CHICAGO – If you’ve never seen the farcical ensemble theater chestnut “Noises Off,” you will see no better version than on the Steppenwolf Theatre stage, now at their northside Chicago venue through November 3rd. For tickets and details for this riotous theater experience, click NOISES OFF.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Denzel Washington, Chris Pine Star in Slick, Entertaining ‘Unstoppable’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 12, 2010 - 8:46am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Unstoppable” plays perfectly to Tony Scott’s flashy strengths as a director. There’s no deep meaning or character-driven dialogue for him to clutter up with his style over substance aesthetic. And so the film truly works as a great slice of escapist entertainment as long as you know what to expect.
James Franco, Danny Boyle Elevate Harrowing Saga of ‘127 Hours’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 12, 2010 - 8:35am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What separates us during extreme danger? Why do some people collapse under the weight of likely death while others push forward and make it out alive? What fuels the will to survive to the point that it can do the unimaginable? Aron Ralston has surely thought about his personal answers to these questions and Danny Boyle’s riveting film about his defining incident, “127 Hours,” now brings them to millions of captivated fans in theaters around the world.
‘Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Elliot Spitzer’ Recounts Political Saga
Submitted by BrianTT on November 12, 2010 - 8:26amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO –“He was going to be our first Jewish President.” This uncredited sound bite from the opening of “Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Elliot Spitzer” may sound like an exaggeration but the great Alex Gibney makes the case that it is not hyperbole and that the public pedestal-knocking that happened to the former Governor was more important than you probably think. Arguably the best year in the history of the documentary continues with another strong film from one of our best non-fiction filmmakers.
‘Four Lions’ Dares to Humanize Terrorists Through Satire
Submitted by mattmovieman on November 12, 2010 - 7:56amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If the objective of war is to drain the enemy of all humanity, then “Four Lions” is one of the best anti-war movies in recent years. Many people prefer thinking of terrorists in the same abstract terms that the terrorists themselves think of their victims. If war is all about demonizing “the other side,” how can we ever hope to come to a mutual understanding?
Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams Charm in ‘Morning Glory’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 10, 2010 - 9:11amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Holiday Season for films is populated by epic crowd pleasers and artsy Oscar bait. In between are the warm popcorn movies that don’t attempt to be anything except what they are. Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton and Patrick Wilson illustrate that cinematic point in the appealing and accessible “Morning Glory.”
‘Megamind’ With Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt Barely Wins Animated Fight
Submitted by BrianTT on November 5, 2010 - 5:25pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Being a super-villain is apparently going out of style as “Megamind” follows relatively quickly on the heels of “Despicable Me” and both tell the story of a bad guy realizing that it’s more fun to be good. The title character of “Megamind” (Will Ferrell) is a nefarious super-powered fellow who has just barely lost every fight he’s had with the beloved Metroman (Brad Pitt).
Sean Penn, Naomi Watts Revive Valerie Plame in ‘Fair Game’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 5, 2010 - 10:10am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The key line in “Fair Game,” a distillation of Valerie Plame’s outing as a CIA operative in 2003, is intoned by character actor Bruce McGill, in a scene reminiscent of the “Mr. X” moment in the “JFK” movie. Pointing to the White House and the Bush Administration, he simply says, “there are the most powerful men in the history of the world.”
Cluttered, Melodramatic ‘For Colored Girls’ Never Comes Together
Submitted by BrianTT on November 5, 2010 - 9:20am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” was a landmark event in 1974, giving voice to a segment of society rarely seen on the stage. It took 34 years for a filmmaker to tackle this remarkable work in film form and Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls” retains some of the inherent power of it source and features some strong performances in the process but never finds the narrative cohesion needed to translate it to modern movie audiences.
Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis Are an Odd Pair in Funny ‘Due Date’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 5, 2010 - 2:27amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is a strong temptation to lead this review with “Hey, ‘Due Date,’ ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ just called, they want their plot back,” but this Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis star vehicle drives on its own strange vibe, part road trip and part comedy that depends on suspension of all reality. Yet it mostly works.
‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest’ Underlines Franchise Limitations
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 29, 2010 - 7:12amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Now that the third and final installment of Stieg Larsson’s posthumously published, phenomenally popular book series has been turned into a feature film, the questions emerges: ‘Was it worth it?’ To the worldwide box office and the creatively bankrupt Hollywood, of course it was. But were moviegoers truly satisfied by the experience?
Prequel ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ Deftly Exploits a Baby as Emotional Scare Tactic
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 23, 2010 - 2:09amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – From its first “The Blair Witch Project”-like film in Sept. 2009, “Paranormal Activity” now reigns as one of the most profitable films ever made based on return on investment. But just a short 13 months later, “Paranormal Activity 2” returns to theaters with content and panic tactics that are much of the same.
Gemma Arterton Displays Luminosity as ‘Tamara Drewe’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 22, 2010 - 9:42pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are some movies that are gut level great because of plot, atmosphere and pacing, and then there are movies like “Tamara Drewe,” which rely on the elusive star power of the performer to drive its engine. Gemma Arterton portrays the title character and lights up the screen with a vivid presence in the simple story of a woman’s homecoming.
‘11/4/08’ Assembles Interactive Portrait of Fateful Night
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 22, 2010 - 7:33amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When Barack Obama took to the podium at Grant Park and gave his acceptance speech on the evening of November 4, 2008, his face appeared strangely reserved. His eyes did not reflect the overwhelming excitement of his supporters. Their grassroots efforts led to the election of a candidate whose popularity transcended national boundaries, injecting cynics with hope.
