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.!—break—>
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Wily ‘Ira & Abby’ Averts Predictable Hollywood Boy Meets Girl Trap
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 26, 2007 - 8:05pmCHICAGO – Groucho Marx once said: “Marriage is a wonderful institution … but who wants to live in an institution?” For the romantic and humorously charged “Ira & Abby,” holy matrimony seems a stressful but hilarious adventure.
Message Movie ‘Music Within’ Still Within Fledgling Director Steven Sawalich
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 26, 2007 - 8:01pmCHICAGO – “Most people go to their graves with their music still inside them,” 19th century poet Oliver Wendell Holmes once said. First-time director Steven Sawalich’s “music” presumably still resides inside him because it doesn’t resound in his “Music Within” message movie.
‘Rendition’ a Mediocre Message Movie With What Should Be Self-Evident Politics
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 19, 2007 - 8:10pmAUSTIN, Texas – German writer Franz Kafka meets the war on terror in “Rendition,” which is a message movie with what one would consider a self-evident message: torture is bad. We live in a political climate, though, where that isn’t self-evident.
In ‘Gone Baby Gone’ Directorial Debut, Ben Affleck Matures Into Polished Auteur
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 19, 2007 - 2:01pmCHICAGO – It wasn’t that long ago when Ben Affleck was an unknown. Fortune eventually smiled upon him and along came quality performances in independents and an Academy Award for screenwriting.
‘Juno’ the First LiveJournal, Blogger Film; Writer Diablo Cody a Standout Star
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 16, 2007 - 10:30pmAUSTIN, Texas – No one says anything plainly in “Juno”. Hyper clever, hyper literate and hyper pop savvy, it tells a light story of teenage pregnancy in a package of verbose middle classiness.
Jodie Foster is Wicked, Wicked Witch With Furious Vengeance in ‘The Brave One’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 15, 2007 - 8:23pmCHICAGO – Jodie Foster reinvents herself and plays a vigilante flung galaxies out of character in “The Brave One,” which opened on Friday.
Following ‘The Sandlot’ Home Run, ‘The Final Season’ Strikes Out
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 12, 2007 - 8:14pmCHICAGO – Once a year, it seems a studio releases a film that tries to nudge its way into the almost-holy canon of American sports cinema. Most years, studios succeed. Recently, we have been lucky with the caliber of sports films offered up to us.
‘The Darjeeling Limited’ Seesaws Between Deft, Forced Eccentricity
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 5, 2007 - 8:20pmCHICAGO – With his aloof character panache and colorful imagery, Wes Anderson is one of those directors you either love dearly or loathe dreadfully.
‘Michael Clayton’ is Adult Antidote to Torrent of Monotonous Gobbledygook
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 5, 2007 - 3:56pmCHICAGO – Don’t be fooled by its formulaic, Hollywoodspeak tagline.
‘The Kingdom’ a Prescient Portrayal of Relentless Ghost in the Terrorist Machine
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 28, 2007 - 9:37pmCHICAGO – In 1967, author Arthur Koestler wrote the non-fiction book “The Ghost in the Machine”.
Tan-Skinned ‘Sydney White’ Tragically Lacks Charisma of Fair-Skinned ‘Snow White’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 21, 2007 - 12:46pmCHICAGO – I recently tagged “Illegal Tender” as the must-miss movie of the year. I stand corrected. That unconquerable 2007 cake now goes to “Sydney White,” which opened on Friday.
‘Resident Evil: Extinction’ Screams Readiness For Franchise Extinction
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 20, 2007 - 11:36amAUSTIN, Texas – “Resident Evil: Extinction,” which opens on Friday and to the dismay of many critics didn’t screen across the U.S., is yet another cineplex excursion that’s beneath conte
Despite Poehler’s Wit, ‘Mr. Woodcock’ Underwhelms With Wasted Thornton, Sarandon Talent
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 14, 2007 - 9:15pmCHICAGO – Just from eyeing the “Mr. Woodcock” movie poster, you could suspect exactly what the movie will be. Just 90 minutes later, your suspicions would be confirmed.