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.
Kelly Reilly
Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot Will Go ‘A Haunting in Venice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 14, 2023 - 6:33pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While Kenneth Branagh still isn’t a favorite Hercule Poirot, I was as surprised as anyone to find that this third go around as the Belgian detective was my favorite. As the title implies, there are jump scares a-plenty as Poirot tries to get his little gray cells around the strange goings-on in a spooky house, and solve the mystery.
The Catholic Priest on the Road to ‘Calvary’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 11, 2014 - 4:37pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The title of the film, “Calvary,” should have resonance to any guilty Catholic out there, and yet the loaded word can’t deliver the truth that the film seeks. Brendan Gleeson gives an astonishing performance as a conflicted priest, but the material he has to work with is not up to his portrayal.
Pieces Fit Together in Sublime ‘Chinese Puzzle’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 31, 2014 - 8:03am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Life is chaos. We in the human race can all agree on that. The new film “Chinese Puzzle” allows that chaos to happen, and the results are funny, affecting and warm. Writer/director Cédric Klapisch completes his “Spanish apartment trilogy,” bringing back the characters from “L’Auberge Espagnole” and “Russian Dolls,” to place them squarely in middle age.
Spirituality Over Dogma Uplifts ‘Heaven Is for Real’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 16, 2014 - 9:51amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It would be easy to dismiss “Heaven Is for Real,” given that it is based on the visions of the afterlife by a child, that just happens to coincide perfectly with Christian doctrine (Jesus, Angels, etc.). But there is more to this film in the sincerity of its spirituality, and it succeeds with that inspiration.
Sam Rockwell Carries Harrowing ‘A Single Shot’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 18, 2013 - 12:54pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sam Rockwell does no wrong. He takes parts in movies major (“Iron Man 2”) and minor (“A Single Shot,” now available On Demand and opening theatrically in limited release this Friday, September 20, 2013) and makes decisions that other actors wouldn’t even consider. He is so completely, believably in the moment.
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.
Robert Downey Jr. Personifies ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 16, 2011 - 5:23pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The production team of “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” – designers, crew, writers, director and actors – should be proud of the level of respect they have given and embodied in delivering an updated Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Professor Moriarty and the like. They take liberties, of course, but they also make sure that the truth of the characters are always intact.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Low-Tech ‘Sherlock Holmes’ Packs Powerful Punch
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 27, 2009 - 10:18pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Instead of relying of high-tech gadgetry and big-budget Hollywood CGI, Guy Ritchie’s gritty “Sherlock Holmes” does what major films often don’t: delivers big-payoff action sequences merely utilizing the body and mind.
