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.
Emma Watson
Flawless ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a New Classic
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 16, 2017 - 3:37pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Do not doubt the power of live action to create a new atmosphere of joy and…dare I say it…beauty. The re-imagining of the animated classic “Beauty and the Beast” is everything that the previous was and much more. It packs a true and emotional wallop that follows through to the end.
Daring Vision of Darren Aronofsky’s Epic ‘Noah’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 27, 2014 - 12:55pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
Darren Aronofsky’s controversial “Noah” exists somewhere between the sentimental, straight-faced versions of biblical tales that Hollywood has been producing for decades and more auteur-driven fare like Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ”.
Sofia Coppola Captures Cult of Celebrity in ‘The Bling Ring’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 20, 2013 - 8:23amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – We live a celebrity-driven culture that not only easily dismisses when its celebutantes get DUIs but practically sees the occasion as a rite of passage. We follow gossip websites to the degree that we know the schedules of people who are famous just for being famous better than we know our family’s.
Wonderful ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ Captures Teenage Life with Grace
Submitted by BrianTT on September 27, 2012 - 4:13pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” based on his hit book of the same name, is the most pleasant and accomplished surprise of the year, a delightful, sweet, funny, and moving examination of teenage life that merits comparison to John Hughes and Cameron Crowe.
Michelle Williams is Luminous in ‘My Week With Marilyn’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 23, 2011 - 9:53am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Bringing the popular culture past back to life in a movie is always a tricky proposition. No matter what, there are always inevitable comparisons to the real thing. They don’t come any more really famous than Marilyn Monroe, and Michelle Williams takes on a portrayal that exemplifies, honors and humanizes the iconic star in “My Week with Marilyn.”
It All Ends With Satisfying ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 14, 2011 - 7:52pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – So this is how it ends – not with a whimper but with a big, magical bang. After a decade of captivating movie audiences worldwide, will “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” appease the fans who have been eagerly anticipating the end of the saga of the boy who lived? It almost certainly will.
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ is the Darkest, Loneliest Potter Film Yet
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on November 22, 2010 - 3:02amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” is the most murky and forlorn Potter film yet, its most grave battle is the internal question between the corporate and creative types. Did the splitting of a single finale film into two parts truly improve on its ability to impart this grand tale or was it purely for financial reaping? From what we see in part one of the seventh film in this franchise, it turns out the answer is a lot of both.
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ Discovers the Wizard of Awe
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 14, 2009 - 9:20amRating: 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.”
