Movies

A hymn favored by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helps the Oscar-nominated film make a well-known historical story powerfully intimate. But the song has a tragic story of its own.

NPR movie critic Bob Mondello says the Argentine nominee for best foreign language film, Wild Tales, is an anthology of darkly comic stories that definitely lives up to its title.

Nearly every male actor in The Grand Budapest Hotel has some kind of facial hair. In charge of each follicle — real or fake — was Oscar-nominated hair and makeup designer Frances Hannon.

The husband and wife team of Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil have created some of the most iconic African-American characters on television. This is their list of must-see shows and movies.

Just before Richard Glatzer and his husband, Wash Westmoreland, took the film on, Glatzer was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. By the time filming began, he was using an iPad to communicate.

The Arrested Development actor makes his directorial debut with the film Hits, which explores how easy it is to become famous in our celebrity-obsessed culture.

The Last Five Years is a musical romance with a unique storytelling twist. NPR film critic Bob Mondello says the quirks and tricks have him singing the movie's praises, despite a flaw or two.

The film, based on E.L. James' best-selling novel, has been denounced by decency brigades. But it's a surprisingly mild, corny romance that affirms traditional values: It's Jane Eyre with ropes.

Fifty Shades of Grey is expected to be a blockbuster — and the director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, is a relative unknown outside of the art world, where she's a star. NPR's Neda Ulaby has a profile.