Movie Interviews

Joaquin Phoenix plays a man in love with an operating system in director Spike Jonze's latest film, Her.

Arts

Spike Jonze Opens His Heart For 'Her'

8:49pm December 16, 2013

by NPR Staff

In the director's sci-fi romance, a man (Joaquin Phoenix) falls very much in love with his computer operating system (Scarlett Johansson). Jonze spoke with NPR's Audie Cornish about going to the future to direct an old-fashioned love story.

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In All Is Lost, Robert Redford plays an unnamed sailor, stranded at sea on a badly damaged yacht.

Arts

At 77, Robert Redford Goes Back To His Roots

6:23pm December 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

Redford says filming All Is Lost was a "pure cinematic experience — the way films used to be." He talks with Fresh Air's Terry Gross about how it's been "sort of weird" being known for his good looks, and about how he nearly wasn't cast in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

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Michael Sheen plays Dr. William Masters, the senior member of a research team that conducted pioneering studies for more than three decades into the physiology of human sexuality.

Arts

Michael Sheen On The 'Accuracy And Invention' Of Real-Life Roles

2:25pm December 11, 2013

Sheen has made a name for himself playing real historical figures, including Mozart, Caligula, Prime Minister Tony Blair and British TV host David Frost. Now, in the Showtime drama Masters of Sex, he plays the part of groundbreaking sex researcher William Masters.

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Oscar Isaac as the titular character in Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis.

Music & Culture

On Becoming Llewyn Davis, A Hero Who Excels At Failing

4:10pm December 06, 2013

by NPR Staff

Actor Oscar Isaac disappears into the title role of the new Coen brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis, a black comedy about a '60s folk singer who just can't make it, no matter what he does. He speaks with NPR's Melissa Block about playing the less-than-likable character.

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The Best Man Holiday is Malcolm Lee's sequel to his film Best Man.

'Best Man Holiday' Resonates Across Racial Lines

7:36pm December 02, 2013

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Filmmaker Malcolm Lee most recently directed Best Man Holiday. His production company, Blackmaled Productions, focuses on the image of black men on-screen.

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Arts

Director Alexander Payne On Mining Every Film For Comic Potential

2:18pm December 02, 2013

Payne tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that he first read Nebraska — a film about an old man who is beginning to show signs of dementia — as a comedy "with moments of gravity." Payne also directed Election, About Schmidt, Sideways and The Descendants.

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Idris Elba Portrays Mandela In 'Long Walk To Freedom'

11:42am November 29, 2013

A new movie captures the story of one of the world's great leaders. It's a classic biopic of a towering figure: Nelson Mandela. And it takes audiences through the many chapters of his sweeping life. Morning Edition's Renee Montagne talks to Idris Elba about playing the legendary South African leader.

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The new Disney film Frozen is the tale of sisters Anna and Elsa, whose relationship is captured in music by songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

Music & Culture

In A Tale Of Two Sisters, The Story's In The Songs

5:52pm November 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

Iconic Disney moments aren't just about the characters, but the songs they sing. Husband-and-wife team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez composed music for the new Disney film Frozen, capturing the friendship of sisters Elsa and Anna.

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Joel Allen Schroeder dove into the world of Calvin & Hobbes for Dear Mr. Watterson, an admiring documentary about the strip.

Arts

On The Timeless Appeal Of 'Calvin & Hobbes'

6:39pm November 16, 2013

by NPR Staff

The documentary Dear Mr. Watterson explores the world of the classic comic strip. NPR's Don Gonyea spoke with director Joel Allen Schroeder about the film and the strip, which still has devoted fans long after the final panels appeared in the paper.

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Steve Coogan acts alongside Judi Dench in Philomena, the story of a woman searching for her son and the cynical journalist helping her find him.

Arts

Steve Coogan, Tacking Toward The Funny Side Of Serious

8:07pm November 15, 2013

by NPR Staff

In Philomena, the British comedian plays a journalist helping an older woman track down the son she was forced to give up for adoption. Coogan tells NPR's Robert Siegel about the project — one with a bit more weight than his usual work.

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