 |
|
Friday, May 9, 2008
Kenneth Turan, Film Critic
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
How often is that the case anymore? 'Note' is a loving tribute to an old art and its artists.
April 18, 2008
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Despite pairing Jackie Chan and Jet Li, the kung fu film goes easy on the action.
April 18, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
Movie Review:
The irresistible New England chorus of senior citizens proves you're never too old to rock.
April 9, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Martin Scorsese shows how things are now with the Rolling Stones.
April 4, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Against the odds, sentimentality becomes the film and its star, British singer Marianne Faithfull.
March 28, 2008
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ryan Phillippe, who leads an outstanding cast, plays an American soldier who resists an order to return to Iraq.
March 28, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Better bring along a hankie for the effectively heart-tugging 'Under the Same Moon.'
March 19, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The filmy deftly examines the building of a subdivision in Texas and its fallout.
March 14, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The forceful Israeli film depicts soldiers defending an ancient fort, and the seeming futility of it.
March 14, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
March 14, 2008
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A wild and woolly 'BC' hasn't only lifted often from prehistoric flicks, it's lifted well.
March 7, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Real energy and passion drive a group of budding musicians as well as the documentary makers, whose fervor actually turns a bit preachy.
March 7, 2008
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Initially "The Other Boleyn Girl" is good, genteelly trashy fun but it eventually reaches for dramaturgy that's out of its league.
February 29, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Director Lou Ye's controversial movie about the Tiananmen Square generation depicts love and confusion in a time of revolution.
February 29, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ethiopian women ostracized because of incontinence get their lives back in 'A Walk to Beautiful.'
February 29, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK:
The award show brings out something real in actors and that's what is worth watching.
February 26, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Vantage Point' loses focus as its sharp setup unravels.
February 22, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'The Counterfeiters' explores World War II by delving into a secret Nazi plot in which Jews were conflicted abettors.
February 22, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK:
If it wins best picture, it would be a boon for classic Hollywood filmmaking.
February 24, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
February 15, 2008
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
February 14, 2008
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
An intense actor and director make for a fiery combination in 'Blood.'
December 26, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
Movie Review:
The Film harnesses the power of persuasion for social change
December 25, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
Movie review:
'Charlie Wilson's War' celebrates events that came back to haunt Americans.
December 21, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film, based on the memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby, handles delicate subject matter with sensitivity and imagination.
November 30, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'American Gangster' has it -- just look at the title -- and pulls it off with verve.
November 2, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Costars Benicio Del Toro and Halle Berry do much of the stoking it.
October 19, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The movie centers a delightful, Capra-esque story around a most prurient prop.
October 12, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The much talked about sex scenes that earned an NC-17 rating are an important part of the Ang Lee film's psychology.
October 5, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
George Clooney has the answers in 'Michael Clayton'
October 5, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The documentary details the fate of artworks during and after World War II.
September 28, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Offbeat 'Sound' looks at the underbelly of the music industry.
September 28, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck pull their weight, but the long, ambitious, indulgent epic is only occasionally successful.
September 21, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A 'Shadow Company' of mercenaries
September 14, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Father must find AWOL son, but script makes it difficult to care
September 14, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The movie is rife with genre standards but delivers them with gusto.
September 7, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
REVIEW:
The 1963 gangster thriller, mixes American elements into a Parisian setting, creating a stylish, gripping milieu.
September 7, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The NASA documentary is a fabulously fresh take on a special group of audacious men called astronauts.
September 7, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In unflinching fashion, 'Manda Bala' documents seemingly disparate aspects of violence and poverty in Brazilian life.
August 31, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Terrifying bonds exist between a mother and her sons in this fearlessly performed French-language film with Isabelle Huppert.
August 31, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A Donkey Kong rivalry between two obsessive competitors makes for a lively 'King of Kong.'
August 17, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A horror classic is replicated again, but the result is no clone: With top talent, it's stylish and smart.
August 17, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'12:08' gives comic tone to Ceausescu's quiet fall as villagers dispute whether anyone showed at a rally before he left.
August 10, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan , Times Staff Writer
MOVIE REVIEW:
Though its credibility eventually falters, the space adventure should please fans of the genre.
July 20, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The French film is a good bet.
July 13, 2007
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Marina Hands stars as the lady who can't and won't deny her feelings for a servant.
July 13, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The magic is gone: As the story gets darker, the momentum get muddier.
July 10, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film is audacious and its unlikely hero is hard to resist.
June 29, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Michael Moore takes withering aim at ailing healthcare system.
June 29, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The actor is at his best in the implausible yet entertaining action film.
June 27, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'A Mighty Heart' moves the heart and head.
June 22, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Fantastic Four' is a retro, coolly unhip sequel. And that Surfer!
June 15, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Casting About' pays tribute to audition process
June 15, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The new movie surpasses 'Twelve' (not much of a feat) but lacks the elan of the first film.
June 8, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
An unpretentious story out of Ireland rediscovers the charms of saying it with song.
May 16, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The skillfully made documentary examines bestiality as a lifestyle.
May 4, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A huge budget buys more villains but not a better chapter of the franchise.
May 2, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A disturbing study of marriage and motherhood
April 27, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Social fissures reopen in this immediate, powerful tale.
April 27, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In Jonathan Kasdan's 'In the Land of Women,' a man puts his life back together, and helps women do the same.
April 20, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Parking yourself at 'The Valet' is recommended.
April 20, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Halle Berry and Bruce Willis both do what they're supposed to do in this routine thriller.
April 13, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
An untold war story
April 13, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
This smart film captures the psyche of Clifford Irving, a man who told the world tall tales.
April 6, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Three decades after it was finished, the drama still has the power to touch the heart.
April 6, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In Paul Verhoeven's film about a Jewish spy infiltrating the Nazis, heroism and treachery are hard to tell apart.
April 4, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
First-time director Scott Frank pulls off an enjoyable thriller thanks to his strong script.
March 30, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A woman seeks revenge on the pianist who thwarted her career in 'The Page Turner.'
March 30, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Emotions run high in the Oscar-nominated film, but the talented director and actors don't flinch.
March 30, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film by Iran's Jafar Panahi, grippingly depicts a national pastime denied to women.
March 23, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Mark Wahlberg gives 'Shooter' its considerable firepower.
March 23, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' goes beyond zealotry.
March 16, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Into Great Silence' explores lives of monks.
March 9, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The visually arresting '300' gets bogged down in blood and bodies.
March 9, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A widowed mother strives to rebuild her life in 'Grbavica,' a story about postwar Sarajevo.
March 2, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A fine cast and a realistic touch give the charming farce a sweetness and emotional intimacy.
March 2, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The inspiring ‘Amazing Grace’ tells the story of William Wilberforce, who worked passionately to abolish slavery in Britain.
February 23, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Our Daily Bread' provides food for thought as well as the eye.
February 22, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan , Times Staff Writer
MOVIE REVIEW:
In a tense, crackling tale, Chris Cooper turns a double life into an intense whole.
February 16, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'The Situation's' fictional tale is no match for the real-life events occurring in Iraq.
February 9, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton are incandescent in 1964’s ‘Becket.’ Fortuitously, a restored print is handy.
February 2, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Alberto Lattuada's "Mafioso," newly restored, is a long-lost gem that deftly fuses comedy and drama.
January 26, 2007
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In "Pan’s Labyrinth," it’s no easy escape from Franco’s Spain through fairy tale land.
December 29, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A spy whose soul goes undercover. RECOMMENDED
December 22, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The intense "Children of Men" is set in a near future to give us pause today. CRITIC'S CHOICE
December 22, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Punch drunk and down for the count.
December 20, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Clint Eastwood presents the Japanese view in the remarkable "Letters." CRITIC'S CHOICE
December 20, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The witty, timeless drama takes a poignant look at the things that matter most in life: love and friendship. CRITIC'S CHOICE
December 20, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Dreamgirls" hits high notes of emotion and adds social context in its bracing renewal as a Hollywood musical. RECOMMENDED
December 15, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Diamond" wants to be an action thriller with serious political overtones and to be as much position paper as “Zulu Dawn.”
December 8, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Another bloodbath, Mel Gibson’s "Apocalypto" doesn’t miss an impalement or a dismemberment.
December 8, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The powerful "Days of Glory" deftly tells the story of four men from North Africa who fought for France.
December 6, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A society under suspicion.
December 1, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A "Story" told with too much naiveté.
December 1, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Beneath the average potboiler facade of "Déjà Vu" lies classic noir.
November 22, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Iraq war documentary amounts to ravishing portrait.
November 17, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Unusual and impressive animated film taps into issues too. RECOMMENDED
November 17, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEWS:
Daniel Craig rings true as "Casino Royale" shrewdly remakes 007.
November 17, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Delicate "Sweet Land" is a type of American independent we don't see often enough.
November 15, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe make a fine team, but this romantic comedy is too conventional.
November 10, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Photographer Diane Arbus' life is seen through a filter that distorts her realities in favor of glossy fantasy and conjecture.
November 10, 2006
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A magical mystery tour that is well worth taking.
November 3, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A film on dealings in Miami years ago makes some interesting points but is sabotaged by its focus on sleaze.
November 3, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Borat" will probably make you cringe as much as laugh, but you'll do a lot of both.
November 3, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A documentary on the mass murder-suicide, with interviews of its few survivors, is calm, thorough and utterly harrowing.
RECOMMENDED
October 27, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Though unsettling, "The Bridge" is an earnest meditation on the nature of suicide.
RECOMMENDED
October 27, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Derek Luke does justice to tale of wronged man.
October 27, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Clint Eastwood's war drama grippingly tells the tale behind that photograph from Iwo Jima.
CRITIC'S CHOICE
October 20, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
They've got something up their sleeves.
RECOMMENDED
October 20, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Douglas McGrath’s ambitious ‘Infamous,’ which covers the same territory as last year’s ‘Capote,’ leaves an unpleasant aftertaste.
October 13, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
French police investigate human complexity.
CRITIC'S CHOICE
October 13, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
It's police spy versus mob mole as Scorsese brings it all to a boil.
RECOMMENDED
October 6, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The royal drama after Di's death.
CRITIC'S CHOICE
October 6, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Children learn to roast hot dogs and "devils" at a different sort of camp.
September 29, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A complex tale of power, aims higher than others, and hits.
September 22, 2006
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEWS:
Documentaries continue to find fresh perspectives while focused on the different faces of a war zone.
September 15, 2006
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
An attraction that becomes unnervingly all-consuming.
September 8, 2006
|
|
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In his "Iraq for Sale," Robert Greenwald slams U.S. companies for endangering lives while making millions.
September 8, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A wannabe star's tale fizzles out.
September 8, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Return of a bygone force in action farce.
August 25, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In this cinematic season of vacuity and ineptitude, "Half Nelson" has to be seen.
CRITIC'S CHOICE
August 25, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Factotum" is true to the grit, poetry of Charles Bukowski.
August 18, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
On this East-West "Bridge," music spans global influences.
August 18, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
WORLD CINEMA:
The man from La Mancha discusses the roots of his work, new and old.
August 20, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ghastly events forced into a feel-good formula — it's not the memorial Sept. 11 needs.
August 9, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
August 4, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEWS:
"Talladega Nights" may skid some, but it's got Will Ferrell. Relax and enjoy the ride.
August 4, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu are once again paired as old flames.
August 4, 2006
|
 |
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The big-screen "Miami Vice" has attitude to spare. Story and character, not so much.
July 28, 2006
|
|
