Kenneth Turan

Movie Review: 'Trance'

Kenneth Turan — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:34:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The director Danny Boyle is best known for the Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire." His latest film is called "Trance," but Los Angeles Times and MORNING EDITION film critic Kenneth Turan was not put under its spell.

KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: "Trance" begins with the auction of a painting by Goya.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "TRANCE")

JAMES MCAVOY: (As Simon) Telephone bidder now, $26 million; 26 on the telephone, 27 to the lady on the aisle. Selling, 27 million, 500 thousand pounds - sold...

TURAN: And then it's stolen.

Movie Review: 'Gimme The Loot'

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:43:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

"Gimme The Loot" is a new independent film that's had a charmed life, including winning the Best Narrative prize at South by Southwest and an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan says it's worth the fuss.

KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: We meet Malcolm and Sofia as they're stealing spray paint from a hardware store.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "GIMME THE LOOT")

TASHIANA WASHINGTON: (Unintelligible)

TURAN: They're committed graffiti writers and best friends, living in the grittiest part of the Bronx.

Movie Review: 'Jack The Giant Slayer'

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:16:00 +0000

The story of Jack and his beanstalk has been filmed innumerable times by people as diverse as Gene Kelly, Chuck Jones and the Three Stooges. While he's been through the Hollywood shuffle before, there's never been a Jack tale that's delivered so little pleasure for so many dollars.

How 'Sound City' Changed The Face Of Rock 'N Roll

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:09:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

One of the most entertaining documentaries to come out of this year's Sundance Film Festival is "Sound City." The rock musician Dave Grohl, of the band Foo Fighters, is the director - a first for him.

Daniel Day-Lewis 'Simply Becomes Lincoln'

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 09:28:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This year, we've had not one, but two movies about the sixteenth president of the United States. This spring, "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" slashed its way into theaters.

Kenneth Turan Reviews: 'Robot And Frank'

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:01:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Now, the summer blockbuster season at the movies is nearly over, which means some smaller and more independent films are making their way into theaters. Film critic Kenneth Turan saw "Robot and Frank."

KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: "Robot and Frank" is a movie that makes us believe that a serene automaton and a snappish human being can be best friends forever. It deftly uses elements from both science fiction and classic caper films to tell its futuristic tale.

'Odd Life Of Timothy Green' Pushes Too Hard

Kenneth Turan — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:35:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

A new movie in theaters today is titled "The Odd Life of Timothy Green." And film critic, Kenneth Turan, found the movie, itself, odd.

KENNETH TURAN: "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" is a when you wish upon a star fable in the old school Disney style. It's just the kind of inspirational family-friendly comfort food it feels churlish to rebuff.

Back To The Future With 'Total Recall' Remake

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:14:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Look for a review of the new science fiction epic "Total Recall" and you'll see headlines ready Total Makeover. You might recall the 1990 original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. With our review of the remake, here's Kenneth Turan.

KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: The fun in "Total Recall" is fun while it lasts, it just doesn't last long enough. The action begins at the end of the 21st century. A global chemical war has made most of the earth uninhabitable.

Whatever The Country, No Such Thing As 'Easy Money'

Kenneth Turan — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:03:00 +0000

Easy Money is a fine title for a film, but to truly savor the tang of this top-drawer Scandinavian thriller, try rolling its original Swedish title off your tongue. Say hello to Snabba Cash.

Director Daniel Espinosa starts his splendid crime story all in a rush, throwing us right into the middle of a trio of chaotic situations.

Introduced first is Jorge, a Chilean living in Sweden — in fact in a Swedish prison.

Who Knew? Honest Abe Rid The World Of The Undead

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:24:00 +0000

With a movie title like Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, it's no mystery what the plot is. Young Mr. Lincoln is tutored by an experienced vampire killer and goes into training with his trusty ax. He bears a special grudge against vampires because they killed his mother.

Kenneth Turan Reviews Prometheus

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:19:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Ridley Scott has made two of the most acclaimed science fiction films, "Alien" and "Blade Runner." Los Angeles Times and MORNING EDITION film critic Kenneth Turan has this review of the director's newest sci-fi effort, "Prometheus."

KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: "Prometheus" ends up with less to say than it thinks it does.

'Marley' Has Great Music, Remarkable Personal Story

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:46:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Any documentary about a singer-songwriter can provide great music, but with "Marley" you also get a remarkable personal story. We have a review from our critic Kenneth Turan.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: Bob Marley, who was only 36 when he died in 1981, could be a dusty musical footnote by now.

'Bully' Examines Students Targeted By Their Peers

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene.

A documentary that has been stirring up headlines for weeks finally opens today. "Bully," from producer Harvey Weinstein, has made news for its controversial R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.

'Footnote' Takes On Ambition, Father-Son Rivalry

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Israeli film "Footnote" has racked up a pile of awards - Best Screenplay at Cannes, nine awards at Israel's Oscars, and a nomination for Best Foreign Language film at the Academy Awards.

Film critic Kenneth Turan says it's all deserved.

KENNETH TURAN: "Footnotes"'s subject matter sounds dry, unlikely, even obscure.

Review: 'Salmon Fishing In The Yemen'

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0000

The new film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen stars Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor. It's a pleasant fantasy whose few attempts at seriousness are best forgotten.

Tintin's 'Adventures' Take Him To Hollywood

Kenneth Turan — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Tintin — star of a series of vintage Belgian comics that have sold hundreds of millions of copies in dozens of languages — is a crime-fighting boy journalist who specializes in solving riddles with the assistance of his intrepid dog, Snowy.

Now, in The Adventures of Tintin, he's come to the big screen, in a tale of derring-do in distant lands that revolves around hidden treasure and a secret scroll that Tintin has and the bad guys want.

'Shame:' Difficult To Watch, Hard To Turn Away From

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0000

A new film called Shame arrives in theaters with several honors, including the best actor award from the Venice Film Festival. It also arrives with a rare NC-17 rating. Michael Fassbender plays Brandon, a New Yorker who's addicted to sex.

'Happy Feet Two' Lacks Satisfying Story

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And it is always fun to be in the audience for Susan's cranberry relish sequels. Kenneth Turan says there's a sequel opening in theaters today that's not as much fun as the first. Five years ago "Happy Feet" won the Oscar for best animated feature. Now the penguins are back.

KENNETH TURAN: It's hard to resist dancing penguins, but "Happy Feet Two" makes you want to try. It features tens of thousands of Antarctic types toe-tapping their way across the screen, but it doesn't have a clear idea of what else it wants them to do.

Clint Eastwood Takes On An FBI Legend In 'J Edgar'

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000

The new movie J. Edgar is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover who headed the FBI for 48 years. Hoover championed scientific crime fighting in general and the use of fingerprints in particular.

Margin Call Review

Kenneth Turan — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, host: The global financial crisis of 2008 has a lot of dramatic potential. It propelled the Oscar-winning documentary "Inside Job" and HBO's movie "Too Big To Fail." Now comes "Margin Call," in theaters this weekend. Kenneth Turan has a review.

KENNETH TURAN: "Margin Call" brings us into the inner sanctum of a top Wall Street investment banking firm in peril. The film opens on what everyone in the firm thinks – erroneously, as it turns out - will be the worst part of their day. A team from human resources arrives intent on terminating folks.