CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the doc series “Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose,” about the rise and bitter fall of the major league legend, the MLB’s all-time hits leader, only to be banned from the sport because of gambling. Streaming on MAX and on HBO since July 24th.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Lack of Originality, Actual Scares Render Marcus Nispel’s ‘Friday the 13th’ Ineffective
Submitted by BrianTT on February 12, 2009 - 11:49pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Your reaction to Marcus Nispel’s “Friday the 13th” is likely to depend on how nostalgically you remember the original and how you reacted to producer Michael Bay’s “remakes” of “The Amityville Horror,” “The Hitcher,” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.
Henry Selick’s ‘Coraline’ an Early Contender For Best Animated Film of 2009
Submitted by BrianTT on February 6, 2009 - 3:45pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Henry Selick, the visionary director of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “James and the Giant Peach” has masterfully directed a mesmerizing journey into the world of imagination called “Coraline”.
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Ginnifer Goodwin Nearly Save ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 6, 2009 - 1:01am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If you’ve ever been speed dating or even just on a series of dates in a short period of time, it’s not that different from the back and forth between good and bad in the latest romantic comedy, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” a mixed bag of cliches, comedy, coincidences, and cute coupling starring Jennifer Aniston, Ginnifer Goodwin, and many, many more.
Liam Neeson Elevates Above-Average Action Movie ‘Taken’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 30, 2009 - 8:20amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Bringing the same screen presence and gravity that he has to more serious roles like those in “Schindler’s List” and “Kinsey,” Liam Neeson turns the relatively generic “Taken” into an above-average action movie that should prove a surprising alternative for movie goers looking for a break from Super Bowl coverage this weekend.
Animated Documentary ‘Waltz With Bashir’ One of Best of 2008
Submitted by BrianTT on January 23, 2009 - 9:57am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Waltz With Bashir” is a transcendent shattering of what viewers should expect from traditional animation or the standard documentary film. Ari Folman’s dream-like journey into his own memory is a must-see, one of the best films of 2008 and a likely Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film.
Benicio Del Toro Shines in Steven Soderbergh’s Mesmerizing ‘Che’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 16, 2009 - 9:21amRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Steven Soderbergh’s “Che” not only features one of the best recent performances by the excellent Benicio Del Toro but this challenging biopic, unlike any that has been made in years, is one of the best films of 2008.
Edward Zwick’s ‘Defiance’ Drains Strength From Powerful True Story
Submitted by BrianTT on January 16, 2009 - 9:13am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Ed Zwick’s “Defiance” is a dramatically inert film that misses the mark by allowing its director to play up his notable weaknesses as a filmmaker.
David S. Goyer’s ‘The Unborn’ is Unoriginal, Uninspiring Mess
Submitted by BrianTT on January 9, 2009 - 10:14am Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Odette Yustman stars in David S. Goyer’s “The Unborn,” a poorly conceived and produced horror movie that could have just as easily been called “The Un-scary,” “The Uninspiring,” “The Unoriginal,” or “The Unexciting”. Whatever you do, just un-plan to see it this weekend.
Morris Chestnut, Taraji P. Henson Keep ‘Not Easily Broken’ From Falling Apart
Submitted by BrianTT on January 9, 2009 - 10:07amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Stars Morris Chestnut and Taraji P. Henson do their best to make Bill Duke’s “Not Easily Broken” a genuine domestic drama instead of the cluttered melodrama that it easily could have been with two lesser actors in the lead roles.
Great Performances Wasted in Sterile ‘Revolutionary Road’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 2, 2009 - 10:50amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) refuse to believe that they’re like everyone else in the 1950’s suburbia of Sam Mendes’ frustrating “Revolutionary Road”. They may go to the same jobs and travel in the same social circles, but, unlike the bored housewives and husbands around them, they haven’t given up on their dreams.
Bryan Singer’s ‘Valkyrie’ With Tom Cruise Mistakes Morose For Intense
Submitted by BrianTT on December 25, 2008 - 11:05amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tom Cruise can be a powerfully vibrant actor in the right material but he’s horrendously miscast in Bryan Singer’s “Valkyrie,” a decision amplified by poor direction that drains this true story of an assassination attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler of its inherent power.
Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes Make ‘The Reader’ a Worthwhile Adaptation
Submitted by BrianTT on December 25, 2008 - 10:52am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Two of the best actors working in film today, Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet, offer enough to make “The Reader” a cinematic book worth reading, even if it’s not the masterpiece it could have been with a few different choices by its director and writer.
Clint Eastwood Idles With Caricature Over Character in ‘Gran Torino’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 19, 2008 - 10:33amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With his second film in just a few months, Clint Eastwood makes one of his biggest missteps of his illustrious career as one of the more esteemed American directors in the history of the medium.
