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+.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell in Fun ‘Seven Psychopaths’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 12, 2012 - 12:52pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Is there room for vengeance if you believe in Heaven and Hell? How do we suppress our need for moral and even physical justice if we believe that violence leads to damnation? Is there a chance to…oh, never mind. Let’s just blow someone’s brains out. That’s essentially how “Seven Psychopaths,” the clever new action comedy from Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”) works in that it has a number of interesting ideas that aren’t fully developed even if the movie is fun enough to be considered a sin.
Ben Affleck Reaches Career Peak with Tense, Masterful ‘Argo’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 12, 2012 - 9:57am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Ben Affleck has reached the apex of his already impressive directorial career with the stunning “Argo,” a tight, tense machine of a film, a masterwork that delivers as comedy, action, drama, and more. Critics see movies all the time that we understand may produce a divided response. We get that many acclaimed films won’t make a dent with the populous.
Internet Generation is Terrorized in Clichéd ‘Smiley’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 11, 2012 - 1:32pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What if all the evil on the internet manifested itself into a supernatural being with the power to kill a la Candyman? Such is the relatively clever premise of “Smiley,” opening in limited release this week. It’s a modest, low-budget horror movie with some effective ideas and an engaging lead performance but it clutters itself down with too much dialogue about its title character and the very concept of evil being potentially brought to physical life. Every time that it feels like “Smiley” could become something interesting, it falls back into clichés. It’s a film about the next generation of horror villains that owes too much to the older ones.
Nicole Kidman is Unique in Fluttery ‘The Paperboy’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 5, 2012 - 2:37pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With all the steamy heat, and the thick, gluey southern accents from mostly non-southern actors, the audience for “The Paperboy” might need to wear lawyer-like suspenders and flap a funeral home fan to take it all in. The sweaty new film features Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey and John Cusack, all chewing the scenery.
‘About Cherry’ is Little More Than a Pretty Face
Submitted by BrianTT on October 5, 2012 - 2:11pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Stephen Elliott’s “About Cherry” takes what could have been an interesting journey into the porn industry and turns it into what is essentially a TV-Movie-of-the-Week without the rating restrictions of the Lifetime Channel. Newcomer Ashley Hinshaw makes an impression and the supporting cast of Elliott’s drama is strong but the film never finds its focus, refusing to get under the beautiful surface of its lead character and present her as anything more than a sexy plot device.
‘Frankenweenie’ is Visually Rich, But Lacks Monstrosity
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 5, 2012 - 2:08pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The immersion that is possible in modern animated films is so rich now that it is practically reality. “Frankenweenie,” the newest puppetry-style film from director Tim Burton, is heroically painted onto the screen’s canvas, but the limp retelling of the Frankenstein movie myth doesn’t live up to the visual tone.
‘Taken 2’ with Liam Neeson Trades Action For Nonsense
Submitted by BrianTT on October 5, 2012 - 8:56am Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Olivier Megaton’s “Taken 2” is utter nonsense, a film that plays like a cross between Seth MacFarlane spoofing the first film on “Family Guy” and “MacGyver” fan fiction (although nowhere NEAR as much fun as that might make it sound). Everything that worked about the action-packed “Taken,” a surprising hit and a solid genre flick, has been corrupted here by jump cuts, horrendous plotting, and a complete lack of anything of interest outside of Neeson’s half-engaged performance.
Horror Anthology ‘V/H/S’ Offers Mixed Bag of Body Parts
Submitted by BrianTT on October 4, 2012 - 11:50amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “V/H/S” is a clever concept for a film executed with decidedly mixed results. There are enough smart ideas and chilling moments to recommend it to fans of any of its multiple genres (horror, found footage, indie film, even mumblecore), but I would never suggest it to a general audience. It is a cult film through and through and it feels like that’s just the way its talented team of creators wants it to be.
‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel’ is Fabulous, Dahling
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 28, 2012 - 9:38pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Biography documentaries often are the most creative of that film genre. Over the past few years some notable general releases have included “The Kid Stays in the Picture” (2002) and the George Harrison treatment by Martin Scorsese. Add “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel” to that list – bio docs that present a life in style and substance.
‘Won’t Back Down’ is an Agenda Disguised as a Film
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 28, 2012 - 3:50pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is an interesting trend in the financing of films, actual partisan organizations are fostering their points-of-view through the movies. This is nothing new in documentaries, but now it appears in a fictional film called “Won’t Back Down,” featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis.
Eye-Opening Cost of Playing Sports in ‘Head Games’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 28, 2012 - 8:48amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A father speaks through tears about the teammates for his deceased son standing at the funeral in the balcony paying honor to their lost captain and it’s impossible not to ask the daunting question at the core of “Head Games,” the new documentary from the great Steve James (“Hoop Dreams,” “The Interrupters”) that opens this weekend at the Siskel Film Center – how much longer can this go on?
‘Pitch Perfect’ Succeeds By Making Fun of Itself
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 28, 2012 - 8:12amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When we last saw Anna Kendrick, she was the mid-twentysomething girlfriend of cop Jake Gyllenhaal in “End of Watch.” This week, she reverts back to freshman year in college, portraying a rebellious D.J. and songstress in the not-taking-themselves-seriously “Pitch Perfect.”
Wonderful ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ Captures Teenage Life with Grace
Submitted by BrianTT on September 27, 2012 - 4:13pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” based on his hit book of the same name, is the most pleasant and accomplished surprise of the year, a delightful, sweet, funny, and moving examination of teenage life that merits comparison to John Hughes and Cameron Crowe.
