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.
Billy Crudup
Finding One’s Self in ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 19, 2019 - 9:29am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is something so lovely about a film that unfolds slowly, until the moment occurs when a multi-layered story occurrence takes the breath away. “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is such a film, portrayed with a magic subtlety by Cate Blanchett, one of the finest film actors working. She lives a life that is broken, but not in ways we suspect.
‘Alien: Covenant’ is a Pale Copy of Previous Best Films
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 18, 2017 - 6:30pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s worth noting that the Alien series extends back nearly 40 years, and yet the chest-bursting Xenomorphs have produced a grand total of exactly two good movies. The orginal “Alien” and “Aliens” are great films that stand the test of the time, while every other entry in this series would require a significant stretch of the imagination to be called barely watchable.
Natalie Portman Embodies a Magnificent ‘Jackie’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 2, 2016 - 8:23am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Capturing one of the most familiar woman of the last fifty years would seem impossible, except when focusing on one of the defining moments of her life. “Jackie” reveals Jacqueline Kennedy during the time of her husband John’s assassination, and when the nation lost a president.
‘Spotlight’ Offers a Relevant First Draft to History
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 16, 2015 - 6:57pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Spotlight” is a movie which aspires to greatness and oftentimes just about gets there. It’s a movie that is thoroughly confident that the process of journalism and a great story provides all the excitement it needs to grab an audience’s attention. And what a great story it is.
Direction Proves a Problem For Open Mic Drama ‘Rudderless’
Submitted by NickHC on October 20, 2014 - 9:33pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Actor William H. Macy’s directorial debut “Rudderless” is a film of open mic songwriting that tackles a recovery from grief with neat lyrics and easy metaphors. Instead of standing out, Macy has provided another sap’s ballad that has the cuteness of “Kumbaya”, one that aims to please the crowd without challenging emotions, only presenting them.
Troubled ‘Thin Ice’ With Greg Kinnear Barely Works
Submitted by BrianTT on February 23, 2012 - 5:57pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Over a decade ago, Jill & Karen Sprecher made waves on the indie scene with “Clockwatchers” and “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing” but then virtually disappeared. They’re back with another arthouse piece, a “Fargo”-esque black comedy called “Thin Ice,” starring Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin, and more. The strong ensemble makes the relatively weak script (as presented…more on that later) easier to take as the film skates over some treacherous rough patches but never falls through.
Julia Roberts Learns How to ‘Eat Pray Love’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 13, 2010 - 3:28pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Despite its flaws, the often-beautiful “Eat Pray Love,” starring Julia Roberts, works because it refuses to talk down to its audience. This is the rare “chick flick” that treats its demographic with respect, never becoming the sentimental or manipulative dreck that so many other filmmakers would have delivered from Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoirs.
Johnny Depp’s ‘Public Enemies’ Delivers Bona Fide Chicago Powerhouse
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on July 1, 2009 - 2:24pm Rating: 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.
Zack Snyder Turns ‘Watchmen’ Into Loud, Disjointed, Brutal Mess
Submitted by BrianTT on March 6, 2009 - 1:15pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – For years, fans of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s masterful and influential “Watchmen” have been waiting for a filmmaker willing to faithfully and slavishly adapt their favorite graphic novel. Well, we got what we wanted in Zack Snyder’s frame-copying vision of this legendary book, but as someone once said - You should be careful what you ask for because you just might get it.
