| Sunday, October 6, 5:50 PM
One of the unheralded auteurs of modern American cinema, James Gray has made just five features since his debut at at age 24 with 1994's Little Odessa, but they comprise a unique and personal world portrayed with dynamic classicism -- and in many ways have charted the evolution to acting greatness of his frequent collaborator, Joaquin Phoenix. Gray's latest, The Immigrant, reunites him with Phoenix for a '20s period piece about a Polish woman (Marion Cotillard) who lands on Ellis Island and falls into a wayward life of survival. Gray and Phoenix were on hand at the New York Film Festival recently to discuss the movie.
| Thursday, October 3, 3:26 PM
Once upon a time, it looked like Ben Affleck might spend the rest of his career in little-seen duds like Jersey Girl and Surviving Christmas -- a precipitous fall for a guy who won an Oscar at the age of 25 and starred in blockbusters like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and The Sum of All Fears. Now just look how things have changed: Having reinvented himself as a critically lauded director with 2007's Gone Baby Gone, Ben's back in front of the camera this weekend in Runner Runner, playing the sleazy head of an online gambling empire who lures a college student (Justin Timberlake) into his operation. What better time to take a fond look back at Mr. Affleck's critical highlights, Total Recall style?
| Tuesday, October 1, 1:33 PM
Good news: the Coen brothers are back. Three years after their critical and commercial smash True Grit, the filmmaking siblings return with Inside Llewyn Davis, a typically wry journey through the downtown New York folk music scene in 1961. It's the story of an almost-was singer-songwriter, played by Oscar Isaac, a pre-Dylan troubadour whose tempestuous relationship with musical success is matched by the havoc he wreaks on those around him. Along for the ride is Coen veteran John Goodman, returning to the brothers' fold as a mysterious, garrulous jazzman Davis encounters on the road. Both actors joined the Coens for a discussion of the film recently at the New York Film Festival, and RT was there to sit in on the chat.
| Sunday, September 29, 5:38 PM
The 51st New York Film Festival opened this weekend with Captain Phillips, Bourne Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass's tension-riddled retelling of a true story in which an American cargo ship was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. Tom Hanks plays the besieged skipper, Rich Phillips, with newcomer Barkhad Abdi leading the band of pirates. RT was there as both actors joined Greengrass for a chat about the making of the film, staying true to the essence of the events -- and that time the seasick crew threw up all over Hanks. Let no one say that acting isn't hard work.
| Thursday, September 26, 3:12 PM
Movies about race car drivers don't always have the easiest time with critics (see: Days of Thunder, Stroker Ace, Six Pack), but if there's a director in Hollywood capable of turning driving really fast in circles into a solid all-around blockbuster, it's probably Ron Howard. He gets his chance this weekend, as the already well-reviewed Rush (currently playing in Europe and in limited U.S. release) expands nationwide with the fact-based tale of James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl), 1970s racing stars whose rivalry proved memorably entertaining on as well as off the course. Of course, this isn't Howard's first trip around the track, so we decided to dedicate this week's list to a rundown of some of the brighter critical highlights from a career full of crowd-pleasers. Goodbye gray sky, hello blue -- it's time for Total Recall!
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