Movies

Chiwetel Ejiofor (left) plays Solomon Northup, a New York freeman kidnapped into slavery in 1841 and eventually resold to plantation owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).

Arts

For A Free Spirit, A Grim '12 Years' In Chains

12:39pm January 16, 2014

by Bob Mondello

A brutal corrective to gauzy portrayals of the antebellum South, this true story of a man kidnapped into slavery took home the top audience prize at the Toronto Film Festival. NPR's Bob Mondello says it emphatically deserved the honor. (Recommended)

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National

Months After 'Blackfish' Release, Controversy Over SeaWorld Grows

9:11pm January 15, 2014

by Greg Allen

An anti-SeaWorld movement has unfolded online and on social media in the wake of the documentary about the death of an orca trainer at the park. Musical acts and schoolchildren have boycotted the theme park — but it's still drawing big crowds.

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Before protesting in The Square, Khalid Abdalla (left) acted in such films as The Kite Runner, Green Zone and United 93.

Arts

Three Protesters, One 'Square': Film Goes Inside Egypt's Revolution

12:46pm January 14, 2014

by John Powers

As we approach the third anniversary of the demonstrations in Egypt, Fresh Air critic John Powers reviews a documentary that captures the story of Cairo's Tahrir Square. He says the film "is less a final reckoning than an exciting bulletin from the front lines of an unfinished revolution."

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From left, Meryl Streep, Julianne Nicholson and Juliette Lewis star in August: Osage County.

Arts

'Osage' Hits Close To Home For Writer Tracy Letts

12:53pm January 11, 2014

by NPR Staff

Playwright Tracy Letts won the Pulitzer Prize for August: Osage County, a story of secrets and family dysfunction. Now it's been released as a film, for which Letts wrote the screenplay. The story and its characters came from his own experiences, Letts says.

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In Saving Mr. Banks, Emma Thompson plays Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers, who, Thompson says, hated the whole idea of having her book made into a film.

Arts

Not-So-Cheery Disposition: Emma Thompson On Poppins' Cranky Creator

6:13pm January 09, 2014

When it came to turning her children's book into a movie, Thompson says, P.L. Travers was patronizing, demeaning, rude, and "reminded me of Margaret Thatcher." Thompson plays the acerbic author in Saving Mr. Banks.

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Music & Culture

Fiennes Brings Dickens To 'Perfect' Life In 'Invisible Woman'

9:35am January 07, 2014

by Kenneth Turan

The works of Charles Dickens have been made into literally hundreds of films and TV episodes, but almost nothing has been done with the great author's life, until now. Our reviewer says The Invisible Woman is an exceptional film about love, longing and regret.

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Revenues, But Not Profits, Soar For Hollywood In 2013

2:38pm January 04, 2014

Hollywood set records at the box office in 2013. NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks with Stephen Galloway of the Hollywood Reporter about the year in movies, from big budget flops to the awards season logjam, and what to expect in 2014.

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Theaters Hope Recliners Lure Homebodies Off Their Sofas

2:38pm January 04, 2014

by Topher Forhecz

Movie theater seats are getting more deluxe. A couple chains are installing recliners in the latest effort to give movie-goers more of the comforts of home. (This story originally aired on Nov. 29, 2013, on Morning Edition.)

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In the sci-fi romance Her, a lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) finds love in a rather unexpected place — with a computer operating system named Samantha.

Arts

In A 'Miraculous Year' For Movies, Edelstein Picks His Favorites

4:44pm January 02, 2014

In 2013, "you really feel as if directors are taking chances in their storytelling," says film critic David Edelstein. He loved the movie Her, and says the biggest surprises of the year were All Is Lost and Much Ado About Nothing. He also explains why 12 Years a Slave didn't make his top 10.

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Arts

The Trouble With Assessing 'Black Films'

6:54pm December 28, 2013

This year was lauded by many news outlets as an incredible year for black films. CNN heralded "Hollywood's African-American Renaissance;" The New York Times called 2013 a "a breakout year for black films." Shani Hilton, deputy editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed, talks to NPR's Arun Rath about why she think those assertions are overstated.

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