John Leguizamo

Film News: Final 5 Days of the 2013 Chicago Latino Film Festival

PatrickMcD — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:34:46 -0400

CHICAGO – The 29th Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival (CLFF) unreels its final five days with a comprehensive line-up of films at the AMC-Loews Theatres at 600 N. Michigan in Chicago, through Thursday, April 25th. The Closing Night Gala: Tribute to Brazil will take place on Wednesday, April 24th with the Sci-Fi Film, “Man From the Future,” (O Homem Do Futuro), and a reception that follows afterward.

Scene from ‘Man From the Future,’ Closing Night at the 29th Chicago Latino Film Festival
Photo credit: ChicagoLatinoFilmFestival.Org

Film highlights for the final days include (click the titles for more details) ”The Trip 2” starring John Leguizamo, ”Rock, Paper, Scissors”, Venezuela’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Oscars, and ”Ánima Buenos Aires”, a feature length animated film from Bueno Aires. All films will be featured at the AMC-Loews Theatres at 600 N. Michigan in Chicago.

The 29th Chicago Latino Film Festival continues through Thursday, April 25th, 2013. For more details regarding the Closing Night Gala: Tribute to Brazil click here. For day-by-day schedules and to purchase tickets, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-ray Review: Laughs as Elusive as Acorns in ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’

mattmovieman — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:32:23 -0500

CHICAGO – It ain’t over until the fat mammoth sings, and that’s precisely what happens—more or less—in “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” the fourth installment of Blue Sky Studios’ increasingly tedious, decade-old franchise. Why can’t any of Pixar’s rival animation studios come up with a marketable formula better than Celebrities Voicing Animals Delivering Tired Sitcom Dialogue?

Whereas “Madagascar 3” represented this formula operating at its finest, “Ice Age 4” represents its nadir. With 3D visuals on the level of a pop-up book and bored actors mugging their way toward their next easy paycheck, this picture is dead on arrival, yet its particularly brand of badness is more peculiar than one might expect. Just how many kiddie movies have attempted to merge DeMille-level spectacle with booger jokes? Thankfully, not that many.

Blu-ray Rating: 1.5/5.0

In this cheery “Ice Age” entry, our heroes are running for their lives as they find the ground literally shifting beneath their feet. This latest disaster has been predictably set off by Scrat (Chris Wedge), whose lifelong pursuit of an elusive acorn led him to spin the center of the earth like a pinball, thus forming the earth’s distinctive continents (science is not this franchise’s strong suit). If this footage looks familiar, that’s because it had been playing theatrically for months prior to the film’s release as a self-contained short. As in most Scrat set-pieces, the moment-to-moment complications build to a sort of ingenious lunacy evocative of vintage Looney Tunes. It’s a shame that Blue Sky hasn’t attempted to make a feature-length vehicle for Scrat consisting entirely of dialogue-free slapstick. Such an audacious project would undoubtedly present its own challenges, but it would be infinitely preferable to sitting through another dull misadventure featuring the whiny Manny (Ray Romano), wisecracking Diego (Denis Leary) and lisping Sid (John Leguizamo). Apparently the impending apocalypse wasn’t enough of a conflict for screenwriters Michael Burg and Jason Fuchs, who decided to toss in pirates for added commercial appeal. There’s also a giant crab that prompts Sid to squeal, “Holy crab!” Warning: 88 minutes of humor like this may have an abject effect on one’s merry disposition.

Ice Age: Continental Drift was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 11th, 2012.
Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Remember back when children’s entertainment was about more than snarky one-liners, cultural references, shrill pratfalls and manufactured sentiment? In other words, do you remember a time before Shrek? I was lucky enough to have grown up with modern masterworks such as Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and Dianne Jackson and Jimmy T. Murakami’s “The Snowman,” as well as classics such as “Cinderella” and “Pinocchio” (one of many films “Ice Age 4” shamelessly rips off). These films respected the intelligence of their young viewers while allowing their imaginations to soar. Of course, such artistry always involves an element of risk, and that is precisely what a tame blockbuster like “Ice Age” lacks at its hollow core.

“Ice Age: Continental Drift” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio), accompanied by English, French and Spanish audio tracks and is available in a 3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo pack stuffed with over four hours of extras. Producer John Donkin says that the concept for “Continental Drift” was inspired by the heartbreaking images of polar bears floating alone on ice drifts, while others involved in the production cite their film’s various blatant homages to Homer’s Odyssey. Kids have the option of viewing the movie with the “Pirate Picasso” Enhanced Coloring App and an interactive viewing mode hosted by Aziz Ansari’s annoying skull-wielding rabbit, Squint. There’s also a sing along option where the lyrics helpfully materialize onscreen during the pirates’ instantly forgettable musical number. Far more impressive is the “sign along” option where deaf actors pop up in the corners of the screen to sign every line of dialogue in the film. This is a spectacularly good idea that deserves to be included on discs containing films that are, frankly, more worth the effort.

‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ is released by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and stars Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah, Nicki Minaj and Peter Dinklage. It was written by Michael Berg and Jason Fuchs and directed by Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier. It was released on December 11th, 2012. It is rated PG.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: John Leguizamo Reflects on ‘Tales from a Ghetto Klown’ in PBS Doc

mattmovieman — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 10:29:19 -0400

CHICAGO – From Toulouse-Lautrec in “Moulin Rouge” and Luigi in “Super Mario Bros.” to Sid in “Ice Age” and Chi-Chi in “To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar,” John Leguizamo has made a career out of playing a wide array of colorful and challenging roles. In 2010, the actor made a celebrated return to the stage and tackled his trickiest role to date: himself.

In “Ghetto Klown,” Leguizamo dug deep into his own tumultuous past, examining everything from his early journeys through Hollywood to his troubled relationship with his father. Ben De Jesus’s PBS documentary, “Tales from the Ghetto Klown” offers a candid look at the performer’s creative process as he writes the show, workshops it in snow-bound Chicago, garners cheers and mixed reviews on Broadway and spends a year transforming it into a Spanish-language show for Columbian audiences. Hollywood Chicago spoke with Leguizamo about the challenges and benefits of tackling such personal material, the latest screen projects he’s excited to explore and the reason why he’s definitely not voting Republican this election season.

HollywoodChicago.com: Were there certain chameleonesque comedians who inspired you to tackle multiple characters in your stage shows?

John Leguizamo: Oh yeah, absolutely. Richard Pryor and Lily Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg were big, big inspirations in terms of people who transformed themselves. The two people that inspired me to do autobiographical stuff would be Richard Pryor and Spalding Gray. They really tackled it like nobody else.

John Leguizamo in Ben De Jesus’s Tales from a Ghetto Klown.
Photo credit: PBS

HollywoodChicago.com: Did your stage experience assist you on the set of “Moulin Rouge”?

Leguizamo: Yeah, definitely. It’s a luxury to be onstage because you can try something different every night. Even when you think you’ve got it down, a month later you’re going to go, “Oh, I didn’t know anything, and now I really know the truth.” You really learn how to explore and that helped me while doing “Moulin Rouge” because Baz Luhrmann wanted us all to be as full and passionate and free as possible.

HollywoodChicago.com: Was it difficult to spend an entire film on your knees?

Leguizamo: That’s how I get most of my jobs.

HollywoodChicago.com: Boy, did I walk into that one.

Leguizamo: [laughs] Yeah you did. It was tough. I don’t think my back has ever recovered from the abuse. When I was on my knees, the problem was that in order to stand up straight, I compressed my lower back. They brought a special therapist, Ann Dugan, from LA to work on my back. Nicole [Kidman] injured her knee and Ann worked on her as well. That show was taxing, man. We were there for eight months shooting “Moulin Rouge,” and Baz wanted us to give our all. You want to do it for him because he’s that kind of inspiring director.

HollywoodChicago.com: How did you go about interpreting Toulouse-Lautrec?

Leguizamo: I didn’t really base it on anybody. I just read everything I could and saw all of the photographs. He dressed up in costumes—even dressed up as women. The camera had just been invented and he took a poop in front of it. And they filmed it. He’s just a crazy man and I love his spirit. I read all of his biographies and there was enough information about his problems—how he talked and his speech impediment—that I was able to use.

HollywoodChicago.com: Your one-man show “Freak” was also autobiographical.

Leguizamo: “Freak” followed my life from birth to 16 when I lost my virginity. “Ghetto Klown” is the most personal of all my shows because it’s about me right now. I wanted to be as raw as I could be. What inspired me to do the show was a series of college trips I had done where I went through my résumé. The kids responded so incredibly to the material and I realized, “There’s a show here.”

HollywoodChicago.com: In the documentary, your writing process seemed to be a constant series of revisions. Do you thrive on that sort of experimentation?

Leguizamo: Oh, I love that. That is one of the most fun parts of the whole thing. You’re not chasing results, you’re chasing feeling and telling the truth. You’re revealing what the truth of the play is, and every play will reveal itself to you. During the Q&A, you’ll see whether you’re in the right ballpark. People can help you and they can steer you wrong too. Sometimes people want everything to be over-explained, and you can get tripped up on that. But if you know how to listen to them correctly, it really helps.

John Leguizamo in Ben De Jesus’s Tales from a Ghetto Klown.
Photo credit: PBS

HollywoodChicago.com: What made you want to probe deeper into some of the more emotional material?

Leguizamo: I really wanted to inspire people, particularly kids. I found out that 50 percent of black males and 45 percent of Latin kids drop out of high school. It’s such a tragedy, and I wanted them to see that somebody who came from where they came from actually made it. It’s not easy and it’s never going to be easy, but if you believe in yourself or if you have a mentor, then you can make it. Success, of course, is relative. It doesn’t have to be Oscars and red carpets. Just ending up doing what you dreamed of doing is success.

HollywoodChicago.com: When you put yourself through the emotional wringer every night, does it help that the material is so personal, or does it provide an added challenge?

Leguizamo: It’s got its pluses and minuses, I gotta say. It definitely makes me get over that stuff, but at the same time, I have to keep those wounds open, so that becomes a bit of a problem. It becomes a little bit depressing sometimes because I’m dealing with a lot of heavy, heavy stuff in my own life. You can’t really run away from it because you’re digging deep every night to reach those places. I feel a little stuck in those traumatic moments. Of course, the applause and the standing ovation at the end make you feel a lot better. That’s the payoff. You go, “It was worth it. There is a value to this.”

HollywoodChicago.com: Was the process of translating the show to Spanish for its Colombia tour part of your efforts to probe deeper?

Leguizamo: You get to a certain age and you want to give back but you also want new challenges. I felt like I was comfortable enough and that I could take the risk. That’s why I spent a year preparing to go to Latin America and do that show. It was brutally difficult but totally worth it. Hopefully now when I tour it will be a lot easier the second time. The first time around, I lost ten percent of my jokes because I couldn’t figure out how to translate them. I grew up [in America] so my humor is pretty much American. They gave me huge applause for certain things that weren’t that funny here and visa versa. There was a lot of stuff that killed here that they just didn’t laugh too much at. Plus, they don’t know me down there so they don’t know what to expect. There’s no expectation. But all of the famous comedians and actors and politicians came out to see the show, so it felt very successful.

HollywoodChicago.com: There’s some brief yet touching footage of your relatives that saw the Colombian show. What was their reaction?

Leguizamo: It was very touching for me because they had never seen me perform live and they can’t really understand the shows in English. They were just very moved and were like, “Oh my god, now I understand what you do and what you go through.” It brought us very close because I don’t talk to my father and the show made them finally understand why.

Tales from a Ghetto Klown was released on DVD on September 11th, 2012.
Photo credit: PBS

HollywoodChicago.com: There’s also footage of the blizzard that hit Chicago when you were workshopping “Ghetto Klown” at the Royal George Theatre.

Leguizamo: The audience members would come to the theatre on skis. We had like 15 or 20 people in a 300 or 400-seat theater. But that workshopping was so important. I trimmed it down a lot and certain things became a lot stronger. I became freer in the darker moments. A lot of great things happened at that moment. By the end of its six-month run on Broadway, it was a masterful piece. It was so aerodynamic and there was no fat whatsoever at that point. Once I did the show enough times, I could see that I had to reduce it and the reduction was really good for the show.

HollywoodChicago.com: Would you consider writing your own material for the screen?

Leguizamo: Yeah, I would love to write for film or TV. I’m developing a TV series with Chris Sheridan from “Family Guy” for ABC. It’s been a blast working with that writer, he’s such a brilliant guy. I’m also developing a film version of “Ghetto Klown”—not the actual performance but a film with real people portraying my family and friends and managers and actors. I’m going to try to figure out how to play myself in it.

HollywoodChicago.com: One of your quotes that materializes online during every election year is, “‘Latins for Republicans’ is like ‘Roaches for Raid.’” Do you still stand by those words?

Leguizamo: Oh, absolutely. A lot of Latin Republicans feel that it’s unfair but it’s not. Latin people are the working class of this country and we need to be protected and taken care of. The immigration issue is a big deal and the Republicans just want to deport everybody and not give amnesty to anyone and kill the Dream Act. They want to kill Medicare and Medicaid and social security and unions. That’s not for us. Latin people need unions, as do all Americans. I just don’t understand how Latin people can be for Republicans. Voting for them is a vote against your own needs and your own values.

HollywoodChicago.com: You have big movies coming up, including “The Counselor” and “Kick Ass 2.”

Leguizamo: Cormac McCarthy wrote “The Counselor,” and it’s an original screenplay. It’s not based on one of his novels. You’ve got Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender—who’s one of the great actors of the moment and possibly of our generation. And then you’ve got “Kick Ass 2.” The first one was a big hit and now they’re putting crazy money into the sequel. The kids are all superstars now too: Christopher Mintz-Plasse from “Superbad,” Aaron Johnson from “Anna Karenina” and Chloe Moretz, who’s in every movie these days. I play Chris’s guardian. It’s been a blast and I think this one is even funnier than the first.

‘Tales from a Ghetto Klown’ features John Leguizamo. It was directed by Ben De Jesus. It was released on DVD on September 11th, 2012. It is rated TV-PG.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ Sucks Remaining Life From Franchise

BrianTT — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:50:18 -0400

CHICAGO – The families who get suckered into the truly horrendous “Ice Age: Continental Drift” should be angry. Not only does it fail when compared to the best animation of the year (“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,” “The Pirates! A Band of Misfits,” “The Secret World of Arrietty,” “Brave”) but it’s less entertaining than most children’s television. The audience with which I saw the film was notably restless as the writers of this stale franchise hit the same tired beats over and over again and the bored voice talent can practically be heard endorsing their checks as they lackadaisically read their lines. The new cast members try to bring a little life to this tired material but they can’t save a franchise frozen out of all creative thought.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

The best line in “Ice Age 4” comes courtesy of Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) when he offhandedly quips about how this makeshift family’s last adventure involved fighting dinosaurs, which he notes didn’t make a lot of sense but was fun. Once again, the team behind this franchise have come up with a bizarre plotline that doesn’t make a lot of sense but they’ve forgotten the fun. The alleged uniting theme of this installment in the billion dollar franchise is “family,” how this bizarre group of unlikely friends has become closer over the years. It’s as loose a theme as a family film has had in years since little of the plot has much to do with it. It’s more characters just yelling “FAMILY!” every once in awhile to try to unite the plotlines.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Ice Age: Continental Drift” in our reviews section.

The bulk of “Ice Age: Continental Drift” features Sid, Diego the Tiger (Denis Leary), Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), and Sid’s Granny (Wanda Sykes) navigating the open waters on a floating chunk of ice after the planets start to shift. They’ve been separated from Manny’s family, including partner Ellie (Queen Latifah), the manic Crash (Seann William Scott) & Eddie (Josh Peck), Manny’s daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer), Peaches’ peers Ethan (Drake) & Steffie (Nicki Minaj), and Peaches’ molehog friend Louis (Josh Gad) — who are all trying to avoid sliding chunks of land and get back to Manny while Peaches also deals with typical issues of being a teenager.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Ice Age: Continental Drift” review.

“Ice Age: Continental Drift” features voice work by Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Wanda Sykes, Keke palmer, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Aziz Ansari, Nick Frost, and Jennifer Lopez. It opens on July 13, 2012.

Ice Age: Continental Drift
Photo credit: Fox Pictures

Film Review: Katherine Heigl’s ‘One For the Money’ Was Made For No One

BrianTT — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:08:32 -0500

CHICAGO – Just under five years ago, Katherine Heigl became a decently known actress in the film world for her role as Alison in the Judd Apatow film “Knocked Up.” After having been in the show “Grey’s Anatomy” for a few years, Heigl had finally broke into the world of cinema, and seemed to have a decent amount of comedy acting skills. Now, several years and a few bad movies in a row, Heigl seems to be desperately holding on to whatever career she still has left.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

The newest film she stars in, “One for the Money,” is just another messy and disappointing entry on her resume (like “Life As We Know It,” “The Ugly Truth,” and “27 Dresses,” among others). Set in New Jersey, Heigl plays Stephanie Plum, an out-of-luck and out-of-work single woman who turns to her cousin for employment at his bail-bond business. That’s right, this untrained, inexperienced young woman in high heels plans on pulling off her best Dog the Bounty Hunter impression in order to make a living. Sure, she got laid off from her small job at Macy’s, but there has to be a better choice of occupation, right?

Read Tim Martens’ full review of “One For the Money” in our reviews section.

Lucky for Stephanie, the biggest bounty her cousin has right now happens to a guy named Joe Morelli (Jason O’Mara), who Stephanie lost her virginity to in high school, and the $500,000 bail would give her a nice $50,000 payday which (we are continuously reminded) would “change her life.” Not only is this lucky for her as she already knows her target, he also happens to be a respected police officer, and the case he was involved in is still under some question.

So, Stephanie starts her pursuit of finding this Morelli who, amazingly, no one has been able to track down. Of course, Stephanie (with her zero experience in this area) is able to track him down in about three minutes of film time. Joe easily laughs off her attempt to bring him in and escapes by throwing Stephanie’s car keys into a trash bin. As Stephanie is continuously mocked by other bondsman and bounty hunters for thinking she could actually bring him down, one has to wonder how any of these professionals could laugh considering this girl that is completely new to the job found Morelli before any of them could. Only in the movies, folks.

Continue reading for Tim Martens’ full “One For the Money” review.

“One For the Money” stars Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, John Leguizamo, Daniel Sunjata, Sherri Shepherd, and Debbie Reynolds. It was written by Stacy Sherman & Karen Ray and Liz Brixius and directed by Julie Anne Robinson. It was released on January 27th, 2012.

One For the Money
Photo credit: Lionsgate

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Vanishing on 7th Street’ Likely to Disappear Into Horror History

BrianTT — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:51:25 -0400

CHICAGO – Horror writers and directors have been afraid of the dark since the start of the genre. Sadly, that fear of blackness has never translated to film as successfully as one would hope. There’s an inherent problem in watching a movie about darkness in that it can never make that fear fully real unless it goes to complete black screen. The latest entry in this flawed subgenre is Brad Anderson’s “Vanishing on 7th Street,” a minor work from a major director.

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0

I adore Brad Anderson. “Session 9,” “The Machinist,” “Transsiberian,” his great TV work (including “Fringe,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Treme,” “The Wire,” “The Shield,” and one of the best episodes of “Masters of Horror) — the man would make my list of the most underrated directors alive. I had heard enough negative press on “Vanishing on 7th Street” that I dreaded it a bit. We don’t like to see our favorite artists stumble. Luckily, it’s not THAT major a stumble. There are some interesting ideas here and I think Anderson does his best with a weak screenplay. It’s nothing that I don’t expect him to be able to get beyond with his next project.

Vanishing on 7th Street was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on May 17, 2011
Photo credit: Magnolia Home Video

One of the elements I admire about Anderson is his willingness to take chances within very familiar structures. “Vanishing on 7th Street” was clearly inspired by “The Twilight Zone” — it often plays like an extended episode — but Anderson gives it much more breathing room (sometimes too much). The first twenty minutes feature almost no dialogue at all, an amazing feat in 2011 cinema.

Sadly, the dialogue does kick in and we’re treated to some pretty ham-fisted junk from a screenplay that doesn’t once understand how real people respond in crisis. It doesn’t help to have Hayden Christensen giving yet another unbelievable performance or Thandie Newton proving that very few actresses can over-act like she can. In the right material, Hayden and Thandie can work, but they are not effective here. It’s a big problem when you don’t have heroes to root for in a horror movie. “Vanishing on 7th Street” has that problem.

Vanishing on 7th Street was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on May 17, 2011
Photo credit: Magnolia Home Video

The set-up is straight out of Rod Serling 101. In perhaps the film’s most effective scene, a projectionist (John Leguizamo) with a light strapped to his forehead is standing in the booth above a crowded theater in a mall when the lights go out. Without a sound, everyone but our film man disappears. He heads out into the mall to find a security guard with a flashlight as the only other survivor and that quickly changes. Eventually, the movie theater employee, a reporter (Christensen), and a grieving mother (Newton) end up in a bar as they realize the darkness around them is trying to snuff them out.

The script for “Vanishing on 7th Street” is the weakest point but Anderson doesn’t escape blame free. The scenes of darkness creeping in are pitched way too high with loud music and unnecessary sound effects. Why do the shadows need to whisper and moan? To try and make them scarier? It just makes them sillier. I wanted more subtlety and the moments that do work aren’t as over-the-top as the majority of the movie.

There are some great ideas here, especially with the predicted Rapture coming this weekend. How do we move on from not just impending doom but unimaginable tragedy? What if everyone disappeared? Would you wonder where they went or wonder why you didn’t go too? Would you give up? Or fight an apparently Biblical force? I liked the ideas of “Vanishing,” just not the execution.

“Vanishing on 7th Street” isn’t horrendous. It will make a satisfactory late-night viewing for many horror fans. But we’ve come to expect more from Anderson. Don’t let this be your only sampling of his work. It’s a small misstep from a director who should be huge, a movie that won’t be remembered for how bad it is nor how good — it will just disappear.

Special Features:
o Alternate Endings
o Creating the Mood on 7th Street
o Reveal the Vanishing On 7th Street
o Behind the Scenes Montage
o Fangoria Interviews with Director Brad Anderson and Actor Jacob Latimore
o HDNet: A Look at Vanishing On 7th Street
o Commentary with Director Brad Anderson
o BD Live Enabled

“Vanishing on 7th Street” stars Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, and John Leguizamo. It was directed by Brad Anderson. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 17th, 2011.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: Matthew McConaughey Nearly Saves Problematic ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’

BrianTT — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:18:14 -0400

CHICAGO – Proving yet again that he can deliver when he avoids horrendous romantic comedy cliches, Matthew McConaughey does his best work in years in “The Lincoln Lawyer,” but the film doesn’t quite come together like one wishes that it would due to the common traps that befall big screen adaptations of best-selling thrillers. With at least three-too-many endings, paper-thin supporting characters, and predictable twists, “The Lincoln Lawyer” doesn’t deliver as a thriller even if its title character is one of the most interesting of the year to date.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

There’s potential in a character as complex as Mickey Haller and it’s nice to see McConaughey get something to bite his teeth into instead of the lazy stereotypes that he so often plays. Haller is a bottom feeder, a lawyer who works out of his Lincoln and thinks of himself first in all legal situations. He’ll happily leave an innocent man in jail if the man hasn’t paid him yet. And he’ll happily run a scam on someone trying to avoid the glare of the tabloid lens. He’s portrayed nearly as a street hustler, riding around in his Lincoln and grabbing opportunities that he runs across. Fame and money are more essential than truth and justice in the world of Mickey Haller and McConaughey and director Brad Furman play him like someone who stepped out of a ’70s drama. He’s a complex, entertaining guy who can carry the right movie.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Lincoln Lawyer” in our reviews section.

Where Mickey carries the movie is through a case involving a spoiled rich kid (Ryan Phillippe) accused of attempted rape and assault. It turns out that the girl accusing him happens to be a hooker. Is she running a scam to make some cash and ruin an innocent kid’s reputation? Or is he really guilty? And how might this case relate to one of Haller’s old ones? William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei, Bryan Cranston, Michael Pena, and John Leguizamo co-star.

Hell of a supporting cast, right? Yes and no. The sad thing is how little any of them are allowed to do as “The Lincoln Lawyer” has to race from plot point to plot point with the speed of a runaway train. The plot isn’t that complicated when you step back and think about it but the film still feels hurried and cluttered to the point that no one but McConaughey gets to make much of an impact. Young director Brad Furman doesn’t stop to catch his breath enough running from scene to scene in a way that gives the film a manic energy that it doesn’t quite need.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Lincoln Lawyer” review.

“The Lincoln Lawyer” stars Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, and Bryan Cranston. It was adapted from a novel by Michael Connelly by John Romano and directed by Brad Furman. It is rated R and opens on March 18th, 2011.

The Lincoln Lawyer
Photo credit: Lionsgate

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 35 Pairs of Chicago Passes to Matthew McConaughey’s ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:23:40 -0500

CHICAGO – In our latest drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 35 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “The Lincoln Lawyer”! The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe.

“The Lincoln Lawyer” also stars John Leguizamo, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas, Michael Peña, Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston, Trace Adkins, Laurence Mason, Margarita Levieva, Pell James and Shea Whigham from director Brad Furman and writer John Romano based on the novel by Michael Connelly. The film opens on March 18, 2011.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Lincoln Lawyer” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, March 14, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “The Lincoln Lawyer” with Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe.
Image credit: Lionsgate

Here is the plot description for “The Lincoln Lawyer”:

In the gripping thriller “The Lincoln Lawyer,” Matthew McConaughey stars as Michael “Mick” Haller: a slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan.

Having spent most of his career defending petty, gutter-variety criminals, Mick unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: defending a rich, Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of attempted murder. However, what initially appears to be a straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation and a crisis of conscience for Haller.

Directed by Brad Furman from a screenplay by John Romano and based on the novel by Michael Connelly, the cast also includes Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Frances Fisher, Bob Gunton and Laurence Mason with Bryan Cranston and William H. Macy. Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment present a Lakeshore Entertainment/Lionsgate production in association with Sidney Kimmel Entertainment Stone Village Pictures.

The movie trailer for “The Lincoln Lawyer” can be watched now below.

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Blu-Ray Review: Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Moulin Rouge!,’ ‘Romeo + Juliet’ Made For HD

BrianTT — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:45:07 -0400

CHICAGO – Baz Luhrmann has made two great films and one masterpiece in “Strictly Ballroom,” “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet,” and “Moulin Rouge!” and the latter two are finally available on Blu-ray, the format for which they were made. In the only way we should expect from a perfectionist like Luhrmann, both films have been lovingly remastered in HD and accompanied by excellent special features. They’re a pair of great HD releases.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

“William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet” took the romanticism that Luhrmann showed in “Strictly Ballroom” and turned it up to eleven with a visionary take on the classic play. Bursting at the seams (arguably too much so) with ideas, it’s remarkable how well the film has held up over the years. When it came out in 1996, some critics dismissed it as a teeny-bopper product but I think we now realize that Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are more than mere pretty faces and that Luhrmann actually deserves the “From Visionary Director” title on the front of the Blu-ray case.

Moulin Rouge! was released on Blu-ray on October 19th, 2010
Photo credit: Fox

DiCaprio and Danes play the original star-crossed lovers in this adaptation that stayed loyal to Shakespeare’s dialogue but completely reimagined it visually. Say what you will about Luhrmann, he’s one of the few modern directors who truly sees film as a visually sumptuous medium, one in which the technical details play as important a role in the journey for the movie watcher as script or performance. “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet” looks amazing and even more so with the brand-new transfer from the original camera negative that was overseen frame by frame by Luhrmann. It’s a movie made for HD and it’s wonderful that it wasn’t just haphazardly imported to the format.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was released on Blu-ray on October 19th, 2010
Photo credit: Fox

“Romeo + Juliet” is a very good movie, even more ambitious than you remember, but “Moulin Rouge!” is a masterpiece. It’s a spectacular musical, one that kicked open the door for the resurgence of the genre in the ’00s and a film that plays even better ten years after its release. There’s a passion to the filmmaking in “Moulin Rouge!” that we only see a few times a year and in the best cinema. The fact is that more and more movies are clearly cash-driven projects and the lack of creative fire behind them is easily perceptible to modern viewers. You may not be excited for a film that includes “Like a Virgin” as a musical number, but you can’t deny the creativity and love for filmmaking behind it. When Ewan McGregor exclaims that “love is like oxygen,” it’s a sentiment that doesn’t feel corny or cliched. It’s the driving force of the entire film and it’s Luhrmann’s love for film that clearly keeps him alive.

Like “Romeo,” “Moulin Rouge!” has been meticulously remastered by Luhrmann. Both films look great and sound even better. What’s so wonderful is that they haven’t been overly-polished: There’s still a bit of grain and the colors haven’t been over-saturated merely to show off on HD. Both video transfers are matched by equally-spectacular audio tracks. Technically, these are great releases.

The films look and sound so good and have held up well enough that the pair would be worth picking up without special features. The fact that they come with a ton of behind-the-scenes featurettes, archival material, commentaries, and more makes them both must-owns. All of the material below is worth your time, especially for fans of Luhrmann and his films, and the only complaint I have is Fox’s typically-annoying organizational skills. There should never be a series of 2-minute features that can’t be viewed via “Play All.” Why do we constantly have to go back to the menu to watch all of the b-t-s material from “Moulin Rouge!”? It’s nonsense. But it’s worth the annoyance for Blu-ray releases this remarkable.

Special Features - “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”
o “Shaking Up Shakespeare” — Picture In Picture With Audio Commentary Featuring Behind-the-Scenes Footage and Stills
o Uncut Footage From The Bazmark Vault
o “Romeo + Juliet: The Music”
o Filmmaker And Interview Galleries

Special Features - “Moulin Rouge!”
o “Spectacular, Spectacular” — Picture In Picture With Audio Commentary Featuring Behind-the-Scenes Footage and Stills
o “A Creative Adventure”
o “A Word From Baz”
o Uncut Bazmark Vault Footage Including Alternate Opening and Nicole Kidman’s First Vocal Test
o Production Featurettes And Interviews
o The Making Of “Moulin Rouge!”

“Moulin Rouge!” stars Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, and Richard Roxburgh. It was written by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and directed by Luhrmann. It was released on Blu-ray on October 19th, 2010. It is rated PG-13 and runs 128 minutes.

“William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, and Pete Postelthwaite. It was written by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and directed by Luhrmann. It was released on Blu-ray on October 19th, 2010. It is rated PG-13 and runs 120 minutes.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Third ‘Ice Age’ Sticks to Frigid Formula

BrianTT — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:08:27 -0500

CHICAGO – When did “gentleness” first become “unhip” in children’s films? Practically every studio in America, with the exception of Pixar, feels the need to make their “all ages” entertainment as abrasive, dumb and crude as their escapism targeted at teens and simple-minded adults. What’s the difference between a picture like “G-Force” and “Transformers”? A handful of swears and a few excessive shots of Megan Fox’s midriff. Kids movies in America can get away with endless mean-spirited gags and bathroom humor, just as long as there’s a sticky moral tacked on to the end. The “Shrek” series flourished under this principle, and so does “Ice Age.”

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0

Yet while DreamWorks has found financial success with multiple franchises (“Shrek,” “Madagascar,” “Kung Fu Panda”), Blue Sky Studios still insists on focusing most of its moviemaking efforts on the decade-old premise of prehistoric creatures riffing through an arctic wasteland. Yet these characters are little more than placeholders for instantly recognizable celebrity personalities. Robin Williams’ pop culture-spewing Genie began this trend in “Aladdin,” and here we get Ray Romano as a wooly mammoth who embodies all the neuroses and idiosyncratic wit of…Ray Romano (his level-headed wife might as well be voiced by Patricia Heaton). Yet his dry barbs are a welcome relief from the shrill spectacle that consumes so much of these pictures.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 27th, 2009.
Photo credit: Fox Home Video

To be fair, the first two “Ice Age” adventures had a certain poignancy at their core, as they showed how a nontraditional family can form in the wake of an environmental crisis: starting with the dawn of an ice age, followed by the inevitable meltdown. But this latest installment was so hard up for fresh material that it decided to throw all credibility to the wind, and follow that tired sequel formula: “bigger equals better.” And what’s bigger than a wooly mammoth? Dinosaurs, of course! But how, you might ask, are dinosaurs resurrected during an Ice Age? Well, it turns out they never really were extinct—they just live under the earth’s surface, Jules Verne-style. Uh huh.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 27th, 2009.
Photo credit: Fox Home Video

When silly sloth Sid (John Leguizamo) stumbles upon some baby dinos, he foolishly takes them under his wing. When their angry mom shows up, she drags them all to the land of the lost kiddie cliches, with Sid’s friends in hot pursuit. There they meet yet another excessive comic relief: a one-eyed weasel named Buck (Simon Pegg), whose delusional bravado is all-too-reminiscent of “Shrek”’s Puss In Boots. Of course, the real star of “Ice Age” has always been Scrat (Chris Wedge), a squirrel whose single-minded pursuit of his beloved acorn results in oft-inspired wordless slapstick. This film provides Scrat with a love interest, resulting in a silly montage where the acorn weeps out of loneliness. Well, that’s what happens when you play hard to get.

As contemporary children’s films go, “Ice Age 3” is relatively harmless, not to mention painless for adult guardians who aren’t easily prone to headaches. It’s a cinematic souffle as filling and nourishing as a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Unfortunately, the toys are sold separately.

“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” is currently available in a limited time combo pack offering the movie in multiple formats (Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital Copy). On Blu-Ray, the film is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio), but it lacks the striking depth of its 3D presentation in theaters. It is accompanied by English, Spanish, French and Portuguese audio tracks, and includes six behind-the-scenes featurettes, unfinished deleted scenes, Live Lookup via IMDb and BD-Live, and a “storybook maker” for kids. There are also two shorts and five featurettes centering on the character of Scrat (clearly Blue Sky’s answer to Mickey Mouse), and a feature-length commentary in which the filmmakers attempt to justify the need for this unnecessary sequel, apart from the obvious motivation to cash in on a lucrative franchise.

‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ is released by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and stars Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Simon Pegg and Chris Wedge. It was written by Peter Ackerman & Michael Berg & Yoni Brenner & Mike Reiss and directed by Carlos Saldanha & Mike Thurmeier. It was released on October 27th, 2009. It is rated PG.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com