CHICAGO – Playwright Hannah Ii-Epstein is a Hawaiian native who is bringing her unique point of view regarding that U.S.“State of Mind” to the Chicago stage. The theater group Nothing Without a Company presents her latest, “Pakalolo Sweet.” through October 5th, 2019, at the Berger Mansion in the Edgewater neighborhood. Click here for more details, including ticket information.
Ewan McGregor
‘Christopher Robin’ is a Story That Should Have Remained Untold
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 3, 2018 - 4:05am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Yeesh. Who woulda thunk that the fine people at Walt Disney Studios would throw the “legend” of Winnie-the-Pooh into a live action “sequel,” with absolutely no life… including the computer generated dead-eyed stuffed machinations of the famous animals. Yet, here we are with “Christopher Robin,” featuring Ewan McGregor in the title role.
‘T2 Trainspotting’ is a Nostalgic Trip That Stays on the Rails
Submitted by JonHC on April 6, 2017 - 1:38am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sequels are the bane of film’s existence. They tend to end with unresolved plotlines in an attempt to promote the need for another film. Disappointing film franchises have been built this way, but Danny Boyle is the last person I would have expected this from. “T2 Trainspotting” is the sequel to “Trainspotting” that we never wanted but are surprisingly happy to have.
Flawless ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a New Classic
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 16, 2017 - 2:37pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Do not doubt the power of live action to create a new atmosphere of joy and…dare I say it…beauty. The re-imagining of the animated classic “Beauty and the Beast” is everything that the previous was and much more. It packs a true and emotional wallop that follows through to the end.
‘American Pastoral’ Should Have Been Put to Pasture
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 21, 2016 - 2:19pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Change can be a frightening part of life and the human experience. It is an unavoidable but often necessary transition for progress. If you fight change or innovation, the stagnation alone will weigh you down and hold you back. “American Pastoral” may deal with the themes of revolution, but that’s about all that is revolutionary or unique about this film.
Supremely Silly ‘Mortdecai’ is a Pleasant Surprise
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 23, 2015 - 9:53pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I have to say while watching Johnny Depp in “Mortdecai,” I found myself amused. I rarely elicited anything more than a slight chuckle, but its indomitable spirit of silliness made it a not entirely unpleasant evening out. This feather-weight trifle of a caper is only slightly more than the funny mustache movie its posters and trailer make it out to be.
Family Secrets, Fine Acting in ‘August: Osage County’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 10, 2014 - 9:02am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There will be inevitable comparisons to the Pulitzer Prize-winning stage version of “August: Osage County” from the thousands of people who have been touched by the stage play. But in giving the film version a chance, there is the same passion, drama and heat of family dysfunction within it, with a dream cast.
‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ Has Some Fee-Fi-Fo Fun
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 1, 2013 - 8:49amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The trend of taking ancient fairy tales – “Hanzel and Gretel” and “Snow White,” for example – and converting them into computer generated mega-pictures is peculiar, and glaringly profitable (no “rights” to buy). The latest, “Jack and the Giant Slayer,” has some fun up the beanstalk again.
Shattering Power of True Story of ‘The Impossible’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 21, 2012 - 1:21pmRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Juan Antonio Bayona’s “The Impossible” captures what its title implies. It transports us to an unimaginable situation, into an absolute nightmare in which air is replaced by rushing water, families are ripped apart, and people’s lives hang in the balance. It is a remarkable achievement in filmmaking, a film that is at times devastating, at times emotional, at times inspirational, and always riveting. It’s one of the best films of 2012.
Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt Flounder in ‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 9, 2012 - 3:59pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Often when novels with quirky titles get made into films, all that is left of the quirk is the name on the cover. That is exactly what has happened to “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” a tome authored by Paul Torday, and reduced to torpid blandness by director Lasse Hallstrøm.
Eye-Popping 3D, Same Story in ‘Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace’ Rerelease
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 10, 2012 - 10:37pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Jar Jar Binks is back, and George Lucas has him in 3D. Yes, the re-release of 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace,” takes advantage of the new 3D technology. However, it can’t change the story or the now 13-year outrage regarding this weird take on the Stars Wars legacy. Were we ever that young and that angry?
