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
Kate Beckinsale’s ‘Whiteout’ About as Thrilling as a Blank Screen
Submitted by BrianTT on September 11, 2009 - 3:22pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Producing more derisive snickers than gasps and more snores than thrills, Dominic Sena’s “Whiteout” is a massive waste of time, a predictable, dull, and hysterically cliched slice of junk that should be run out of theaters before month’s end.
Ang Lee’s ‘Taking Woodstock’ Lays Down Too Mellow a Vibe to Be Memorable
Submitted by BrianTT on August 28, 2009 - 2:23pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – More about the vibe surrounding the three days of peace and love that would become the most influential festival in history than the actual music itself, Ang Lee’s “Taking Woodstock” is a frustrating drama with individual elements that work but a cinematic set list that is ultimately disjointed and unsatisfying.
Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ With Brad Pitt Lives Up to Expectations
Submitted by BrianTT on August 21, 2009 - 3:02pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What truly distinguishes Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” from the cookie-cutter marketplace also makes its impact incredibly difficult to put into words. It’s a film that’s impossible to pin down - a thriller, drama, comedy, action film, and a slice of revisionist history played as modern revenge fantasy. And it’s a total blast.
Paul Giamatti Does More With Less in ‘Cold Souls’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 21, 2009 - 2:21am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – How is the best way to discover the elusiveness of the soul? For Paul Giamatti, playing himself, the key is to store the legendary organ into the deep freeze, in his new absurdist comedy, “Cold Souls.”
‘Julie & Julia’ Misses Some Ingredients But Still Goes Down Smoothly
Submitted by BrianTT on August 7, 2009 - 1:04pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Like a long meal at a good restaurant where no one can agree on the best course of the evening, Nora Ephron’s “Julie & Julia” with Amy Adams and Meryl Streep will have different highlights for different viewers.
‘A Perfect Getaway’ With Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich Delivers Thrills
Submitted by BrianTT on August 7, 2009 - 12:18pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – David Twohy’s “A Perfect Getaway” is a surprisingly effective thriller, featuring good-to-great performances from Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, and Kiele Sanchez, and a taut, interesting screenplay with enough twists and turns to keep the audience entertained for its scant running time.
Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen Star in Ambitious But Flawed ‘Funny People’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 31, 2009 - 10:55am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Judd Apatow’s “Funny People,” starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann, is like watching a friend try out a new stand-up routine. As with a lot of attempts at trying something untested, it doesn’t quite work out, but you have to admire the effort, if not the execution.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel Connect in ‘(500) Days of Summer’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 17, 2009 - 7:37amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Romantic comedies have been so sanitized, obviously for the protection of the movie consumer, that it is refreshing to meet a reality-based couple as they interact, co-mingle, love and clash in “(500) Days of Summer.”
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ Discovers the Wizard of Awe
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 14, 2009 - 9:20am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Harry Potter phenomenon, born from the pen of J.K. Rowling and nurtured through the utter magic of modern filmmaking, has reached a monumental creative peak with the film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”
‘I Love You, Beth Cooper’ Inspires Hatred For the High School Genre
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 10, 2009 - 2:11pmRating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In what could be the worst mainstream release of the summer, “I Love You, Beth Cooper” wastes talent, production values and ultimately time in a cliché-ridden mess that produces little or no real love.
‘Brüno’: Must a Movie Like This Be Broadcast Üniversal?
Submitted by Ebeth on July 10, 2009 - 1:39am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As a tribute to “Borat,” let’s start with a lesson in “not” jokes.
“Brüno” is everything one would hope for in a Sacha Baron Cohen return. The film is hilarious, unpredictable and worth every dollar it will make… NOT! There is a great fallacy that has spread in Hollywood and “Brüno” is one of its many victims.
Riveting, Must-See ‘The Hurt Locker’ is Flawless Filmmaking
Submitted by BrianTT on July 9, 2009 - 10:26am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Filmmaking simply doesn’t get much more riveting than Kathryn Bigelow’s incredible “The Hurt Locker,” a cinematic experience unlike any other that you will have this year. Building and releasing tension better than her peers have in a long time, Bigelow has made not only the best Iraq War movie to date but the best film of 2009 at just over the halfway point.
Johnny Depp’s ‘Public Enemies’ Delivers Bona Fide Chicago Powerhouse
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on July 1, 2009 - 2:24pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Was John Dillinger an Adolf Hitler-level criminal mastermind or a modern-day Robin Hood superman? In the authentic reality portrayed by the god-like Johnny Depp in the Chicago-filmed “Public Enemies,” he’s a little bit of both for blockbuster filmmaker Michael Mann.
