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
Tom Hardy Leads Great Cast in Disappointing ‘Lawless’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 29, 2012 - 10:35am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – John Hillcoat’s “Lawless,” based on Matt Bondurant’s “The Wettest County in the World,” is one of the most high profile disappointments of 2012, a film with an amazing cast that suffocates under the weight of an inconsistent script, a boring lead, and a complete lack of narrative drive. Who would have ever guessed that a movie with so many charismatic actors and actresses could ever be so shockingly dull? It’s nearly an accomplishment.
Spike Lee Returns to Brooklyn in Controversial ‘Red Hook Summer’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 24, 2012 - 1:04pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “I ain’t pawning my responsibility off as a parent and saying she’s in God’s hands.” What a powerful line. The idea that religion has been used as a crutch, an excuse for communities who preach that God will save their young ones when they need to do their part is a passionate and powerful one.
Documentary ‘The Imposter’ Plays Like Hollywood Thriller
Submitted by BrianTT on August 24, 2012 - 10:50am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Bart Layton’s “The Imposter” allows an absolute scumbag to take center stage, a documentarian’s device that usually turns me off from a film altogether. Too many films give microphones to people who don’t deserve the attention and often have committed their heinous crimes just to get it.
Frank Langella Shines in Delightful Sci-Fi Comedy ‘Robot and Frank’
Submitted by mattmovieman on August 24, 2012 - 8:31amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Frank’s world is fading before his eyes. With his wife gone and his children all grown up, Frank lives a reclusive existence, though he doesn’t seem to be in particular need of company. His memory may be fading, but his instincts as a retired cat burglar are still ever-present. He can’t helping stuffing a few soap figurines into his pockets while casually browsing through a store.
‘The Apparition’ Terrifies with Shocking Level of Incompetence
Submitted by BrianTT on August 23, 2012 - 10:53pm Rating: 0.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Apparition” is so incompetently made on every single level that it’s almost difficult to put its sheer awfulness into words. I’ll do my best. Which is more than what the producers of this pile of clichéd, derivative junk can say.
Robert Pattinson Takes Interesting Ride Through David Cronenberg’s ‘Cosmopolis’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 23, 2012 - 4:07pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of our best living filmmakers, one of our best working authors, and a teen heartthrob who has largely been known for looks over skill get into a slow-moving limousine in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s “Cosmopolis” starring Robert Pattinson in almost exclusively one-on-one scenes with some great supporting actors and actresses.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Peddles Clichés in ‘Premium Rush’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 23, 2012 - 7:45amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – We’re looking for cowboy heroes in America, and a new film contends that the urban bike messenger could represent that long lost persona. This unlikely theory is the basis for “Premium Rush,” and it features Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Aasif Mandvi and Dania Ramirez.
Dax Shepard, Kristin Bell Stall Out in ‘Hit & Run’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 22, 2012 - 8:02pmRating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Pardon the clichés for a minute. I can’t help myself. Dax Shepard’s “Hit & Run” doesn’t just lose the drag race. It doesn’t just blow a flat tire or run out of gas. Think of all the Shalit-esque puns you can about a disastrous experience in a car and apply them to this lurching mess of five or six movies that aspires to be Tarantino-esque but completely misses its mark.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Riveting Work Makes ‘Third Star’ a Must-See
Submitted by mattmovieman on August 22, 2012 - 10:58amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Though Benedict Cumberbatch has been delivering fine work in film and television for the past decade, he hadn’t received a great deal of attention until last year, when he played strikingly diverse characters in Oscar bait such as “War Horse” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” while earning legions of fans on BBC’s “Sherlock.” He’s such a deft chameleon that it’s easy for audiences to overlook his formidable body of work.
Stunning Ambition Drives P.T. Anderson’s ‘The Master’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 20, 2012 - 10:50am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” screened publicly last week in Chicago for only the second time in the world. It was shown in glorious 70mm, the format in which the film was shot, but in which most people will never get the chance to see it. While much of the conversation surrounding the screening seemed to hinge around the technical specifications, the increasing dearth of actual film projectors in the city, or the aspects of the plot related to Scientology, those aren’t the elements of the film that have been rolling around my head for the last four days.
Sylvester Stallone in Formulaic ‘The Expendables 2’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 18, 2012 - 7:16amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Face it, it is fun to see the major action stars of the 1980s, ‘90s and now – Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger – together again for “The Expendables 2.” Why the hell can’t anyone write a decent story for them?
‘Sparkle’ is Dull for Whitney Houston Swan Song
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 17, 2012 - 7:28am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Given the shocking circumstances of Whitney Houston’s passing, it is a bit disconcerting to see her vibrantly alive again in the new film “Sparkle.” However, if she was still with us, this trifling and dull film would soon be forgotten. Jordan Sparks, Derek Luke and Carmen Ejogo co-star.
Julie Delpy, Chris Rock in Sweet ‘2 Days in New York’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 16, 2012 - 2:51pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Julie Delpy’s “2 Days in New York” is an amenable screwball comedy with some jokes that definitely fall flat and some awkward emotional beats in the final act but a likable tone that allows for easy passage over the screenwriting rough spots. Ms. Delpy is still charming and co-star Chris Rock is more effective here than he typically is in film. It’s just a likable little movie without pretension to be anything more.
