Movie Reviews

Arts

'Phantom Thread' Is Deeply Weird And Marvelously Entertaining

1:48pm December 22, 2017

by David Edelstein

Paul Thomas Anderson's new movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as a British women's fashion designer in the 1950s. Critic David Edelstein says the film is an amusing portrait of artistic and marital anguish.

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Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) and Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) grapple with a big decision in The Post.

Arts

'The Post': Pentagon Papers Put The Press Under Pressure

10:29am December 22, 2017

by Bob Mondello

Steven Spielberg's account of the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971 is melodrama, but Bob Mondello says it's urgent — and effective.

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Vicky Krieps as Alma and Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock in Phantom Thread.

Arts

Impeccable 'Phantom Thread' Doesn't Drop A Stitch

8:53am December 22, 2017

by Scott Tobias

Paul Thomas Anderson's film about a London dressmaker in the 1950s is "a rare combination of audacity and precision, impeccably tailored yet full of mystery and magic," says critic Scott Tobias.

Mediocre Meaty Ogre: Joel Edgerton is an orc named Nick, Will Smith is a human named Daryl in Netflix's Bright.

Arts

Will Smith Plays Cops-And-Monsters In Unremarkable 'Bright'

5:10pm December 21, 2017

by Chris Klimek

Smith is a police officer paired with an orc (Joel Edgerton) in this fantasy-inflected buddy-cop movie that's "lazy but not boring" and "perfectly, stubbornly mediocre."

(L to R) Udo Kier as Konrad, Paul (Matt Damon), and Dusan (Christoph Waltz) in Downsizing.

Arts

'Downsizing': A Tone-Deaf, Less-Than-Incredible Shrinking Satire

5:01pm December 21, 2017

by Andrew Lapin

Director/co-writer Alexander Payne's film is "the rare movie that seems to execute every part of its concept absolutely wrong; a narrative, tonal, visual and sociopolitical fiasco."

Taking Up Spacey: J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) and Fletcher (Mark Wahlberg) in All The Money In The World.

Arts

'All The Money In The World' And Worth Every Penny

5:00pm December 21, 2017

by Ella Taylor

The sudden de-Spaceying of a lead role is the least interesting thing about Ridley Scott's propulsive thriller that features a standout performance by Michelle Williams.

Science

Latest 'Star Wars' Teaches The Value Of Failure

11:16am December 21, 2017

by Marcelo Gleiser

The Last Jedi highlights the need for failure to find success, as the ongoing dynamic of The Force — the tug-of-war between good and evil — aptly defines our humanity, says Marcelo Gleiser.

New Movies Will Inundate Theaters Over The Next Couple Of Weeks

6:44am December 21, 2017

by David Greene

To name just a few of the new movies coming out: Steven Spielberg's The Post, All the Money in the World and what might be Daniel Day Lewis's last film: Phantom Thread.

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Arts

'The Post' Is A Crackling Newsroom Thriller With Electrifying Relevance

1:41pm December 20, 2017

by Justin Chang

Steven Spielberg's new drama revisits The Washington Post's 1971 decision to publish the Pentagon Papers in defiance of the Nixon administration. Justin Chang calls it "terrifically entertaining."

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Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Florida Project, The Big Sick, Coco and Girls Trip all made NPR's top list.

Arts

NPR's Favorite Movies Of 2017

10:26am December 19, 2017

You may not agree that a given film belongs on this list, or we might have left your favorite off. But movies are meant to inspire discussion and debate; why shouldn't year-end lists do the same?