Mia Wasikowska

Film Review: Glenn Close, Janet McTeer in Melancholy ‘Albert Nobbs’

Albert Nobbs
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – People who put themselves in boxes often go through their entire lives without meeting anyone who show them what it’s like on the outside. There’s every possibility that the tragically confined title character in “Albert Nobbs” would have remained in her box till her death if not for a chance encounter with someone who shows her that there is another way. The sad drama that follows charts her attempt to break free and realization that it may have come too late.

Film Review: Gus Van Sant Turns Death Into Poetry in ‘Restless’

Restless
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.0/5.0
Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Gus Van Sant’s “Restless” is an undeniably twee and hipster film that will annoy some viewers about as much as bad performance art, but I found the film’s commitment to a unique tone and world view refreshing as so few directors even know what those words mean. It may not be grounded enough to be emotionally effective, but another strong performance from the stellar Mia Wasikowska and a consistency to its vision make “Restless” worth a look.

Blu-Ray Review: Mia Wasikowska in Stellar Adaptation of ‘Jane Eyre’

Jane Eyre

CHICAGO – “Jane Eyre” is a story that has been adapted multiple times but rarely with the grace, dignity, and level of quality as Cary Joji Fukunaga’s excellent 2011 take on the timeless Charlotte Bronte novel. With impeccable production values that never smother the piece in the musty quality that so often pervades modern period pieces, “Jane Eyre” is an effective, beautiful piece of work. It’s a surprisingly strong drama that deserves a much-wider audience on Blu-ray and DVD.

Film Review: Mia Wasikowska, Judi Dench Float on ‘Jane Eyre’

Jane Eyre

CHICAGO – Film adaptations of classic literature are often lose-lose scenarios. The ardent admirers of the source often sour on what is left out, and the average filmgoer might wonder what the fuss is about when experiencing a truncated interpretation. There is obvious passion behind the latest adaptation of “Jane Eyre,” with performances that follow that lead.

Interviews: Mia Wasikowska, Director Cary Fukunaga on ‘Jane Eyre’

CHICAGO – According to IMDB, there are over 20 film and TV versions of the Charlotte Bronte novel, “Jane Eyre.” Director Cary Fukunaga (”Sin Nombre”) and lead actress Mia Wasikowska (”Alice in Wonderland”) take on the latest remake of the literary legend.

Film Feature: 14th Annual EU Film Festival Arrives at Siskel Film Center

CHICAGO – With the over-hyped and underwhelming 2010 Oscar ceremony finally in our rearview mirrors, moviegoers are ready for something completely different. How about a rare and acclaimed foreign film screening for the first (and, perhaps, only) time in Chicago? Look no further than the Siskel Film Center’s annual European Union Film Festival.

Blu-Ray Review: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore Shine in ‘The Kids Are All Right’

Kids Are All Right, The: Annette Bening and Julianne Moore

CHICAGO – Lisa Cholodenko’s “The Kids Are All Right” still stands as one of the best films of the year for two reasons. One, Cholodenko’s script brilliantly tackles the challenge of playing emotional subtext instead of mere action, resulting in five completely-realized, believable characters. Two, the film features arguably the best ensemble of the year with two strong contenders for the Best Actress Oscar.

Film Review: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore Out in the Light With ‘The Kids Are All Right’

Kids Are All Right, The: Annette Bening and Julianne Moore

CHICAGO – It is Hollywood that is often ahead of the social curve, expressing in art what most people can’t fathom in real life. “The Kids Are All Right” is that type of consciousness, depicting a committed lesbian couple – played by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore – coming to grips with transitions occurring with their kids.

Interview: Lisa Cholodenko Explains Why ‘The Kids Are All Right’

CHICAGO – Lisa Cholodenko’s “The Kids Are All Right” is a daring, masterful dramedy about the new modern American family. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play Nic and Jules, a pair of lesbian mothers who have raised two beautiful children in Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson).

Blu-Ray Review: Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Paints the Roses Red

Alice in Wonderland

CHICAGO – In so many ways, Tim Burton’s entire career has been building to “Alice in Wonderland”. The mega-hit (it’s still the #1 film of the year at the domestic box office although will likely be passed, just barely, by “Iron Man 2”) contains so many of Burton’s themes of individuality through a fantasy film lens while it also came under criticism for displaying the shallow lack of dramatic weight of his recent output. With a lovely Disney Blu-ray release, it’s easy to see both sides of one of the most critically divisive films of the year to date.

Syndicate content

User Login

Free Giveaway Mailing

TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Manhunt

    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+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

Advertisement



HollywoodChicago.com on Twitter

archive

HollywoodChicago.com Top Ten Discussions
tracker