Milk ***½ Gus Van Sant directed Sean Penn to a Best Actor Oscar in this biopic of crusading politician Harvey Milk, who in the late 1970s became the first openly gay man to hold public office in this country. Dustin Lance Black's Oscar-winning screenplay follows its hero from middle-age awakening to his early death at the hands of a fellow San Francisco official. The cast includes Emile Hirsch. ...more

March 13, 2009

The romantic fantasy "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" led Academy Awards contenders Thursday with 13 nominations, among them best picture and acting honors for Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson, and a directing slot for David Fincher. ...more

January 23, 2009

Complete list of 81st annual Academy Award nominations announced Thursday: 1. Best Picture: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire." ...more

January 22, 2009

The Catholic school drama "Doubt" led contenders Thursday for the Screen Actors Guild Awards with five nominations, including honors for Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis. ...more

December 19, 2008

The Catholic school drama "Doubt" led contenders Thursday for the Screen Actors Guild Awards with five nominations, including honors for Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis. ...more

December 18, 2008

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Frost/Nixon" led the Golden Globes on Thursday with five nominations each, among them best drama, while "Doubt" also has five, including four acting slots. Other best-drama nominees: "The Reader," "Revolutionary Road" and "Slumdog Millionare." ...more

December 11, 2008

The pregnancy comedy "Juno" was chosen as the year's best independent film and won two other honors Saturday at the Spirit Awards, including best actress for Ellen Page. ...more

February 24, 2008

Estranged brother and sister Jon and Wendy Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney) are screwed-up and self-absorbed, but they certainly seem realistic. Sometimes they're shrill; sometimes they're scared; often they're incredibly thoughtless and have no qualms about lying to each other. ...more

January 20, 2008

OPENING Cassandra's Dream (not reviewed) A pair of financially strapped brothers (Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell) turn to crime, but turn against each other when things go badly. From director Woody Allen. 108 minutes (PG-13; mature themes, sexual material and brief violence) ...more

January 17, 2008

OPENING Charlie Wilson's War *** Starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this movie is the "true" story of how Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson persuaded the CIA to arm resistance fighters in Afghanistan to fend off the Soviet Union. Review, Page 29. 97 minutes (R; profanity, nudity, sexual content and drug use) ...more

December 19, 2007