Film offers 'Hard Truths' about why some people are happy — and others are miserable
Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a phenomenal performance as a profoundly unhappy woman. There isn't a lot of plot, but director Mike Leigh builds his stories from the details and detritus of daily life.
'Dope' Director On Geekdom, The N-Word And Confronting Racism With Comedy
Rick Famuyiwa's film, Dope, is about a black high-school student who's into 90s hip-hop and Japanese comic books. Originally broadcast July 1, 2015.
'Room' Transforms A Lurid Crime Story Into A Fairy Tale With A Boy Hero
In Lenny Abrahamson's new film, a 5-year-old boy lives with his mother in a prison fashioned by a psychopath. Critic David Edelstein calls Room an amazing and "heart-stopping" survival story.
Early On, Comedian John Cleese Says, He Had Good Timing But Little Else
The co-founder of the Monty Python troupe admits he wasn't "naturally gifted" at physical comedy. His memoir, So, Anyway..., covers his boyhood and early career. Originally broadcast Dec. 16, 2014.
Revisiting The Soul-Stirring Sounds Of Decades-Old Gospel Music
Post-war black gospel music shaped soul sounds through the mid-1970s, but it's increasingly hard to find today. Rock historian Ed Ward discusses a few recent gospel reissues.
Journalist Describes How The Freedom Caucus Hijacked Congress
Rolling Stone's Tim Dickinson says that the ongoing search to replace Rep. John Boehner as speaker of the House reveals the influence that 40 conservative Republicans hold in the House.
An Under-The-Radar Musician Slips Into The Spotlight With 'Oh My Goodness'
Veteran songwriter Donnie Fritts has mixed blues, rock, soul and country throughout his long and winding career. Ken Tucker says Fritts' new solo album showcases the musician's "shrewd ruminations."
Revisiting Rabin's Assassination, And The Peace That Might Have Been
Twenty years ago, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was killed by a Jewish religious zealot. Dan Ephron, author of Killing a King, discusses the assassination and its effect on the peace process.
'Tomeka Reid Quartet' Offers A Tightly Synchronized Mix Of Cello And Guitar
Cellist Tomeka Reid was headed toward a career as a classical musician, but was drawn to jazz. Critic Kevin Whitehead says her band's new album, The Tomeka Reid Quartet, has good chemistry all around.