CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the streaming series “Emily in Paris” the adventures of Emily Cooper and her fanciful/fashionable Paris friends and lovers, now in its fourth season. Episodes 1-5 currently on Netflix.
IFC Films
Blu-ray Review: Great Extras Enhance Mike Birbiglia’s ‘Sleepwalk with Me’
Submitted by mattmovieman on January 3, 2013 - 9:48amCHICAGO – Sometimes the best way for comics to find an ideal vehicle for their abilities is to direct it themselves. 2012 offered ample proof of that, with Louis C.K. and Lena Dunham setting a stupendously high bar for TV comedy with their respective self-made programs. Of course, “Louis” and “Girls” benefit greatly from the contributions of their first-rate ensembles, yet both are also driven by a singular vision.
Blu-ray Review: ‘Your Sister’s Sister’ Sets High Bar for Indie Filmmaking
Submitted by mattmovieman on November 7, 2012 - 10:55amCHICAGO – Give Lynn Shelton a few days, a dozen crew members, a picturesque cabin and three terrific actors, and just look at what she’s capable of making. “Your Sister’s Sister” is clearly the work of a filmmaker in full command of her craft. With limited resources and very little time, writer/director Shelton somehow managed to capture a fully realized human drama brimming with richly etched characters and marvelously insightful comedy.
Film Review: Josh Radnor’s ‘Liberal Arts’ Takes Uncommonly Thoughtful Look at Growing Up
Submitted by mattmovieman on September 21, 2012 - 9:06amCHICAGO – Josh Radnor may be one of the most good natured humanists in modern American film. His perspective contrasts sharply with that of comedic auteurs intent on depicting a cynical view of the modern world clouded with nostalgia. Radnor may not yet be up to par with the filmmakers that have inspired him, namely Woody Allen, but his sophomore directorial effort, “Liberal Arts,” is practically bursting with promise.
Interview: Josh Radnor Returns to Kenyon College For ‘Liberal Arts’
Submitted by mattmovieman on September 17, 2012 - 1:07pmCHICAGO – In “Liberal Arts,” the magical new film written and directed by Josh Radnor, characters have conversations that are actually worth listening to about subjects that are actually worth discussing. It reminds viewers of just how flat and perfunctory movie dialogue can become when it only serves to move along the plot.
Interview: An Invitation from Mike Birbiglia to ‘Sleepwalk with Me’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 3, 2012 - 4:16pmCHICAGO – The comedian with the tough-to-pronounce name, Mike Birbiglia, hits the next stage with a new film based on his one man show, “Sleepwalk with Me.” Produced and co-written by Ira Glass of “This American Life,” the story of the serious subject of a sleepwalking disorder creates both mordant laughs and poignant moments.
Film Review: Mike Birbiglia Steps Up in ‘Sleepwalk with Me’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 1, 2012 - 7:48amCHICAGO – It’s exciting to witness a breakthrough with a new film artist. The comedian Mike Birbiglia has adapted his one-man show, “Sleepwalk with Me,” into a movie, and the result is a naturalistic performance piece that plays both like a documentary and Woody Allen’s during the “Annie Hall” period. Birbiglia gets a little help from some friends like Lauren Ambrose, Kirsten Schaal, Wyatt Cenac and Amy Schumer.
Blu-ray Review: Startlingly Amateurish ‘The Moth Diaries’ Fails to Frighten
Submitted by mattmovieman on August 29, 2012 - 8:55amCHICAGO – Sarah Bolger is a truly lovely actress. She delivered one of the best child performances of all time in Jim Sheridan’s 2002 family drama, “In America,” and over the last decade, has blossomed into a real screen beauty. Hopefully it will only be a matter of time before the actress starts getting offered projects more worthy of her abilities. No one this lovely should be sentenced to a film as dreary as “The Moth Diaries.”
Blu-ray Review: Grisly ‘Kill List’ Follows Hit Man Into the Heart of Darkness
Submitted by mattmovieman on August 14, 2012 - 8:08amCHICAGO – Graphic violence is a double-edged sword. It can shock viewers into acknowledging the tragic nature of carnage so often belittled in mainstream cinema, yet it can also repel viewers straight out of the theater before the end credits roll. Ben Wheatley’s “Kill List” is far from the most violent film in recent memory, but its few instances of onscreen bloodshed are unbearably savage.
Blu-ray Review: IFC’s ‘Brake,’ ‘ATM’ Confine Audience in Glass Trap
Submitted by mattmovieman on July 30, 2012 - 8:58amCHICAGO – The art of the confinement thriller is tricky to perfect. If it’s done right, the audience will feel trapped within the suffocating confines of a prison, while their heart rate will move at the same pace as that of the onscreen victim. Yet since the world of the film is limited to such a small space, one misstep will cause the entire experience to crumble in an instant.
Blu-ray Review: ‘4:44 Last Day on Earth’ Meditates on the World’s End
Submitted by mattmovieman on July 26, 2012 - 9:42amCHICAGO – Apocalyptic dramas are a dime a dozen these days, and it’s not difficult to determine why. While the Mayan calendar has singled out the specific day of our demise, record-breaking temperatures have caused some to worry that the planet has indeed reached its final act. Neither of these theories may be true, but that hasn’t stopped them from permeating our collective consciousness.
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