CHICAGO – There is no better time to take in a stage play that is based in U.S. history, depicting the battle between fact and religion. The old theater chestnut – first mounted in 1955 – is “Inherit the Wind,” now at the Goodman Theatre, completing it’s short run through October 20th. For tickets and more information, click INHERIT.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Despite Some Superfluous Story, ‘Iron Man 2’ Delivers Hollywood Oomph
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 7, 2010 - 12:42pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Iron Man 2” with returner Robert Downey Jr. and newcomer Scarlett Johansson does what it can within the confines of what it has to do. The Hollywood machine has trained us to have certain expectations for blockbuster sequels and “Iron Man 2” neither deviates nor blazes new territory.
Catherine Keener Shines in Nicole Holofcener’s Rewarding ‘Please Give’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2010 - 12:37pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Writer/director Nicole Holofcener (“Lovely and Amazing,” “Friends With Money”) has an amazing ability to write characters that immediately feel genuine. It helps to have an actress as free of artifice as Catherine Keener as your regular lead but we shouldn’t diminish Holofcener’s rare ear for dialogue that actually sounds like it wasn’t created by a screenwriting machine.
‘Echotone’ Will Captivate Starving Artists Everywhere
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2010 - 11:15am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Two towering orbs are routinely seen eclipsing each other throughout “Echotone,” the wonderful new documentary by first-time filmmaker Nathan Christ. It’s an apt visual metaphor for representing the film’s titular term, which is defined as meaning, “the point at which nature and civilization meet.”
‘The Good, The Bad, The Weird’ Favors Spectacle Over Story
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2010 - 11:27amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Any guess what’s going on?” asks Zhang Qi, the befuddled leader of the Tri-Nation gang, as he observes a nearby train erupting into utter chaos. This line earns the first big laugh in Kim Ji-woon’s breathlessly entertaining “The Good, The Bad, The Weird,” precisely because it mirrors the thoughts of audience members during the film’s delirious opening sequence.
‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ Remake Plays Like a Bad Dream
Submitted by BrianTT on April 30, 2010 - 2:55pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Samuel Bayer’s remake of Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” may be about repressed memories coming back in horrific ways, but it ironically ends up one of the least memorable films of 2010 to date. Not as abrasive as the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remakes and not as dumb as “The Amityville Horror,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” is merely forgettable; something never said about the influential original.
Australian Noir Hit ‘The Square’ is Riveting Directorial Debut
Submitted by BrianTT on April 30, 2010 - 8:45amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A spectacular alternative to the glut of blockbusters about to dominate the marketplace, Nash Edgerton’s “The Square” heralds the arrival of a major new talent on the international movie scene. A riveting tale of a small group of people doing very bad (and pretty dumb) things, “The Square” works from beginning to end and stands as one of the best feature debuts of the year to date.
Michael Caine Gets Dirty in the Intriguing ‘Harry Brown’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 30, 2010 - 3:01amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Who needs the Dark Knight when there is Michael Caine, not as Alfred the Butler, but as the Vigilante Retiree and title character in “Harry Brown.” And he does it all without a rubber suit, just tons of firepower.
Hal Holbrook Illuminates the Dying Light in ‘That Evening Sun’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 25, 2010 - 3:41pmRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are no epitaphs to be written if life is still coursing through the veins. In the film “That Evening Sun,” Hal Holbrook expresses the life coursing through him, as both a great actor and innate human being.
Oscar-Winning ‘The Secret in Their Eyes’ Peers Into Argentina’s Past
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 23, 2010 - 7:02pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The 2009 Best Foreign Language Film, the compelling “The Secret in Their Eyes” from Argentina, explores a corrupt past with a longing and regret, through characters who seek to rectify their bygone days.
‘The Girl on the Train’ Favors Character Study Over Social Commentary
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 23, 2010 - 10:09amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Here’s a film that pulls off the tricky feat of moving quickly while taking its time. Like its rollerblading protagonist, “The Girl on the Train” is constantly on the move, hurtling headfirst into a series of interlocking relationships.
No Redeeming Quality to Jennifer Lopez’s ‘The Back-up Plan’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 23, 2010 - 9:30am Rating: 0.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Back-up Plan,” starring Jennifer Lopez, is spectacularly bad. Filled with leaden, supposedly comedic lines, stupid generalities and no basis in reality, this film ranks first in class for worst of 2010 so far.
Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Ran’ a Must-See on the Big Screen
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 19, 2010 - 6:00pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Of all the cinematic variations on Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran” is one of the few that, dare I say, improves on the Bard’s original blueprint.
‘The Perfect Game’ Proves That Baseball Fiction is Duller Than Truth
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 19, 2010 - 1:43pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The 1957 Little League team from Monterrey, Mexico, was the first non-U.S. team to win that league’s World Series. That is a fact. “The Perfect Game” creates a story based on that fact that is as improbable as a team from Mars winning the big game.
