Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Kenneth Turan, Film Critic
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The much talked about sex scenes that earned an NC-17 rating are an important part of the Ang Lee film's psychology.
October 5, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
George Clooney has the answers in 'Michael Clayton'
October 5, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Sure, a kid could paint that, but did she?
October 5, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The new film starring Jamie Foxx has no deep meaning. It just gives mayhem a stage.
September 28, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The documentary details the fate of artworks during and after World War II.
September 28, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Offbeat 'Sound' looks at the underbelly of the music industry.
September 28, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Writer-director Sean Penn focuses on the best aspects of Chris McCandless, played wonderfully by Emile Hirsch.
September 21, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck pull their weight, but the long, ambitious, indulgent epic is only occasionally successful.
September 21, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A 'Shadow Company' of mercenaries
September 14, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Father must find AWOL son, but script makes it difficult to care
September 14, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The movie is rife with genre standards but delivers them with gusto.
September 7, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
REVIEW:
The 1963 gangster thriller, mixes American elements into a Parisian setting, creating a stylish, gripping milieu.
September 7, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The NASA documentary is a fabulously fresh take on a special group of audacious men called astronauts.
September 7, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In unflinching fashion, 'Manda Bala' documents seemingly disparate aspects of violence and poverty in Brazilian life.
August 31, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Terrifying bonds exist between a mother and her sons in this fearlessly performed French-language film with Isabelle Huppert.
August 31, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
An amateur yachtsman faces almost certain death or financial ruin in the powerful documentary 'Deep Water.'
August 24, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A Donkey Kong rivalry between two obsessive competitors makes for a lively 'King of Kong.'
August 17, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A horror classic is replicated again, but the result is no clone: With top talent, it's stylish and smart.
August 17, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'12:08' gives comic tone to Ceausescu's quiet fall as villagers dispute whether anyone showed at a rally before he left.
August 10, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
A preservation group screens an impressive variety of rare and recently restored silent films, docs and features.
August 8, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIES:
A preservation group screens an impressive variety of rare and recently restored silent films, docs and features.
August 8, 2007
KENNETH TURAN
ON FILM / KENNETH TURAN:
Despite being a Sundance hit, it was still a rocky road for the small film and the U.S. market.
July 29, 2007
By Kenneth Turan , Times Staff Writer
MOVIE REVIEW:
Though its credibility eventually falters, the space adventure should please fans of the genre.
July 20, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The French film is a good bet.
July 13, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Marina Hands stars as the lady who can't and won't deny her feelings for a servant.
July 13, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The magic is gone: As the story gets darker, the momentum get muddier.
July 10, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film is audacious and its unlikely hero is hard to resist.
June 29, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Michael Moore takes withering aim at ailing healthcare system.
June 29, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The actor is at his best in the implausible yet entertaining action film.
June 27, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'A Mighty Heart' moves the heart and head.
June 22, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Fantastic Four' is a retro, coolly unhip sequel. And that Surfer!
June 15, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Casting About' pays tribute to audition process
June 15, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The new movie surpasses 'Twelve' (not much of a feat) but lacks the elan of the first film.
June 8, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
The filmmaker outdoes himself with 'Brand Upon the Brain!' at the Egyptian Theatre.
June 7, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
An unpretentious story out of Ireland rediscovers the charms of saying it with song.
May 16, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The skillfully made documentary examines bestiality as a lifestyle.
May 4, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A huge budget buys more villains but not a better chapter of the franchise.
May 2, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A disturbing study of marriage and motherhood
April 27, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Social fissures reopen in this immediate, powerful tale.
April 27, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In Jonathan Kasdan's 'In the Land of Women,' a man puts his life back together, and helps women do the same.
April 20, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Parking yourself at 'The Valet' is recommended.
April 20, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Halle Berry and Bruce Willis both do what they're supposed to do in this routine thriller.
April 13, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
An untold war story
April 13, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
This smart film captures the psyche of Clifford Irving, a man who told the world tall tales.
April 6, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Three decades after it was finished, the drama still has the power to touch the heart.
April 6, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In Paul Verhoeven's film about a Jewish spy infiltrating the Nazis, heroism and treachery are hard to tell apart.
April 4, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
First-time director Scott Frank pulls off an enjoyable thriller thanks to his strong script.
March 30, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A woman seeks revenge on the pianist who thwarted her career in 'The Page Turner.'
March 30, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Emotions run high in the Oscar-nominated film, but the talented director and actors don't flinch.
March 30, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film by Iran's Jafar Panahi, grippingly depicts a national pastime denied to women.
March 23, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Mark Wahlberg gives 'Shooter' its considerable firepower.
March 23, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' goes beyond zealotry.
March 16, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Into Great Silence' explores lives of monks.
March 9, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The visually arresting '300' gets bogged down in blood and bodies.
March 9, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A widowed mother strives to rebuild her life in 'Grbavica,' a story about postwar Sarajevo.
March 2, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A fine cast and a realistic touch give the charming farce a sweetness and emotional intimacy.
March 2, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The inspiring ‘Amazing Grace’ tells the story of William Wilberforce, who worked passionately to abolish slavery in Britain.
February 23, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Our Daily Bread' provides food for thought as well as the eye.
February 22, 2007
By Kenneth Turan , Times Staff Writer
MOVIE REVIEW:
In a tense, crackling tale, Chris Cooper turns a double life into an intense whole.
February 16, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
'The Situation's' fictional tale is no match for the real-life events occurring in Iraq.
February 9, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton are incandescent in 1964’s ‘Becket.’ Fortuitously, a restored print is handy.
February 2, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Alberto Lattuada's "Mafioso," newly restored, is a long-lost gem that deftly fuses comedy and drama.
January 26, 2007
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In "Pan’s Labyrinth," it’s no easy escape from Franco’s Spain through fairy tale land.
December 29, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A spy whose soul goes undercover. RECOMMENDED
December 22, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The intense "Children of Men" is set in a near future to give us pause today. CRITIC'S CHOICE
December 22, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Punch drunk and down for the count.
December 20, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Clint Eastwood presents the Japanese view in the remarkable "Letters." CRITIC'S CHOICE
December 20, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The witty, timeless drama takes a poignant look at the things that matter most in life: love and friendship. CRITIC'S CHOICE
December 20, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Dreamgirls" hits high notes of emotion and adds social context in its bracing renewal as a Hollywood musical. RECOMMENDED
December 15, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Diamond" wants to be an action thriller with serious political overtones and to be as much position paper as “Zulu Dawn.”
December 8, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Another bloodbath, Mel Gibson’s "Apocalypto" doesn’t miss an impalement or a dismemberment.
December 8, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The powerful "Days of Glory" deftly tells the story of four men from North Africa who fought for France.
December 6, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A society under suspicion.
December 1, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A "Story" told with too much naiveté.
December 1, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Beneath the average potboiler facade of "Déjà Vu" lies classic noir.
November 22, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Iraq war documentary amounts to ravishing portrait.
November 17, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Unusual and impressive animated film taps into issues too. RECOMMENDED
November 17, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEWS:
Daniel Craig rings true as "Casino Royale" shrewdly remakes 007.
November 17, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Delicate "Sweet Land" is a type of American independent we don't see often enough.
November 15, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe make a fine team, but this romantic comedy is too conventional.
November 10, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Photographer Diane Arbus' life is seen through a filter that distorts her realities in favor of glossy fantasy and conjecture.
November 10, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A magical mystery tour that is well worth taking.
November 3, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A film on dealings in Miami years ago makes some interesting points but is sabotaged by its focus on sleaze.
November 3, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Borat" will probably make you cringe as much as laugh, but you'll do a lot of both.
November 3, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A documentary on the mass murder-suicide, with interviews of its few survivors, is calm, thorough and utterly harrowing. RECOMMENDED
October 27, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Though unsettling, "The Bridge" is an earnest meditation on the nature of suicide.RECOMMENDED
October 27, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Derek Luke does justice to tale of wronged man.
October 27, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Clint Eastwood's war drama grippingly tells the tale behind that photograph from Iwo Jima.CRITIC'S CHOICE
October 20, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
They've got something up their sleeves. RECOMMENDED
October 20, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Douglas McGrath’s ambitious ‘Infamous,’ which covers the same territory as last year’s ‘Capote,’ leaves an unpleasant aftertaste.
October 13, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
French police investigate human complexity. CRITIC'S CHOICE
October 13, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
It's police spy versus mob mole as Scorsese brings it all to a boil. RECOMMENDED
October 6, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The royal drama after Di's death.CRITIC'S CHOICE
October 6, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Children learn to roast hot dogs and "devils" at a different sort of camp.
September 29, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A complex tale of power, aims higher than others, and hits.
September 22, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEWS:
Documentaries continue to find fresh perspectives while focused on the different faces of a war zone.
September 15, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
An attraction that becomes unnervingly all-consuming.
September 8, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In his "Iraq for Sale," Robert Greenwald slams U.S. companies for endangering lives while making millions.
September 8, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A wannabe star's tale fizzles out.
September 8, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Return of a bygone force in action farce.
August 25, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In this cinematic season of vacuity and ineptitude, "Half Nelson" has to be seen. CRITIC'S CHOICE
August 25, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Factotum" is true to the grit, poetry of Charles Bukowski.
August 18, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
On this East-West "Bridge," music spans global influences.
August 18, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
WORLD CINEMA:
The man from La Mancha discusses the roots of his work, new and old.
August 20, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ghastly events forced into a feel-good formula — it's not the memorial Sept. 11 needs.
August 9, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
August 4, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEWS:
"Talladega Nights" may skid some, but it's got Will Ferrell. Relax and enjoy the ride.
August 4, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu are once again paired as old flames.
August 4, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The big-screen "Miami Vice" has attitude to spare. Story and character, not so much.
July 28, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK:
Preservation fest at UCLA returns in gorgeous style, with a bouquet of unusual finds.
July 20, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Man of Steel's return stumbles.
June 27, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIES REVIEW:
New land, same guilty pleasure. "Tokyo Drift" is full of — what else? — fast cars and preening women.
June 16, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
His actions surrounding 9/11 made him a hero to many. Documentary takes a critical look at his career and concludes he's no hero.
June 16, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
It's the purring heart and not a load of clanking gags that gives "Cars" its smooth ride.
June 9, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
HOLLYWOOD | MOVIE MILESTONES:
A select sprinkling of some of the films that changed Hollywood.
May 21, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Director Ron Howard's film adaptation of the bestselling book premieres at the Cannes Film Festival.
May 17, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Heroism through a cool, reserved eye.
May 12, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Mr. Lazarescu's" death says a lot about life.
May 5, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The documentary "Sir! No Sir!" recalls how some Vietnam GIs opposed the war.
May 5, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In "M:i:III," Tom Cruise tries to outrace a bad guy who's really, really good.
May 5, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL:
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's "The Child" wins the Palme d'Or.
May 22, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL:
'Sundance to Sarajevo: Film Festivals and the World They Made'
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
This genuinely sweet and determinedly inspirational family film features charming young actress Keke Palmer in the title role.
April 28, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"United 93's" director went to great lengths to make the film as accurate as possible. So it's difficult to watch.
April 28, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Look Both Ways" is a fearless movie about a fearful subject, an unusually empathetic and quite funny film that deals with death and dying in the most offbeat and casually life-affirming way.
April 28, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Cross-border nuptials are fraught with complexity in the stirring "Syrian Bride."
April 21, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Skill and experience mark "The Sentinel," in which Secret Service agents clash as the president is imperiled.
April 21, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Only countries under duress turn out motion pictures quite like the new Iranian film "Iron Island."
April 21, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Tibetan location brings a gritty spirit to China's "Mountain Patrol: Kekexili."
April 14, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Documentary details the hush-hush truths of geopolitics and the challenges of "exporting democracy."
April 14, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Bettie Page" gives the details of a fascinating life but renders its icon in two dimensions.
April 14, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ralph Richardson's assessment of "The Fallen Idol," a 1948 Graham Greene-Carol Reed collaboration, holds true today.
April 7, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A documentary about Daniel Johnston is just like the cult musician: self-absorbed.
March 31, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Changing pace, "Inside Man" director Spike Lee takes the crime-film genre for a spin and viewers for a wild ride.
March 24, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's heartbreaking film follows the reprecussions of one thoughtless, horrible act.
March 24, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Aaron Eckhart's turn as a sleazy tobbaco lobbyist is the heart of this wry, black-lunged comedy.
March 17, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
One award-winning lazy Sunday in the lives of two 14-year-old Mexico City boys.
March 10, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
March 10, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Master animator Hayao Miyazaki takes audiences on a trip to a different magic kingdom.
June 10, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Respected source. Good intentions. Yet "Jarhead" doesn't add up.
November 4, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
After three attempts, the latest film in the series finally captures the magic that made J.K. Rowling's books such a phenomenon.
November 17, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The musical lineup is formidable, but the comedian's ability to make people laugh at anything stands out.
March 3, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Made nearly 40 years ago, Richard Brooks' film version of Truman Capote's book has been reissued just in time for Sunday's Academy Award festivities.
March 3, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Mockumentary techniques, a 'what if' historical approach and ferocious satire come together in the film by Kevin Willmott.
February 24, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Julia Jentsch shines as an anti-Nazi activist in "Sophie Scholl," nominated for a foreign language film Oscar.
February 24, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The most successful film in its homeland, Russia's "Night" gives the dark fantasy genre new life.
February 17, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
It's always good to see Harrison Ford get the upper hand, but 'Firewall' is just an ordinary thriller.
February 10, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
One fish sparks a chain of social ills.
February 10, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
February 10, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
One fish sparks a chain of social ills
February 10, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Based on a classic work by Oscar Wilde, setting "A Good Woman" in Italy during the 1930s undercuts it.
February 3, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
In director Ang Lee's groundbreaking film, two cowboys realistically struggle with their love.
December 9, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Munich," about the hunt for the murderers of Israeli Olympians, is a call for peace.
December 23, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Edward R. Murrow once took a stand, and "Good Night" stands tall in his honor.
October 7, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Stephen Gaghan's breathless oil-intrigue saga "Syriana" tackles real-world issues under its guise as Hollywood genre entertainment.
November 23, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
A revealing look at a man who prefers to remain out of the spotlight.
January 27, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
January 20, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Dashing and romantic, "Tristan and Isolde" provides a pleasantly old-fashioned spectacle of doomed passion.
January 13, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW
January 6, 2006
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The remake plays like the setup for a movie that never materializes.
December 21, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Family versus fiancée: It proves engaging.
December 16, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
Judi Dench gives a star turn as a London theatrical matriarch during World War II, and Bob Hoskins is a perfect foil in Stephen Frears' polished film.
December 9, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
The style and charisma of Doug Liman's action comedy drolly outgun its plot contrivance.
June 10, 2005
By Kenneth Turan
MOVIE REVIEW:
As "The Libertine," Johnny Depp gets to (over)act to his heart's delight. Must have been fun. For him, not for us.
November 25, 2005
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