CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Matt Fagerholm
Visually Poetic ‘Patang’ Delivers Images of Arresting Beauty
Submitted by mattmovieman on June 15, 2012 - 8:33am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are few things more difficult to pull off than elegant visual poetry. The line between pretension and artful provocation is a thin one indeed, and any director that attempts to construct a metaphorical mosaic runs the risk of looking foolish. Yet cinema would sure be a dull medium without artists that aimed for the stars, and that is precisely what Prashant Bhargava does in his debut feature, “Patang” (“The Kite”).
Middling ‘Mansome’ Suffers From Skin-Deep Insight
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 17, 2012 - 5:02am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Morgan Spurlock is an awfully likable guy. I’ll never forget the day when he held a special screening of “Super Size Me” for an auditorium full of college kids. After participating in an extended Q & A, Spurlock spoke with every single student that wanted to shake his hand and pose for a picture. When the building finally had to close up for the night, the Spurlock love fest spilled out onto the sidewalk.
‘A Simple Life’ Celebrates the Transcendent Beauty of Human Selflessness
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 4, 2012 - 8:55amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The inherent drama of reality is trickier to capture on camera than one might suspect. Cinéma verité failed as soon as filmmakers utilized manipulative techniques to contrive on-camera drama. The staged shouting matches, comedic barbs and tearful breakdowns prevalent on Reality TV are as phony (or, dare I say, phonier) than the human behavior witnessed in scripted productions.
‘The Lucky One’ Suffers From Emotionally Constipated Performances
Submitted by BrianTT on April 20, 2012 - 9:37am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I’m of two minds about the work of Nicholas Sparks. On one hand, I admire his sensitive portrayals of good-hearted people, particularly young lovers, which serve as comfort food for teenagers overwhelmed by peer pressure. On the other hand, I’m also the guy who said the following about his last book-to-screen adaptation, “The Last Song”: “You may need a lump in your head before you can get one in your throat.”
Whit Stillman’s Wittily Precious ‘Damsels in Distress’ Grows Tedious
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 13, 2012 - 9:08amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The sly satires of Whit Stillman have cultivated a fan base that appears to consist largely of his fellow peers. Manhattan-based filmmakers such as Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach and Lena Dunham have cited his subdued comedies as an influence on their own similarly mannerist yet considerably more accessible work. For many moviegoers, Stillman’s brilliantly constructed, emotionally distant pictures are easy to admire but difficult to like.
Delightful Doc ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’ Pleases Crowds, Entices Taste Buds
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 6, 2012 - 8:58am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – According to Jiro Ono, the intriguing titular subject of David Gelb’s documentary, sushi is a dish that must be savored. However, it should be eaten the instant that it’s served for maximum satisfaction. Fat will not be tolerated on the fish since lean meat carries the essence of flavor, and it is within the simplicity of each morsel that a true depth of flavor can be achieved.
Emotionally Galvanizing ‘Titanic 3D’ Transcends Unnecessary Conversion
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 5, 2012 - 1:05pmRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It takes more than expensive effects, super-sized egos and exhaustive marketing campaigns to seduce the world. For all of its visual splendor, James Cameron’s “Avatar” has already evaporated from most moviegoers’ memories. Its derivative romance and preachy messages were stretched so thin that they failed to achieve any resonant impact.
‘The Kid with a Bike’ Marks Another Home Run by the Dardenne Brothers
Submitted by mattmovieman on March 23, 2012 - 6:23amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The sullen little boy is always on the run. His red shirt and jacket cause him to resemble a crimson blur against the green and gray landscape of his Belgian town. He believes that there must be an explanation for why his absent father has left him in a state-run youth farm, and is determined to track him down. Consumed with confusion and rage, the boy has no choice but to keep moving toward a destination that may not exist.
Intriguing Doc ‘Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians’
Submitted by mattmovieman on March 6, 2012 - 9:54am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the best things that can be said about Bryan Storkel’s documentary, “Holy Rollers,” is that it features Christians who don’t fit the profile of religious stereotypes. Their morally questionable line of work does raise some provocative questions, but Storkel resists any opportunity to condescend to his human subjects. His evenhanded approach results in a picture that could be interpreted by some as a recruitment video and by others as a cautionary tale.
‘The Snowtown Murders’ Marks Auspicious Debut For Director, Lead Actors
Submitted by mattmovieman on March 2, 2012 - 9:27am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With a mixture of brooding unease and morbid fascination, the camera in Justin Kurzel’s fact-based thriller has a tendency to follow characters from behind as they enter a new realm of darkness. It’s the darkness residing outside the dingy walls of a hazardous home in South Australia that draws a damaged young man like a moth to a flame. He’s seeking a father figure, but what he finds is something unspeakable.
