Elizabeth Banks
‘Pitch Perfect’ Succeeds By Making Fun of Itself
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 28, 2012 - 7:12am.![]() Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When we last saw Anna Kendrick, she was the mid-twentysomething girlfriend of cop Jake Gyllenhaal in “End of Watch.” This week, she reverts back to freshman year in college, portraying a rebellious D.J. and songstress in the not-taking-themselves-seriously “Pitch Perfect.”
Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks in Moving ‘People Like Us’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 29, 2012 - 8:20am.![]() Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “People Like Us” is an old-fashioned tearjerker with everything that phrase implies. It’s undeniably manipulative and sentimental but it’s also somewhat refreshing to see a drama that isn’t laced with irony, cynicism, or some form of postmodern commentary on the genre. “People Like Us” is a film that wants you to be moved; it wants you to cry; it wants you to feel something.
Boredom Awaits During ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 18, 2012 - 10:12am.![]() Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Battleship” is getting a lot of flack this week for having little to do with its alleged source. I would argue that the awful “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” is even more dishonest when it comes to its inspiration. Working from an instructional book that’s designed to prepare adults for impending parenthood, the film that steals its title turns truth into cliché.
Jennifer Lawrence in ‘The Hunger Games’ Delivers for Fans
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 23, 2012 - 7:34am.![]() Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What is remarkable about the book phenomenon known as “The Hunger Games” is how rich, literary and symbolic the series is, considering they are for a “young adult” audience. Jennifer Lawrence, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson and Josh Hutcherson bring the characters to life.
Spectacular ‘The Hunger Games’ Lives Up to High Expectations
Submitted by BrianTT on March 20, 2012 - 7:08am.![]() Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Gary Ross’ “The Hunger Games” is a spectacular piece of blockbuster entertainment, a movie that should connect across all demographics from those who have never heard of the book to those who have shrines to Katniss and Peeta in their closets. It is more than mere Hollywood adaptation, it is a work of art on multiple levels with fantastic technical elements and some of the best performances in a work of science fiction in years.
Elizabeth Banks Teeters With the ‘Man on a Ledge’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 27, 2012 - 4:21pm.![]() Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – New York City. Mid-day. A man steps outside the window on the edge of the Roosevelt Hotel. Is he jumping? That’s the question that street level onlookers and moviegoers want answered from Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris in “Man on a Ledge”
Paul Rudd Makes a Difference as ‘Our Idiot Brother’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 26, 2011 - 11:42pm.![]() Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Advertised deceptively as a comedy, the new film “My Idiot Brother” has a Zen-like quality that is surprising, and oddly captivating, but cannot sustain itself and eventually runs out of steam. Paul Rudd plays the brother to three errant sisters, portrayed by Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer.
Russell Crowe Goes Hitchcockian in Taut ‘The Next Three Days’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 19, 2010 - 9:04am.![]() Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The suspense thriller is a delicate art that depends on situational realism and unlikely circumstances cohabiting in a heart-pounding plot. The Master of the genre was Alfred Hitchcock, who often put ordinary people in these nail biting scenarios. Director Paul Haggis (”Crash”) uses this theme and does the Master proud in “The Next Three Days.”
It’s Eddie Murphy Inside Eddie Murphy in Made-For-Children Sci-Fi Comedy ‘Meet Dave’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on July 14, 2008 - 2:27pm.![]() Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The longtime career of Eddie Murphy has lately taken an interesting turn.
After a meteoric career with huge box-office comedies, Murphy has steered toward more family oriented fare (“Daddy Day Care,” the “Shrek” movies, etc.) before his Oscar-nominated performance in “Dreamgirls”. After the stumble of 2007’s “Norbit,” Murphy has again returned this summer in kid-friendly mode with “Meet Dave”.
‘Definitely, Maybe’ Borrows From Successful Romantic Comedies, Adds Fresh Hook
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on February 14, 2008 - 4:05pm.
CHICAGO – The makers of “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill” know how to do romantic comedy that doesn’t somehow fall into the trap of a formulaic chick flick like “27 Dresses”. “Definitely, Maybe,” which is their latest effort, on the other hand isn’t particularly original and really isn’t very funny.






