CHICAGO – Theatrical satires of the Star Wars Universe are like the number of TV series the universe has wrought … too many to figure out if anything is worthwhile. But “Trade Federation” (subtitled “Or Let’s Explore Globalization Through the Star Wars Prequels”), presented by Otherworld Theatre in Wrigleyville Chicago, gets it right on.
Bruce Greenwood
‘The Post’ Illuminates the Skills of Meryl Streep
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 4, 2018 - 11:45am![]() Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – For all the films Meryl Streep is privileged to make – which is remarkable considering the industry’s attitude toward older actresses – she has even admitted that the audience may be tired of seeing her. But as publisher Katherine Graham in ‘The Post’, she nails yet another great performance.
Cautionary ‘Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 7, 2017 - 12:30pm- Bernstein
- Bruce Greenwood
- Deep Throat
- Diane Lane
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Liam Neeson
- Mark Felt - The Man Who Brought Down the White House
- Marton Csokas
- Movie Review
- Noah Wyle
- Patrick McDonald
- peter landesman
- Richard M. Nixon
- Sony Pictures Classics
- Tom Sizemore
- Washington Post
- Watergate
- Woodward
![]() Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Everything old is new again, in the 1970s story of the infamous “Deep Throat” – the source in the FBI who tipped off the Washington Post about the issues surrounding Watergate scandal – who revealed himself in 2005. He is now the subject of a new film, and is portrayed by Liam Neeson, in “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House.”
‘Endless Love’ Remake Feels Like Endless Slog
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 14, 2014 - 10:51am![]() Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s Valentine’s Day movie remake weekend! Hot on the heels of the “About Last Night” redo, comes our love, our “Endless Love” – and it’s interesting that the film doesn’t use that song at all, not even for a hip-hop version. That’s just one of many problems in a remake that doesn’t generate any heat or dramatic conflict, unless you wonder if a rich woman will ever write another best seller.
‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Satisfies Fans with Entertaining Adventure
Submitted by BrianTT on May 16, 2013 - 10:14am![]() Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek Into Darkness” is like a really solid mid-season episode of a great TV series. Entertaining, for sure, but lacking the energy of a premiere or the stakes of a finale. It leaves fans wondering what’s next in the franchise, which will surely make Paramount happy, but doesn’t stand on its own like the truly great part twos (“The Dark Knight,” “The Empire Strikes Back”).
Crime, Fatherhood Intersect in ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 5, 2013 - 8:21am![]() Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Derek Cianfrance’s masterful “The Place Beyond the Pines” is a complex, epic piece of storytelling about the ripple effect of crime through families and across generations. Drastic action does not exist in a vacuum. It influences generations below and those impacted by their parent’s decisions.
Denzel Washington Pilots Nearly Flawless ‘Flight’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 1, 2012 - 9:41am![]() Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Few films have more deftly walked the tightrope through a moral gray area than Robert Zemeckis’ stunning “Flight,” one of the best dramas of the year that also just happens to include the best performance from two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington in the last decade. Reminding us what he can do with a deep, complex character, Washington completely embodies the soul of a man dealing with a life crash long after he’s no longer in the cockpit of an actual plane.
Andy Garcia is Heroic, Story Isn’t in ‘For Greater Glory’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 3, 2012 - 4:23pm![]() Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “For Greater Glory” attempts to bring back the David Lean style epic – even recruiting Peter O’Toole from “Lawrence of Arabia” to participate – in the story of a Mexican religious war in the 1920s. While a sincere effort, it can’t match the story to the epic history. The cast includes Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria and Bruce Greenwood.
‘Meek’s Cutoff’ Turns Physical Journey Into Riveting Spiritual Drama
Submitted by BrianTT on May 13, 2011 - 2:26pm![]() Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Very few films have ever conveyed an impending sense of doom as successfully as Kelly Reichardt’s stunningly accomplished “Meek’s Cutoff,” a journey into the past that has resonance for any era. Which way do you go when you’ve lost the map? Who do you trust when you can’t see beyond the horizon? How does man simply keep moving forward when it’s so unclear where we’re going?
‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ Performs Strictly on Autopilot
Submitted by mattmovieman on August 20, 2010 - 9:51am![]() Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – World-renowned dancer Li Cunxin’s autobiography, “Mao’s Last Dancer,” has been transformed into the type of unimaginative, sentimental tear-jerker that will only move viewers who’ve never seen (or heard of) a movie before. It doesn’t adapt Li’s autobiography so much as stage the SparkNotes version.
Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd Serve ‘Dinner for Schmucks’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 30, 2010 - 12:14am![]() Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The third of the Steve Carrell Seasonal Movie Trilogy debuts with the uneven but absurd comedy “Dinner for Schmucks.” Paul Rudd, now the go-to actor for straight-man-yuppie-turned-wild-dude joins a strong cast, including the ubiquitous Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement (”Flight of the Concords”), and Bruce Greenwood.
