Patrick McDonald
Sandra Bullock, Strong Script Bring Clarity to ‘The Blind Side’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 20, 2009 - 7:14am. Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Based on a True Story” films are difficult to pull off, especially those that are the improbable story of a white Memphis family adopting an African American football prodigy. Sandra Bullock is the mother, through it all, in “The Blind Side.”
‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Creator Jared Hess Scores With ‘Gentlemen Broncos’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 13, 2009 - 8:29am. Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Writer/Director Jared Hess’ universe, where obscure pop culture references and strange survivors abide, gets another workout with the spontaneously funny “Gentlemen Broncos,” which also features Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge.
Art World Bares its Soul in Adam Goldberg’s Superlative ‘(Untitled)’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 6, 2009 - 10:52am. Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the best and most exciting surprises of the 2009 film year is a smaller, claustrophobic film starring Adam Goldberg and set in the art gallery world of New York City. “(Untitled)” is an honest, uncompromising character study.
‘The House of the Devil’ is a Trip Back in Suspense Horror
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 31, 2009 - 11:07am.Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Halloween is the perfect time to revisit those horror films of youth, lost in the mall theaters or crackling through the VCR in a multiply rented copy. “The House of the Devil” reveres those roots and brings them back to light.
‘Astro Boy’ is Here to Save Whatever is Left of the Future
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 23, 2009 - 7:18am. Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The cartoon universe is replete with superheroes, none more distinct than the title character in the new animated film “Astro Boy.” Based on a Japanese comic book from 1951, Astro Boy has new life in 3-D cartoon form.
‘Good Hair’ Has Chris Rock Getting to the Roots of Follicle Follies
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 9, 2009 - 2:38pm.Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Positioning himself as a informational bridge-builder, comedian Chris Rock explores the often complex social economics of African American hair, specifically the intense styling that is a borderline obsession for women of color.
‘I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,’ Then Serve Up the Filmmakers
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 26, 2009 - 6:00pm. Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The main problem with “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,” based on Tucker Max’s memoir about a hard partying, devil-may-care womanizer, is that the screenwriter (Max himself) didn’t have the cojones to go all the way.
John Malkovich and the Morality of South Africa in ‘Disgrace’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 26, 2009 - 6:59am.Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In a stark and compelling tale of naked vulnerability, John Malkovich becomes the centerpiece of the continuing battle for territory and humanity within the country of South Africa, in the newly released “Disgrace.”
Steven Soderbergh’s ‘The Informant!’ Puts Matt Damon on a Wire
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 18, 2009 - 6:09am.Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Behind every great fortune lies a great crime, as the saying goes. In director Steven Soderbergh’s “The Informant!,” he and Matt Damon carve out a satire where the “crime” becomes entangled with the larger issues of “justice.”
Paul Giamatti Does More With Less in ‘Cold Souls’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 21, 2009 - 1:21am. Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – How is the best way to discover the elusiveness of the soul? For Paul Giamatti, playing himself, the key is to store the legendary organ into the deep freeze, in his new absurdist comedy, “Cold Souls.”
