CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Brendan Gleeson Finds Caustic Charm of ‘The Guard’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 5, 2011 - 9:29am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Brendan Gleeson pushes forward John Michael McDonagh’s strong “The Guard” through the sheer power of his incredible personality. The lovable-but-irascible actor delivers one of the most enjoyable performances of the year and he’s amply assisted by the great Don Cheadle and a clever, unapologetic script from his writer, making a strong directorial debut.
Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds Buried Under ‘The Change-Up’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 5, 2011 - 8:23am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Change-Up” is an undeniable mess, as any movie that opens with a grown man getting baby crap projected into his mouth would be (and that’s just the beginning), but one of the worst scripts of the year is saved from the depths of comedy hell by a talented cast headlined by the typically-restrained Jason Bateman playing against type.
‘Sarah’s Key’ Unlocks the Ever-Present Past
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 30, 2011 - 8:31am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The old saying, “those who cannot remember the past is doomed to repeat it” applies succinctly in “Sarah’s Key,” a Holocaust film with a French twist. Kristin Scott Thomas plays an American journalist who uncovers the facts in a less-remembered incident that reverberates to now.
‘Another Earth’ Reflects on Nature of Existence
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 29, 2011 - 9:36pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Another Earth” is a delicate movie. The emotions, atmosphere and philosophy feels like the whole thing could shatter at any moment, that’s how balanced it is on the edge of tomorrow. Through Brit Marling’s screenplay and performance, the very nature of who we are is questioned.
Only the Kiddies Will Connect to ‘The Smurfs’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 29, 2011 - 6:41pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is nothing wrong with “The Smurfs” that a thousand volts of electricity couldn’t cure. It is well made, looks good in the optional 3-D and has a competent cast trying their hardest. What it lacks is a spark, either of nostalgia or a fresh update, as it meanders with the seen-it-all-before template.
Future Cult Hit in Fun B-Movie ‘Attack the Block’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 29, 2011 - 3:36pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Jon Favreau’s “Cowboys & Aliens” opens today and is guaranteed to make millions more at the international box office than Joe Cornish’s “Attack the Block.” That’s the bad news. The good news is that I can also guarantee you that history will regard the smaller film as the significantly better one. The line for this future cult hit starts here. Get in it before your friends tell you to.
Jenna Fischer Falls Victim to Weak Screenwriting in ‘A Little Help’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 29, 2011 - 2:36pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Despite the best efforts by Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) playing against type as a smoking, drinking newly-single mother, “A Little Help” is a mess. This dramedy consists of the kind of characters one only sees in a movie theater and usually only in an indie flick that thinks it’s much smarter and has much more to say about the human condition than it actually does.
Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford in Dull ‘Cowboys & Aliens’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 29, 2011 - 9:20amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Jon Favreau’s “Cowboys & Aliens” with Daniel Craig & Harrison Ford is a depressing snooze, a film with so many of the right elements but none of the personality to connect them into something memorable. With so many revisions from a number of writers, it feels like everyone added their own color to the piece until it all faded to gray.
Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling in Great ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 28, 2011 - 3:17pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” is undeniably clichéd, broad in its humor, and a bit manipulative in its sentimentality, but it should be. This is a movie about grand statements, soulmates, and true passion, a film that unabashedly believes in the craziness and the stupidity of what we call love. It’s also one of the most purely entertaining films of the year.
Despite Disastrous Skinny Steve, ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ is Perfectly Imperfect
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on July 23, 2011 - 1:13amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With mammoth special effects budgets carelessly puked into blockbuster films these days without story or heart, it’s effortless to wow audiences with beguiling explosions and one or two trademark, “The Matrix”-like innovations.
‘Snow Flower and the Secret Fan’ Could Be Cure For Insomnia
Submitted by BrianTT on July 22, 2011 - 12:42pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Wayne Wang’s “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” is such a stunningly inert film that it’s almost worth seeing to watch a movie with no thrust whatsoever. Probably due to a language barrier, the film features two of the least effective lead performances of the year, which keeps the audience from engaging in the story emotionally and just leaves them wondering how this book became a bestseller.
‘Terri’ Paints Honest Portrait of Adolescent Alienation
Submitted by mattmovieman on July 22, 2011 - 9:24amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Nothing says “Official Selection at Sundance” quite like an obese teen grappling with an angst-ridden existence. There have been countless pictures centering on young, plus-size protagonists, though few feel three-dimensional. Tracy Turnblad and Claireece Precious Jones aren’t people so much as they are symbols of survival in the face of adversity. It’s easy to root for them, but it’s more than a little difficult to believe in them.
Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake Try ‘Friends With Benefits’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 22, 2011 - 12:09am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It seems that carnal canoodling without strings attached seems all the rage in romantic comedies these days. The twentysomething set, having seen their share of divorces and break-ups, prefer the Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis method in “Friends with Benefits.”
