quayle, a British diplomat whose work in Nairobi leads him to discover a deadly conspiracy.
A Tribute to Brooklyn 'Homegirl' Rosie Perez August 24, 2005 • Rosie Perez made a big splash with her big-screen debut in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. Now she's being honored by BAM Cinématek in her hometown of Brooklyn with a two-day tribute and screenings of her films since that 1989 breakthrough performance. She talks about her struggles as a "non-traditional" Hollywood actress.
Review Past and Future Love: Wong Kar-Wai's '2046' August 24, 2005 • Hong Kong's Wong Kar-Wai is a visual stylist: witness In the Mood for Love and Days of Being Wild. His latest film, 2046, runs riot with color, texture -- and beautiful people.
Obituaries 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Actor Brock Peters August 24, 2005 • Allison Keyes offers a remembrance of actor Brock Peters, who died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 78. Peters is best known for his portrayal of a wrongly accused man in To Kill A Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck.
Obituaries Cancer Claims 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Actor Peters August 23, 2005 • Actor Brock Peters dies of pancreatic cancer at age 78. He is best remembered for his heartbreaking performance as a black man falsely accused of rape in the Deep South in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird.