Movies

Ricky (Kris Hitchens) and daughter Jane (Katie Proctor) share a light moment in the Ken Loach drama Sorry We Missed You.

Arts

'Sorry We Missed You': Ken Loach's Characters Gag On The Gig Economy

5:00pm March 05, 2020

by Mark Jenkins

Director Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty deliver a "lacerating social drama" about a delivery driver (Kris Hitchen) whose demanding job comes with penalties that wipe out his pay.

Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) and his older brother Barley (voiced Chris Pratt) set off on a distinctly suburban quest in Onward.

Arts

'Onward': Timid Teen On A Mythic Quest For Elf-Assurance

5:00pm March 05, 2020

by Glen Weldon

The opening minutes of Disney/Pixar's latest animated film are Disney-Channel cheesy, but as soon as Onward starts highlighting the comic physicality of its characters, it finds itself.

When Greener Pastures Are Unpasteurized: Two men try to start a business in the Oregon Territory in First Cow.

Arts

'First Cow': A Profound, Ruminative Western

5:00pm March 05, 2020

by Chris Klimek

Two men struggle to eke out a living in the Oregon Territory by stealing the milk of a wealthy landowner in writer-director Kelly Reichardt's film.

Arts

'First Cow' Is A Richly Absorbing Tale Of Friendship, Crime And Capitalism

1:49pm March 05, 2020

by Justin Chang

This captivating underdog film centers on two strangers who meet in the Oregon Territory circa 1820 and start their own baking business — which requires stealing milk from the territory's first cow.

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'Sorry We Missed You': A Working-Class Drama With A Heart

4:20pm March 04, 2020

by Bob Mondello

Ken Loach's social-realist drama Sorry We Missed You depicts a family sliding slowly out of the middle class — but depicts moments of joy amid the desperation.

Mourners gather for a heartfelt burial ceremony in the Brazilian film Bacurau.

Arts

Mysterious Events Disturb A Small Brazilian Town In Genre-Busting 'Bacurau'

2:04pm March 04, 2020

by John Powers

First the town disappears from Google Maps. Then a UFO appears — and a water truck is riddled with bullet holes. Bacurau is a community portrait, a horror thriller and a work of political filmmaking.

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'Inside The Actors Studio' Host James Lipton Has Died

4:19pm March 02, 2020

by Elizabeth Blair

James Lipton was best known as the host of Inside the Actors Studio, an in-depth interview show with top performers on Bravo. Lipton died Monday of bladder cancer. He was 93.

Music & Culture

For The Danna Brothers, Pixar's New Film Is 'Uncannily Personal'

11:47am March 01, 2020

At its core, Onward is a story about siblings. Mychael and Jeff Danna composed the score for the film and speak with NPR's Leila Fadel about their work together.

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Film Festival Hit 'Saint Frances' Opens In Theaters

5:44pm February 28, 2020

by Bob Mondello

In the new independent comedy Saint Frances, a young woman finds her sense of family upended by a romance, an unexpected pregnancy and a gig as a nanny.

World News

Over Fears Of 'Lynching,' Polanski Pulls Out Of French Oscars

6:12am February 28, 2020

by Eleanor Beardsley

Film director Roman Polanski says he won't attend the French equivalent of the Academy Awards after outrage over his history of sexual abuse. He said the ceremony was turning into a "public lynching."