CHICAGO – In anticipation of the scariest week of the year, HollywoodChicago.com launches its 2024 Movie Gifts series, which will suggest DVDs and collections for holiday giving.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
‘Soul Surfer’ Simply Too Bland For True Inspiration
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 8, 2011 - 4:59pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the pantheon of modern girl surfer movies there is “Blue Crush” and…”Blue Crush 2.” “Soul Surfer” is different, it is based on a true story of a tremendous physical loss for a competitive surfer, and her family’s strength in dealing with the crisis. With so much drama, in fact, its surprising that the film is as flavorless as dry toast.
Danny McBride, James Franco Falter With Dreadful ‘Your Highness’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2011 - 2:10pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Your Highness” just makes me sad. Rarely have so many talented people been sucked into such an unfunny disaster as what will surely be one of the biggest disappointments of the year.
James Gunn’s Memorable ‘Super’ With Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2011 - 9:18am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A much darker cousin of Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass” by way of “Taxi Driver,” James Gunn’s “Super” is a tonally inconsistent comedy that nevertheless features one of my absolute favorite performances of the year so far and enough interesting ideas to warrant a look. If only those ideas were shaped into something a bit more coherent. “Super” could have lived up to its title.
Russell Brand Tries Too Hard in Lame ‘Arthur’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 8, 2011 - 7:49am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are many problems inherent in film remakes, starting with comparisons to the original source. The first “Arthur,” while not a classic, did have a warm, funny story and Dudley Moore’s title performance. The current remake has none of that.
Saoirse Ronan Rocks in Joe Wright’s Riveting ‘Hanna’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 7, 2011 - 3:10pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You won’t be able to take your eyes of Saoirse Ronan in Joe Wright’s action film “Hanna,” a visceral thrill ride that’s likely to be a more satisfying experience than most of the action blockbusters that will fill the multiplex as the temperatures rise. With an A-list cast and incredible production values, “Hanna” is a speeding train. Hop on and hold on tight.
World Conflict is a Boy’s Life For ‘Winter in Wartime’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 1, 2011 - 6:55pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When life collides with history, human beings are often both the perpetrators and the victims. In the excellent film “Winter in Wartime,” a boy grows up quickly when confronted with the realities of that history and life in the last days of World War II.
‘Saw’ Creators Fall Just Short of True Scares With ‘Insidious’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 1, 2011 - 11:38am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I have written over a thousand reviews and have rarely been as conflicted as I am about my response to James Wan’s “Insidious.” It comes down to this question — do you judge the effort or the execution?
Searing Performances Elevate David Schwimmer’s ‘Trust’
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 1, 2011 - 10:25am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There’s an unsettling potency to relationships that are born online. They take place entirely within the mind, which is capable of producing idealized images never to be equaled by reality. With the right stroke of keys, a savvy writer could potentially seduce a susceptible victim into emotional entrapment. That’s why the Internet is a predator’s playground.
‘Undertow’ Provides Poignant Metaphor For Closeted Life
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 1, 2011 - 9:55amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Undertow” is a title that has been used so often by so many different filmmakers that it now threatens to submerge a picture’s individuality. Fortunately, first-time writer/director Juan Fuentes-León’s Peruvian drama (originally titled “Contracorriente”) has already proven to be a film utterly incapable of drifting into obscurity.
‘Hop’ is a Limp Skip, Jump For Russell Brand
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 1, 2011 - 7:31amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A definitive cinematic exploration of the Easter Bunny story is precisely what the world is missing. Right?
Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan Star in Thrilling ‘Source Code’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 31, 2011 - 5:00pmRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Duncan Jones announced his arrival on the sci-fi scene with such authority with the excellent “Moon” that genre fans were naturally concerned about a sophomore slump. Worry no more. “Source Code” may first feel like a more traditional thriller but it’s clearly cut from the same cloth as “Moon” in that it takes the impossible and makes it human, even spiritual. Like the best sci-fi, “Source Code” is both entertaining and thought-provoking. It’s a great slice of entertainment that you’ll want to relive as soon as it’s done playing.
Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan Rock in Fantastic ‘Win Win’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 25, 2011 - 1:44pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Writer/Director Thomas McCarthy makes films with that very unique attribute in which the characters completely feel like they exist before the opening scene and after the credits roll. As he did in “The Station Agent” and “The Visitor,” he has told another unique story that is both moving and also believable at the same time, an increasingly-rare combination. “Win Win” is the first great film of 2011.
Oscar-Nominated ‘Outside the Law’ Makes Revolution Personal
Submitted by BrianTT on March 25, 2011 - 12:05pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Rachid Bouchareb’s “Outside the Law” paints a vivid family portrait of a trio of brothers at the forefront of a violent, impassioned time in France as the country was trying to stop a revolution in Algeria and dealing with the violence that brought to their home country. With a story that spans decades, “Outside the Law” is sometimes a bit too episodic and stuffed with history to register emotionally but the three central performances carry the piece overall.
