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.
Mike Birbiglia
‘A Man Called Otto’ is O-T-T-Oh No for Tom Hanks
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 5, 2023 - 9:25am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tom Hanks finds himself – as the title character – stranded in a slough of artificiality in this clumsy manipulative attempt at a crowd pleaser. He plays a grump in “A Man Named Otto,” a remake of a 2015 Swedish film. The setting has been transferred to the grey rust belt of Pittsburgh, and Hanks is a widower with a lot of chips on his shoulder about the world today.
Comedy is Humanity in Magnanimous ‘Don’t Think Twice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 30, 2016 - 8:01am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Comedian/writer/director Mike Birbiglia is breaking out as a filmmaker, and he adds a deft and emotional touch to a story of an improvisation comedy troupe split apart by change they didn’t expect. That sounds a lot like life, and it’s best to “Don’t Think Twice.”
‘Hot Pursuit’ is an Unoriginal, Redundant Hot Mess
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 8, 2015 - 9:03amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I get it. The old fashioned buddy movie, except with the twist of the femme-flavor-of-the-moment Sofia Vergara and runty Reese Witherspoon. It practically writes itself. In fact, that might be the only legitimate excuse for the mess that is “Hot Pursuit” – it wrote itself.
Mike Birbiglia Steps Up in ‘Sleepwalk with Me’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 1, 2012 - 7:44amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s exciting to witness a breakthrough with a new film artist. The comedian Mike Birbiglia has adapted his one-man show, “Sleepwalk with Me,” into a movie, and the result is a naturalistic performance piece that plays both like a documentary and a Woody Allen film during the “Annie Hall” period. Birbiglia gets a little help from some friends like Lauren Ambrose, Kirsten Schaal, Wyatt Cenac and Amy Schumer.
