John Turturro Movies
One of the top character actors of his era, John Turturro is a fixture of the contemporary American independent filmmaking landscape. Born February 28, 1957, in Brooklyn, NY, Turturro became fascinated by movies during childhood, and after graduating from college he won a scholarship to study at the prestigious Yale School of Drama. He first gained notice in regional theater and off-Broadway, earning an Obie Award for his starring role in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. He made his film debut in Martin Scorsese's 1980 masterpiece Raging Bull but did not reappear onscreen prior to 1984's The Exterminator 2. That same year, he debuted on Broadway in Death of a Salesman.Small roles in diverse fare including Susan Seidelman's 1985 comedy Desperately Seeking Susan, Scorsese's 1986 drama The Color of Money, and Woody Allen's masterful Hannah and Her Sisters kept Turturro busy throughout much of the decade, but his breakthrough performance did not arrive until Spike Lee cast him as a bigoted pizzeria worker in 1989's Do the Right Thing. A scene-stealing turn in the Coen brothers' 1990 gangland drama Miller's Crossing followed, and in 1991 the Coens cast him as the titular Barton Fink, a performance which garnered Best Actor honors at the Cannes Film Festival. Subsequent lead roles were infrequent, although in 1992 he wrote, directed, and starred in Mac, a little-seen indie feature that won him a Golden Camera award for Best First Feature at the 1992 Cannes Festival. Supporting turns in acclaimed offerings including Quiz Show, Clockers, and Grace of My Heart (in which he expertly portrayed a Phil Spector-like music producer) followed before Turturro's next starring role, in Tom DiCillo's whimsical 1996 comedy Box of Moonlight. In 1998, the actor again collaborated with both Lee and the Coen brothers, working with the former on He Got Game and the latter on The Big Lebowski. Also in 1998, Turturro wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Illuminata, a comedy set against the backdrop of a struggling, turn-of-the-century New York theater company. The following year, he again took on the New York theater, appearing in Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock, an exploration of the relationship between art and politics set in 1930s New York. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 2009
Actor and filmmaker John Turturro pays a visit to the home of his forefathers in this documentary from noted theater director Roman Paska. Turturro's roots go back to Sicily -- his grandparents on his mother's side were born in Aragona and Palermo -- and for years he's been blocking out plans for a film to be shot on the island. With this in mind, Turturro and Paska traveled to Sicily, both to see the sights and to learn more about the unique culture, especially their rich tradition in puppet theater. In Prove Per Una Tragedia Siciliana (aka Rehearsal For A Sicilian Tragedy), Turturro explores the homes of his ancestors, studies the architecture of the island, meets and interviews celebrated puppet artist Mimmo Cuticchio, and speaks with the locals about the lingering Sicilian preoccupation with mortality. Rehearsal For A Sicilian Tragedy was an official selection at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Filmmaker Peter Miller explores the crimes, trial, and execution of notorious 20th-century anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in a documentary that highlights just how this landmark case came to symbolize the injustice and intolerance experienced by immigrants longing to pursue their dreams in the land of the free. It was 1920 when Italian immigrant anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti were accused of murder in Massachusetts. Seven years later, when the jurors delivered their final verdict in a notoriously prejudiced trial, both men were condemned to death despite massive protests both in the U.S. and abroad. Eight decades later, as America continues to wrestle with issues of civil rights, immigrant liberties, and dissent, the case of Sacco and Vanzetti continues to resonate. In addition to balancing the personal and political aspects of the case as well as looking into the legal climate of the era, Miller's film brings the prison writings of Sacco and Vanzetti to life as never before as Tony Shalhoub and John Turturro read the deeply personal letters written by the pair during their ordeal. Additional music, artwork, poetry, and film clips inspired by the case propel the narrative by highlighting just what a lasting impression the Sacco and Vanzetti case has had on American culture. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
As originally screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, at the Cannes Film Festival, and on Turner Classic Movies, the mammoth, epic-length documentary Brando chronicles in encyclopedic detail (and with a consistently reverent overtone) the life and career of the man widely regarded as the most formidable American actor of the 20th century - famous for not only reshaping, but reinventing the craft of film acting and teaching audiences how to view a motion picture performance. Divided into chronological, thematically-unified segments, the film first treats Marlon Brando's dysfunctional upbringing - his alcoholic mother, his abusive father, his stint at a military academy - before charting his acting tutelage at the behest of Stella Adler and his early cinematic and theatrical roles, including work for Elia Kazan, who famously made many aggressive (and unsuccessful) attempts to discipline the headstrong actor onscreen. Throughout this segment, many Hollywood A-list actors appear - among them, Al Pacino, Johnny Depp and Robert Duvall - expostulating at length on Brando's influence over their approaches to performance, and attempting with great effort to define the elusive style known as "method acting" that Brando helped to create. The second half of the documentary moves into Brando's career during the '70s, '80s and '90s, covering the production of The Godfather, the actor's noteworthy political activism, and his tumultuous personal life. Francis Ford Coppola, who of course teamed with Brando for the first Godfather installment and for Apocalypse Now, is noticeably absent from the proceedings. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, (more)
Filmed on location in New York and Connecticut, the ESPN miniseries The Bronx is Burning was a vivid (if not overly expensive) retelling of the New York Yankees' championship year of 1977. Heading the enormous cast of celebrity lookalikes were Oliver Platt as Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and John Turturro as team manager Billy Martin. The infamously volatile relationship between the two men was the heart of the series, with the prickly Martin curiously emerging as the hero of the piece. Setting the story in motion was the hiring of baseball superstar Reggie Jackson (Daniel Sunjata), the first of several measures taken by the Yanks to reclaim the World Series. To place the action at Yankee Stadium in proper historical context, much was made of the other events which kept the citizens of New YOrk on their collective toes in the summer of 1977, including the frantic search for the serial killer known as the "Son of Sam", the devastating power blackout, the fractious mayoral race, and the ongoing violence in the streets of the Bronx. The title of the series derived from the famous TV-news headline "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning", which was also the title of the Jonathan Mahler novel upon which the show was based. The Bronx is Burning first roared into flame on July 10, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, Oliver Platt, (more)
A spy discovers doing a favor for a friend leads her into unexpectedly dangerous circumstances in this dark comedy. It's been close a decade since French intelligence agent Irene (Juliette Binoche) has heard from her friend Elliot (Nick Nolte), an American CIA operative who left Europe and took up a new identity under mysterious circumstances. But one day out of the blue Irene gets a call from Elliot as he asks her to track down his daughter Orlando (Sara Forestier), currently living in the French countryside, and bring her to Paris so they can re-connect. Irene agrees, but she soon discovers Orlando has nothing good to say about her missing dad and only grudgingly agrees to pay him a visit. When they arrive in Paris, Irene and Orlando find the family reunion is bigger than they thought -- David (Tom Riley), Elliot's stepson, is also on hand, though David and Orlando mix like oil and water. As Elliot tries to juggle meetings with his two children and Irene tries to help by playing interference, Elliot is also visited by a deranged American intelligence representative, William Pound (John Turturro), who along with Elliot knows something about a possible attack on the United States, as well as a pair of shadowy moneymen (Mathieu Demy and Said Amadis) who want to know more about the plot and are willing to pay for the privilege. Quelques Jours En Septembre (aka A Few Days In September) was the first directorial credit for veteran screenwriter Santiago Amigorena. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliette Binoche, John Turturro, (more)
- 2005
- Add Hubert Selby Jr: It'll Be Better Tomorrow to QueueAdd Hubert Selby Jr: It'll Be Better Tomorrow to top of Queue
Hubert Selby Jr. was a powerful and influential literary figure whose best-known novels, Last Exit to Brooklyn and Requiem for a Dream, dealt with the dark underside of life in a way that was bleak and often shocking, but also laced with compassion and understanding for the tortured lives of his characters. Selby only completed the eighth grade when he became a merchant marine and contracted a severe case of tuberculosis from infected cattle. While Selby survived thanks to bootleg antibiotics, he lost a lung and had to give up his physically punishing work at sea. Selby took up writing and developed a unique style that helped make his first novel, 1964's Last Exit to Brooklyn, a critical success and a controversial best-seller. However, Selby developed a massive appetite for alcohol and drugs which derailed his career, and by the time he published his second book, 1971's The Room, Selby was all but forgotten. However, Selby's work developed a passionate following in Europe, and was rediscovered in the United States after a successful film adaptation of Last Exit to Brooklyn was released. Hubert Selby Jr.: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow is a documentary which explores the life and work of this unlikely literary icon, and features extensive interviews with Selby as well as his friends and admirers. Interview subjects include Lou Reed, Henry Rollins, Richard Price, Nick Tosches, Ellen Burstyn, Darren Aronofsky, Uli Edel, Amiri Baraka, and Jerry Stahl. Robert Downey Jr. serves as narrator. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Downey, Jr., Hubert Selby, Jr., (more)
- 2005
John Turturro returns in the role of Ambrose Monk, the agoraphobic older brother of obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). In the middle of a murder investigation, Monk is summoned to Ambrose's home for a possible reunion with the boys' long-lost father. Upon arrival, Monk is hit squarely between the eyes with another mystery, this one involving a Halloween trick-or-treater who resorts to violence to get something more than candy. Ingredients essential to the action are a dead pigeon, a poisoned chocolate bar, and a real-life Frankenstein monster! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Frank (Adam Trese of Laws of Gravity) is in trouble. His dot-com start-up collapses before it goes online, essentially bankrupting him and his partner, Josh (Andrew McCarthy). Frank is forced to leave his fancy Manhattan apartment and move back in with his parents (Robert Vaughn and Hayley Mills), and he can't even bring himself to tell them he's failed. His kooky friend Sal (John Turturro) warns Frank that his priorities are wrong, and sends him to Gina (Aida Turturro), a cheerful psychic. Then Frank comes up with a new idea tailor-made for the dot-com bust, but the first potential investor he meets with, Abrams (Mark Margolis), seems more interested in Frank's diet than his idea, and the second guy (Michael Badalucco) he meets with threatens to steal the idea, causing Frank to collapse in a sweaty panic. Then Abrams calls again. While Frank's project is too small for him to handle, he knows a couple of guys. Soon Frank and Josh are working again, with a new office and a new CFO, Peter (Bruce MacVittie). Things are going swimmingly, until Frank takes a closer look at the books, and begins to suspect that his investors are using the company to launder money. 2BPerfectlyHonest marks the feature debut of writer/director Randel Cole. The movie had its world premiere at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Trese, Andrew McCarthy, (more)
- 2004
John Turturro guest stars as Ambrose, the agoraphobic older brother of obsessive-compulsive private eye Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). The brothers have not spoken since Ambrose failed to contact Monk at the time of his wife Trudy's funeral. Their hesitant reunion comes about when Ambrose suspects that his neighbor Pat Van Ranken (Holt McCallany) has murdered his wife. And the motive? Well, it could be nothing more than a cherry pie--one of three such tasty confections that figure prominently (and fatally) in the proceedings. The episode's best line is delivered by Lt. Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford): "Step away from the pie!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In the concluding episode of a three-part story, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) has successfully undergone heart bypass surgery -- but that doesn't keep him from being nervous about resuming his normal activities. As for everyone else, they are growing dog-weary of hearing Niles' stories of his "near-death experience." Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) in particular would love to tell Niles to shut up, but he has promised God that he'd be nice to his brother if he pulled through, and God is not someone who takes promises lightly. But there's a limit to Frasier's patience, and that limit comes when Niles takes over his brother's radio show to share his epiphany with everyone in Seattle! ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Millicent Martin, John Turturro, (more)
Just as Jon Voight's on-target portrayal of controversial sportscaster Howard Cosell) in the 2002 biopic Ali was making the theatrical rounds, actor John Turturro offered his own spin on "Humble Howard" in the made-for-cable movie Monday Night Mayhem. Based on the book by Bill Carter and Marc Gunther, the film chronicles the creation of ABC Television's Monday Night Football telecast in 1970, then continues with the weekly telecast's rapid ascent to the top of the ratings. Reasoning that such a momentous undertaking needed a spectacular "star" lineup in the announcing booth, ABC's aggressive sports director Roone Arledge (John Heard) teams the highly opinionated, irritatingly erudite Cosell with not one but two charismatic ex-athletes, "Dandy Don" Meredith (Brad Beyer) and Frank Gifford (Kevin Anderson). The film makes much of Cosell's open disdain towards his "intellectually inferior" co-anchors and of Meredith and Gifford's reaction to their booth-mate's jibes, and also recreates many of Monday Night Football's highlights, notably Cosell's announcement in the middle of an important game that John Lennon has just been murdered. Monday Night Mayhem originally aired on January 14, 2002, not on ABC (surprise, surprise!) but as part of the TNT cable network's prime time lineup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, John Heard, (more)
- 2002
A pre-Ugly Betty America Ferrera appears in this episode as Charlee, a 17-year-old girl suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In danger of flunking out of high school because of her neurotic inability to finish an important assignment, Charlee can expect no help from her father Rolando (John Turturro), who is illiterate--and perversely proud of the fact. Posing as substitute special-ed teacher, Monica (Roma Downey) quickly figures out that Charlee is not her only assignment...but not before Rolando's inability to read or write nearly causes him to lose custody of his daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
In the early days of rock & roll in the '50s, while the public knew the voices and faces of the folks who snag the tunes, it was often the people behind the scenes who truly held the talent that made a song a hit, and as the sounds of "teenage music" took over the charts, a new breed of young songwriters and producers became giants in the industry. Hit Makers: The Teens Who Stole Pop Music tells the story of the kids (mostly Jewish, mostly from Brooklyn) who wrote the tunes and brainstormed the sessions for some of the biggest hits of the era out of offices in New York City's Brill Building, where music publishing mogul Don Kirschner had the likes of Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and Neil Sedaka under contract. Beginning with the start of the rock era and ending with the rise of hard rock and singer/songwriters at the dawn of the '70s, Hit Makers tells the story of some of the truly unsung heroes of American popular music, complete with interviews from the songwriters and producers, as well as the performers who helped bring their great songs to life. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Siblings attempting to flee religious persecution in Europe near the close of the 15th century find themselves torn apart by greed and jealousy in this historical drama. Isabel (Katherine Borowitz), Clara (Tara Fitzgerald), and Victoria (Hannah Taylor-Gordon) are three sisters from a family of Portuguese Jews who have been forced to fend for themselves after their wealthy parents died while trying to escape the wrath of the Spanish Inquisition. Isabel has appointed herself head of the household, acting as teenaged Victoria's guardian and giving Clara little say in the family's affairs. The sisters have relocated to Italy while trying to arrange a passage to Istanbul, where greater tolerance is shown to Jews; in Venice, they are allowed to live outside the city's dilapidated Jewish ghetto only as long at they attend Catholic services on a regular basis. Clara makes the acquaintance of Paolo (John Turturro), a charming British expatriate, and is quite taken with him until he proposes a marriage between his son and Victoria, leaving her to wonder if he wants to get his hands on the family fortune. Isabel, meanwhile, puts her siblings in jeopardy by attempting to steal the trade secrets of a leading Venetian glass blower and sell them to a group of Turks, a risky matter that could literally cost Isabel her life. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, Katherine Borowitz, (more)
A lush historical drama from Dutch director Marlene Gorris, The Luzhin Defense is set in Como, a gorgeous northern Italian lakeside town located at the foot of the Alps. The year is 1929, and Alexander Luzhin (John Turturro) is a talented Russian chess player travelling to Como by train for the World Chess Championship. Also on his train is Natalia (Emily Watson), who is journeying to Como to meet her mother Vera (Geraldine James) at their posh lakeside hotel. Vera wants Natalia to settle down with the right -- meaning rich -- man, and duly tries to set her up with Jean (Christopher Thompson), a French count. However, Natalia instead sets her sights on Luzhin, who returns her affections, and the two embark on an unusual and unpredictable love affair. Adapted from one of Vladimir Nabokov's lesser-known novels, The Luzhin Defense also features the talents of Mark Tandy and Kelly Hunter as Luzhin's parents -- seen in flashback -- and Orla Brady as his young aunt. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, Emily Watson, (more)
- 2000
A man finds himself developing a new perspective on life once he finds out it's almost over in this comedy-drama. Benjamin Kasparian (John Turturro) is a paleontologist of Armenian descent who has just split up with his wife Amanda (Katherine Borowitz). While trying to readjust to single life, Benjamin visits the doctor and is informed he's suffering from an unusual brain disease called Talbot's Syndrome, and he's not likely to live longer than five weeks. Benjamin is initially philosophical about his fate and decides to enjoy himself as much as he can in the time he has left -- much to the disgust of Amanda, his best friend (Oleg Kisseliov), his boss (Julian Richings), and his new girlfriend (Vanya Rose), all of whom believe he should be taking the matter more seriously. But before long, Benjamin starts seeing images of his childhood in Armenia everywhere he goes, and he sets out on one last mission in his life -- to dig up his late parents, who are buried in Canada, and have their remains placed in Armenian soil, where Benjamin now believes he and his family belong. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, Katherine Borowitz, (more)
Director Chuck Workman, who documented the life of pop culture icon Andy Warhol in his 1990 film Superstar, here explores the lives, works and influence of four leading lights of the "Beat Generation" of the 1950s: William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady. Cutting back and forth between archive footage of his subjects, readings of selections from the three authors by Johnny Depp, Dennis Hopper and John Turturro (Cassady was an associate and inspiration to the Beats), and film clips that in both serious and farcical fashion document the impact the Beat culture had on American society, Workman creates a fast-paced collage of sounds and images that attempts to show how the Beats became the dominant counter-cultural movement of the last half of America's 20th Century. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Dennis Hopper, (more)
Brandon Cole directed this romantic comedy-drama with a revenge angle. Schoolteacher Rachel (Lili Taylor) leaves her car at the O.K. Garage run by small-time crook Yannick (Olek Krupa) who rips off his customers. Rachel's oddball neighbor Sean (Will Patton) likes lizards. Sean hangs with his pal, welder Johnny (John Turturro), who can't overcome his shyness to secure what he envisions as "the perfect relationship." However, a meeting with Rachel puts Johnny in a gentleman-caller mode and opens the doors to a restrained romance of sorts. Sean is curious, since there are no women in his life apart from his mother (Gemma Jones). Meanwhile, with Rachel's car eating up her savings, the trio decides to get revenge during a final showdown at the O.K. Garage. Shown at the 1998 L.A. Independent Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, Lili Taylor, (more)
- 1998
A strong cast highlights this tough-minded urban drama. Police have been unsuccessful in making a case against three small-time bookmakers they've been following, but luckily a cop named Iggy (Scott Glenn) happens to catch up with Jerry (George DiCenzo), one of the bookies. Instead of arresting him, he demands money; his brother was deep in debt to the bookies, and the pressure drove him to suicide. Meanwhile, a neighborhood character named Leon (John Turturro) brings the bookies a tip on a bet he's convinced will be a sure winner. Needing to raise some quick cash, Jerry and his buddies Charlie (Michael Badalucco) and Ed (John Spencer) take Leon's advice, but live to regret it. Lesser Prophets also features Elizabeth Perkins, Jimmy Smits, and Amy Brenneman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Badalucco, Amy Brenneman, (more)
- 1997
Michael Di Jiacomo made his directorial debut with this allegory that opens with a 12-minute black-and-white prologue about three French filmmakers who encounter the tuba-playing Tollkeeper (Mickey Rooney) on a silent stretch between two ghost towns in the Utah desert. In NYC, an armed thief (John Turturro) holds up despairing cabdriver Henry (Tim Roth), who tells him to go ahead and pull the trigger. With the thief gone, Henry's next passengers are the three Frenchmen seen earlier, and he takes them into New England where he's so spellbound by the beautiful Fatima (Mili Avital) that he takes a job with her irritating mother in order to maintain his pursuit of Fatima. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Roth, Mili Avital, (more)
Italian chemist turned author Primo Levi was interred at Auschwitz during WW II until 1945. Following his release, he returned to his native Turin and penned the wrenching autobiographical account of life in the concentration camp If This Is a Man. In 1962, he wrote a companion book, The Truce, a chronicle of his hellish nine-month journey from the camp to Turin. Both books are crucial entries in the history of the Holocaust. This careful adaptation of the second book took filmmaker Francesco Rosi 10 years to make. Levi's trek begins when shortly after the Germans leave, four Russian horsemen ride up and tear down the gates of Auschwitz. Levi is quickly aboard one of the first outbound trucks. Over the next few months, he goes to many different countries, and along the way he meets and is befriended by assorted fellow travelers. Through them, his appreciation of life and freedom slowly returns, but with it also comes a deep rage and an abiding guilt at having survived, a guilt that may have led Levi to suicide in 1987. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, Massimo Ghini, (more)
- 1994
This 1994 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by John Turturro and features musical guest Tom Petty. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Turturro, Tom Petty, (more)
