HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Inconsistent ‘Chernobyl Diaries’ Still Finds Effective Ways to Creep You Out
Submitted by BrianTT on May 24, 2012 - 9:55pm. Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Bradley Parker’s “Chernobyl Diaries” has just enough personality, confident technical elements, and outright weirdness to make it a trip worth taking for horror fans.
E-mail this ReviewBallet is a Fierce, Youthful Art in ‘First Position’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 20, 2012 - 8:04pm.
 Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In general, one of the essential rites of passage for girls in childhood are ballet lessons and costumed recitals. What about those exceptional talents who stick with the art? Director Bess Kargman creates a documentary about the elite youth within the beauty and truth of the dance, “First Position.”
‘Where Do We Go Now?’ Advances a Path Toward Peace
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 19, 2012 - 6:49am.
 Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Society constantly needs a reminder about itself, especially in the arena of political and religious conflict. “Where Do We Go Now?,” written and directed with creative delicacy by Nadine Labaki, provides that reminder and fashions an adult fable of how women can do their part to stop war.
Tour de Force for Jack Black in Fact-Based ‘Bernie’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 18, 2012 - 4:27pm.
Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Jack Black is a smart and interesting actor. Not content to ride on the modern day John Belushi-type roles that might have pigeonholed him, Black portrays “Bernie,” a convincing conniver in Texas, based on a true story. Veterans Matthew McConaughhey and Shirley MacLaine add spice to the brew.
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.
Despite Rihanna, Peter Berg’s ‘Battleship’ Lands as One of the Best Popcorn Flicks Ever
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 18, 2012 - 12:01am.
Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Battleship” certainly could simplistically be reduced to a 131-minute propaganda piece of why you might want to enlist in the U.S. Navy – that is, if Earth had to ward off lizard-like creatures from a deep-space solar system we can only reach by slingshotting a highly amplified “What’s up, aliens?” broadcast to them.
Middling ‘Mansome’ Suffers From Skin-Deep Insight
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 17, 2012 - 4:02am. Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Morgan Spurlock is an awfully likable guy. I’ll never forget the day when he held a special screening of “Super Size Me” for an auditorium full of college kids. After participating in an extended Q & A, Spurlock spoke with every single student that wanted to shake his hand and pose for a picture. When the building finally had to close up for the night, the Spurlock love fest spilled out onto the sidewalk.
Inert, Ineffective ‘The Moth Diaries’ with Lily Cole
Submitted by BrianTT on May 16, 2012 - 10:27am. Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Mary Harron’s “The Moth Diaries” is a perfect teaching tool for potential filmmakers. It is proof of two oft-forgotten rules of cinema: 1. Not every successful piece of work in one medium should be adapted to another (or not all good books make good films). 2. Even talented directors can be the wrong fit for the material.
Funny, Political ‘The Dictator’ with Sacha Baron Cohen
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 15, 2012 - 6:43am.
Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Ali G, Borat, Bruno and the Stationmaster Guy in “Hugo” is now “The Dictator.” Sacha Baron Cohen puts on another character mask and produces his usual style of cheap laughs with a surprising sense of political sharpness. Anna Faris and Ben Kingsley go along for the ride.
Brit Marling Speaks Volumes in ‘Sound of My Voice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 11, 2012 - 5:22pm.
Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Fresh off her Spirit Award nominated film “Another Earth,” the up-and-coming filmmaker Brit Marling again writes and stars in “Sound of My Voice,” portraying another mysterious and mood-inducing character. The future of humanity is the basis for this simple but vivid narrative.
Bobcat Goldthwait’s ‘God Bless America’ Takes Aim at Stupidity
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 11:29am.Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While I’m writing this, a commercial for “My American Big Fat Gypsy Wedding” is playing on TV. It seems appropriate to kick off writing about a film that takes satirical aim at the bottom-feeding world of reality TV and the cult of personality that has devolved the 15-minute fame cycle into a 15-second one.
Keep Tim Burton’s ‘Dark Shadows’ Out of the Light
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 10:38am.Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” is one of the most inconsistent and frustrating major films in a long time. There are elements here and there that work but Burton and writer Seth Grahame-Smith seem incapable of figuring out how to wrangle them into a coherent, successful film.
Judi Dench Checks Into ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 4, 2012 - 1:28pm.
Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Seven desperate souls are taking risks to save some part of their world, which describes both “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “The Avengers.” Which will win the box office war? The “heroes” of the Marigold residence include Judi Dench, Tom Wilkerson, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Dev Patel.
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