Jason Clarke

Film Review: Hollow ‘The Great Gatsby’ Mistakes Glitz For Passion

BrianTT — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:00:17 -0400

CHICAGO – There’s a scene in “The Great Gatsby” in which Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) is gleefully throwing multi-colored clothes down upon a smiling, spinning Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan). While she seems happy at first, she ends up covered in colored fabric and crying. I knew how she felt. Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic smothers its subject matter in such a stylish manner that it loses the passion of its story. It’s not overkill. I would have liked crazy, passionate, powerful overkill such as Luhrmann employed in his spectacular “Moulin Rouge!,” one of my favorite movies of the ‘00s (for the record, lest you think I’m simply anti-Baz like some critics, I’m a fan of “Strictly Ballroom” and “Romeo + Juliet” as well). This isn’t overkill in the way the term is typically used. It’s just a repetitive kill, kill, kill, until the effect becomes numbing. Like being buried in a cavalcade of colorful fabric.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

A horrendously miscast and wooden Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carraway, a tough part to adapt since the character is such an observer to most of the emotion and passion of the piece, keeping us at a distance from a story that needs fire and grit instead of the cool style given it by Luhrmann. We’ll get back to that. First, the plot. Nick moves in next door to the most popular guy in town, a multi-millionaire known only by one name and who most of his party goers has never even met. Spoken about in hushed tones as a mysterious playboy, Gatsby skulks around his lavish affairs, which Nick learns he has been hosting just to try and entice lost love Daisy Buchanan back into his life.

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

Nick’s connection to Daisy runs deeper than the past she shares with his new neighbor. Nick happens to be Daisy’s second cousin and the two are intertwined again when Nick goes gallivanting in New York City with Daisy’s philandering husband Tom (Joel Edgerton). Tom is sleeping with Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher), the wife of gas station owner George (Jason Clarke). The partying Tom & Myrtle introduce Nick to a world of booze and open his eyes up to the darker side of the lives of beautiful people. Innocent Nick falls further into the web of high society with low morality when he learns of his new buddy Gatsby’s past and his hope for a future with Daisy.

Can we rewrite the past? Can we correct past mistakes as if they never happened while avoiding simply making the same errors over and over again? F. Scott Fitzgerald gives Luhrmann fascinating, complex themes with which to play in one of the greatest narratives of the 20th century. However, most of the themes that Fitzgerald played with in his novel were done in descriptive prose instead of actual plotting. When you give someone like Luhrmann a story relatively light on plot and tell him to transform those internal narratives into external imagery, he’s like a kid in a candy store. And the sugar rush isn’t as much fun as you might think.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Great Gatsby” review.

“The Great Gatsby” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, and Isla Fisher. It was written by Baz Lurhmann & Craig Pearce and directed by Luhrmann. It opens on May 10, 2013.

The Great Gatsby
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

DVD Review: Kathryn Bigelow’s Incredible ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Deserves More

BrianTT — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 20:41:35 -0400

CHICAGO – At one point in awards season, right after it won five Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, including Best Picture, Actress, Screenplay, and Director, it really looked like Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” was going to be the most award-winning film of 2012. When all was said and done, it only won a single Oscar for Sound Editing and Bigelow wasn’t even nominated. Was it due to the torture controversy? Perceived similarities to the recent winner “The Hurt Locker”? We’ll never know. But I know two things. 1.) “Zero Dark Thirty” is a fantastic film and history will recognize it as such. 2.) The DVD release is nearly horrendous.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The transfer is mediocre (I can’t speak to the HD quality on the Blu-ray since Sony would only send the standard) and unfitting of a film this technically accomplished. Even worse, the special features are ridiculously slight. There are a total of four featurettes and they each run under ten minutes long, offering the kind of standard, talking-head material that one finds in a pre-release EPK. It’s just depressing that no one could be bothered to offer something in-depth for such a deep film.

Having said that, you really owe it to yourself to see “Zero Dark Thirty”. Maybe away from the controversy about the facts of the film, one can more easily appreciate the directorial accomplishment. There’s no question in my mind as to the remarkable quality of what Bigelow delivered, managing dozens of speaking roles across an amazing number of locations over years of storytelling. She and Mark Boal took the major points of the story of the war on terror from 9/11 to the death of Osama Bin Laden and made them riveting drama. And Jessica Chastain made them real. See “Zero Dark Thirty” and write Sony and tell them to release a better Blu-ray and DVD. The film deserves it.

Zero Dark Thirty was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 19, 2013
Photo credit: Sony

Synopsis:
For a decade, an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty reunites the Oscar-winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (2009, Best Picture, The Hurt Locker) for the story of history’s greatest manhunt for the world’s most dangerous man.

Special Features:
o No Small Feat - The Making Of Zero Dark Thirty
o The Compound - Tour The Film’s Rebuilt Compound
o Geared Up - Watch The Cast Train With Authentic SEAL Gear
o Targeting Jessica Chastain - A Look At The Role Of Maya

“Zero Dark Thirty” stars Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Stephen Dillane, Mark Strong, Chris Pratt, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, and James Gandolfini. It was written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 19, 2013.

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

Film Review: Jingoistic ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Highlights the Mission

PatrickMcD — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:50:32 -0500

CHICAGO – Despite an obsession for killing a single man to represent a foggy revenge, “Zero Dark Thirty” is an effective thriller in the actual re-creation of that Navy Seal operation. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”), the all-star cast is led by a miscast Jessica Chastain.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

The centerpiece of the film is the killing – on May 2, 2011 – of Osama Bin Laden, the supposed mastermind of all that is evil in the post-9/11 universe. Bigelow breaks down the actual mission, from the first terror-filled days of September 11th, to the actual bullet that was expended from the chamber of USA weaponry to liquidate the terrorist. The first two-thirds of the film is the research, torture techniques and outside-the-box investigations that leads to the ultimate assignment, filmed with a methodical precision that heightened the tension, despite knowing the outcome. Like her previous “The Hurt Locker,” Kathryn Bigelow knows how to structure a military realism that hits home, but in this film she falls short in characterizing the operatives leading up to the mission.

It begins with September 11th, 2001, the day America was attacked from terrorist forces, which is determined to be facilitated by Osama Bin Laden, leader of the group known as al-Qaeda. For the next ten years, the build up to the final mission that finally kills Bin Laden is broken down, carried out through one particular CIA operative code named Maya (Jessica Chastain). The first assignment she witnesses is the torturing of an al-Qaeda underling for information.

Through the years, as more intelligence operations are implemented to get the “most dangerous man in the world,” more danger starts to surface. Joseph Bradley (Kyle Chandler) – the CIA Islamabad Station Chief – begins to wonder about Maya’s obsession about the mission, and even the head of the CIA (James Gandofini) takes an interest in her quest. It all culminates in the mission in early May of 2011, which successfully avenges the years of investigation.

“Zero Dark Thirty” continues its limited release in Chicago on January 4th and opens everywhere on January 11th. See local listings for show times and theaters. Featuring Jessica Chastain, Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Mark Duplass, Joel Edgerton and James Gandolfini. Written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Rated “R”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Zero Dark Thirty”

Jessica Chastain is CIA Operative Maya in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Zero Dark Thirty”

Film Review: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Turns CIA Procedural Into Riveting Thriller

BrianTT — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:29:40 -0500

CHICAGO – Kathryn Bigelow opens her stunning “Zero Dark Thirty” with a date and a series of voice mail recordings. The date is, of course, September 11, 2001 and the recordings are the ghosts of the people who died that day, perfectly setting the stakes for the story to come – the hunt for and capture of Osama Bin Laden. Over the next two-and-a-half hours, the Oscar-winning director and the screenwriter she worked with on “The Hurt Locker,” Mark Boal, methodically chronicle the twists and turns of the last decade in the life of the most infamous terrorist in the world. They brilliantly weave in the elements we know (or think we do) like waterboarding, Abu Ghraib, Richard Reid, and the Marriott bombing with information that will be new to most viewers and they place one stunning actress right in the middle of it all as Jessica Chastain serves as our fascinating guide through this CIA procedural. It’s an amazing film, one of the best of the year.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

In the first scene of “Zero Dark Thirty,” Maya (Chastain) has been assigned to participate in the torture and interrogation of a man who may have information related to the location of Osama Bin Laden. It’s only a few years after 9/11 and the freedom as to what CIA agents are allowed to do in order to get vital details from a captive is limitless. Dan (Jason Clarke), the agent in charge, is pushing his subject to the brink of death, waterboarding him, beating him, stripping him in front of Maya, and placing him in a box with no food. Whatever it takes to get Osama Bin Laden.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Zero Dark Thirty” in our reviews section.

After a few years of interrogations, a name comes to the forefront that intrigues Maya, who now works in an office with Jessica (Jennifer Ehle), Joseph Bradley (Kyle Chandler), Jack (Harold Perrineau), and others. Their task is fascinatingly captured in Boal’s script in the sense that these people were forced to wage multiple wars at one time. They’d get a piece of information that may lead them to Bin Laden but they were equally concerned and engaged in trying to stop pending terrorist attacks. And the misinformation was overwhelming. Maya becomes obsessed with a name of a courier that keeps coming up in repeated and interesting ways. This courier seems to be the one solitary person who may still be in touch with Bin Laden on a regular basis. Find him and they’ll find their target.

Spanning a decade of international intrigue was the first of many daring decisions by Boal & Bigelow. There certainly could have been a film made solely about the day Bin Laden was caught. The final 45 minutes of “ZDT” captures that assault in a riveting, almost clinical way that produces more tension than any action film this year. Bigelow & Boal had a greater story in mind – the story of an entire era of terrorism, bookended by its two most important events: 9/11 & the death of Osama Bin Laden. In between, we are presented with the most rivetingly detailed examination of how bureaucracy, ego, misinformation, passion, and pure evil intertwined in this war on terror. And, perhaps most remarkably, it’s all done on the outline of a character study of a woman who gave up her life for one cause.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Zero Dark Thirty” review.

“Zero Dark Thirty” stars Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, Harold Perrineau, Mark Strong, Edgar Ramirez, Mark Duplass, James Gandolfini, Stephen Dillane, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Taylor Kinney, and Frank Grillo. It was written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. It opens in Chicago on January 4, 2013.

Zero Dark Thirty
Photo credit: Sony Pictures

Film Review: Tom Hardy Leads Great Cast in Disappointing ‘Lawless’

BrianTT — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:37:43 -0400

CHICAGO – John Hillcoat’s “Lawless,” based on Matt Bondurant’s “The Wettest County in the World,” is one of the most high profile disappointments of 2012, a film with an amazing cast that suffocates under the weight of an inconsistent script, a boring lead, and a complete lack of narrative drive. Who would have ever guessed that a movie with so many charismatic actors and actresses could ever be so shockingly dull? It’s nearly an accomplishment.

Rating: 1.5/5.0

Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska – any one of these wonderful actors typically makes a film better and one could easily assume that having all five of them in one ensemble would lead to dramatic gold. And yet even this level of acting talent can’t save “Lawless.” None of them do anything particularly wrong (although Pearce makes some odd choices) but they can’t save a haphazard script that doesn’t understand basic requirements of storytelling such as presenting the viewer with consistent characters instead of mere cliché. We’ve seen “Lawless” done before and done significantly better. Even with the A-list cast, it’s little more than forgettable.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Lawless” in our reviews section.

It’s 1931 in Franklin County, Virginia, known in some circles as “The Wettest County in the World” due to its abundance of illegal alcohol operations at the height of Prohibition. Crooked cops are paid to look the other way as families of bootleggers keep their families fed by getting other ones drunk. An important figurehead of this community is Forrest Bondurant (a mumbling-but-charismatic Tom Hardy), who rises to moonshine prominence with his brothers – Howard (Jason Clarke) and Jack (Shia LaBeouf). Jack may seem the least interesting of the three as he’s the youngest and so the one often in need of rescue but he’s made the narrator here in one of many storytelling mistakes we’ll get to later.

Jack works to gain the respect of his older brothers and become as important a Bondurant as his more famous siblings. He works with a friend named Cricket (Dane DeHaan) who might as well be wearing a “Star Trek” red shirt and be named “Inevitable Victim” and he woos a local church-going girl named Bertha (Mia Wasikowska). While Jack is coming-of-age, times are getting more dangerous in Franklin County thanks to the arrival of Special Deputy Charley Rakes (Guy Pearce), a unique character sent from Chicago to clean things up. Meanwhile, notorious gangster Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman) crosses paths with the Bondurants and Forrest falls in love with the lovely new barmaid Maggie (Jessica Chastain).

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Lawless” review.

“Lawless” stars Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, and Dane DeHaan. It was written by Nick Cave and directed by John Hillcoat. It is rated R and opens on August 29, 2012.

Lawless
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Pairs of Passes to ‘Lawless’ With Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 22:57:20 -0400

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 40 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the new crime/drama “Lawless”! The film, which opens nationwide on Aug. 29, 2012, stars Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Gary Oldman!

“Lawless” also stars Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Jason Clarke, Dane DeHaan, Noah Taylor, Lew Temple, Bill Camp, William J. Harrison, Bruce McKinnon, Alex Van and Mark Ashworth from director John Hillcoat and writer Nick Cave based on the novel by Matt Bondurant.

To win your free advance-screening passes to “Lawless” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology directly below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning!

Before entering, make sure you allow pop-ups.
If viewing this on your phone, click “Go to Full Site” at the bottom of the page to enter.
Deadline: Entries can continue being submitted through Friday, Aug. 24, 2012
at 5 p.m. CST. These Hookup winners will be awarded via e-mail that night.
If necessary: To see your entry count on a repeat visit, submit your name and e-mail again.

Here is the synopsis for “Lawless”:

Acclaimed director John Hillcoat (“The Road”) delivers a thrillingly vivid slice of American outlaw history in his epic gangster tale “Lawless”. The film is the true story of the infamous Bondurant brothers: three bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American dream in Prohibition-era Virginia.

Based on author Matt Bondurant’s fictionalized account of his family, the film gathers an ensemble of gifted, new-generation stars – Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska and Dane DeHaan – alongside two of the finest actors of their generations: Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman.

A riveting, intense story of crime and corruption, loyalty and love and brutality and tenderness, “Lawless” is a rich addition to the American gangster canon.

The “Lawless” movie poster with Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Gary Oldman.
Image credit: The Weinstein Company

The “Lawless” movie trailer can be watched now below.

This HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple! Just get interactive in our unique Hookup technology above. We will award 40 admit-two movie tickets based on social entry numbers and/or randomly via e-mail for our “Lawless” Hookup. Good luck!

Disclaimer
Winners need to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. Since showings are overbooked to ensure a full house, winners are not guaranteed entrance and must arrive early. We recommend arriving 45 minutes before the showing’s scheduled start time. HollywoodChicago.com LLC is a promotional partner with the studio and its partners and doesn’t assume any liability for this giveaway. Note: Comments are closed in this Hookup.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Pairs of Chicago Passes to ‘Texas Killing Fields’ With Sam Worthington

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:13:48 -0400

CHICAGO – In our latest crime/thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the Michael Mann-produced “Texas Killing Fields” starring Sam Worthington (“Avatar”)!

“Texas Killing Fields” also stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chloë Grace Moretz, Jason Clarke, Corie Berkemeyer, Trenton Perez, Maureen Brennan, Tony Bentley, Becky Fly, Sheryl Lee, James Hébert, Stephen Graham, John Neisler, Annabeth Gish, Deneen Tyler and Kelvin Payton from director Ami Canaan Mann and writer Don Ferrarone. The film opens on Oct. 21, 2011 in Chicago.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Texas Killing Fields” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This advance screening is on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Texas Killing Fields” with Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chloë Grace Moretz.
Image credit: Anchor Bay Films

Here is the plot description for “Texas Killing Fields”:

Inspired by true events, this tense and haunting thriller follows Detective Souder (Sam Worthington) (a homicide detective in a small Texan town) and partner Detective Heigh (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) (a transplanted New York City cop) as they track a sadistic serial killer who dumps mutilated bodies in a nearby marsh called “The Killing Fields”.

Though the swampland crime scenes are outside their jurisdiction, Detective Heigh is unable to turn his back on solving the gruesome murders. Despite his partner’s warnings, he sets out to investigate the crimes. Before long, the killer changes the game and begins hunting the detectives and teasing them with possible clues at the crime scenes while always remaining one step ahead. When familiar local girl Anne (Chloë Grace Moretz) goes missing, the detectives find themselves racing against time to catch the killer and save the young girl’s life.

Directed by Ami Canaan Mann and produced by Michael Mann and Michael Jaffe, “Texas Killing Fields” also stars Jessica Chastain (“Tree of Life,” “The Help”), Jason Clarke (“Public Enemies,” FOX’s “Chicago Code”) and Stephen Graham (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”). Executive producers are Bill Block, Paul Hanson, Justin Thompson, Anthony J.A. Bryan Jr., Ethan Smith, John Friedberg and Michael Ohoven with music by Dickon Hinchliffe.

The movie trailer for “Texas Killing Fields” can be watched now below.

To win your free advance-screening movie tickets, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com Web site account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having a Web site account with a valid e-mail address is required to win. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this question:

Why do you think serial killers do it?

This Hookup is simple! Just submit your comment below and we will award 30 admit-two tickets randomly via e-mail for our “Texas Killing Fields” Hookup. Good luck!

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Disclaimer
Winners need to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. Since advance screenings are overbooked to ensure a full house, winners are not guaranteed entrance and must arrive early. We recommend arriving 45 minutes before the screening’s scheduled start time. Winners are typically e-mailed our advance-screening passes two days before the screening date. HollywoodChicago.com LLC is a promotional partner with the studio and its partners and doesn’t assume any liability for this giveaway.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Clive Owen, Liana Liberato Are Stellar in ‘Trust’

BrianTT — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:49:57 -0400

CHICAGO – David Schwimmer’s ‘Trust’ is one of the best films of the year to date that I’m pretty sure you haven’t seen. After playing at the Chicago International Film Festival last fall (where it was easily one of the best works at the fest), it received a far-too-limited release in April and has made barely over $120k TOTAL domestically. Rent it. Watch it. Now.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

What did you miss in theaters? A daring, genuine, heartfelt, remarkable drama about an event that shatters an average family with two of the very-best performances of the year from a brand-new actress and one of our best actors doing some of the best work of his career. Underneath even the most typical family units impending tragedy can loom, and rarely has that been handled with such delicacy and finesse as in “Trust.”

The tragedy in “Trust” involves an absolute scumbag, the kind of man that this father would like to see tortured. “Trust” centers on the kind of incident that’s usually not handled without melodrama and is often the playground of Lifetime TV movie writers. It’s about betrayal, pain, confusion, and the understanding that we as parents sometimes can’t put all the pieces back together.

Trust was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on July 26th, 2011
Photo credit: Paramount Home Video

The betrayal in “Trust” is that of a sweet, smart, beautiful teenage girl named Annie (Liana Liberato, giving not just one of the best debut performances of the year but one of the best performances, period). Annie gets close to a boy that she thinks is her age online. She tells him things she’s never told anyone. Can’t wait to talk to him. Dreams about him. And then she meets him in the mall and discovers that he’s not a boy. He’s a man. And he’s a predator.

After the shocking turn of events, “Trust” could have turned into a standard melodrama but it becomes a fascinating dissection of how we respond to emotionally-shattering events. Clive Owen does his best work since “Children of Men” as a father who wants to commit violent vengeance and distances himself from his family even further through his obsession. Catherine Keener, Viola Davis, and Jason Clarke are stellar in supporting roles but “Trust” is about a young girl forced to age earlier than she should have to and a father struggling with his inability to protect her.

Clearly, Schwimmer and writers Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger are walking through an emotional minefield of cliches with “Trust,” which makes their success that much more remarkable. “Trust” does not resort to cliche and it does not make its disturbing subject matter easy on the audience. The key scene between Annie and the scumbag who takes her innocence is difficult to watch. But it should be. This is tough subject matter handled incredibly well but you should be warned — it’s not easy to take. It will make you angry. It will make you sad. The key is that it will move you — and so few movies honestly do.

Sadly, although not surprisingly given the low box office, “Trust” is nearly empty of special features with just a 16-minute behind-the-scenes piece and outtakes. I’d have loved to have heard a commentary from Schwimmer, Liberato, or Owen. But the key here is not special features but the movie itself. Don’t miss it.

“Trust” stars Liana Liberato, Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Viola Davis, Jason Clarke, and Noah Emmerich. It was written by Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger and directed by David Schwimmer. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 26th, 2011 and is rated R.

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

Interview: Creator Shawn Ryan Deciphers ‘The Chicago Code’

BrianTT — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:12:54 -0500

CHICAGO – Shawn Ryan produced one of the best cop dramas of the ’00s in “The Shield” and has proven that he will be a creative voice in the medium worth watching with his work on “Lie to Me,” “Terriers,” and, most of all, the new FOX drama, “The Chicago Code.” Mr. Ryan gave a call to HollywoodChicago.com this week and we discussed his past success and what he hopes for the future of his new venture, along with how directly it relates to Chicago’s history, neighborhoods, and local government.

HollywoodChicago.com: I interviewed Scott Rosenbaum [writer for “The Shield”] years ago and he said that his approach to that show was something closer to a novel with each season being a chapter. Are you taking a similar long-term approach with this show or are you thinking more episode-to-episode?

Shawn Ryan: I think, ultimately, people will be able to look back and see a novelistic approach but the reality of network TV is that you kind of have to worry about each episode. If it is a novel, I don’t have everything in my head quite yet. We didn’t on “The Shield” either. We would kind of figure out in general what each season would be and then we filled in the blanks as we went along. It wasn’t until we got to season five or six that we tried to figure out what the end game would be. So, I don’t know what the endgame for “The Chicago Code” is yet. We have to see if the fans take to the show and whether or not it feels like a long-term show or not and then I can start planning that out.

HollywoodChicago.com: How is writing for FOX different than writing for FX? Are you given a similar creative freedom?

Ryan: I’m given a lot of freedom. The guy who runs the network now at FOX is Kevin Reilly, who ran FX when I started making “The Shield.” So, the stakes are higher, there’s more money involved, and so it’s a little bit different in that regard, but no one’s sitting me down and saying “you can’t do this and you can’t do that.” It is a different audience. You have to keep in mind that for a bigger audience certain things that may have flown on FX on “The Shield” aren’t going to appeal to a great deal of people on FOX. But that’s something that I try to gauge on my own. No one has imposed it on me.

Director Adam Arkin, Shawn Ryan, and Governor Pat Quinn on the set of The Chicago Code
Photo credit: Chuck Hodes/FOX

HollywoodChicago.com: Is it difficult balancing appealing to a mass audience with what you want to do creatively?

Ryan: It hasn’t been a problem for us in that regard on this show. I’ve been fortunate that the people at FOX really like what we did. We made thirteen episodes; finished filming just before Christmas. So, I can honestly say that we had the full support of the network. You spend some time thinking about what the right balance is in that regard. And you spend time trying to fill what you think are the needs of the network audience. That’s what they pay someone like me to do.

The Chicago Code
Photo credit: Justin Stephens/FOX

HollywoodChicago.com: Then how closely do you watch that when it’s done? Do you read all the reviews and break down the rating demos or do you let it be what it’s going to be?

Ryan: I started reading some reviews and then they started to get to be too much for me. Even though the majority of them were good, it really creeps up on you and the good ones can’t be good enough. Even the good ones, if there’s one thing they didn’t like then that’s the only sentence you pay attention to. It gets to be kind of self-destructive and so I stopped reading them. I did pay attention to the ratings in the first week. I talk about controlling only what I can control but one of those things is how to help the network sell the show — who’s liking the ads, who’s responding to the show. We wanted to have a sense of where the show was doing well and where it could do better.

HollywoodChicago.com: So the marketing has been fine-tuned after the ratings for that first episode?

Ryan: One of the areas that we would have liked to do better was with young women. So, you start to think if there’s something in the show that should be appealing to young women. In this case, there definitely is. We have a strong woman in charge of these cops and she’s going through something pretty unique. Is there a way to sell that struggle? That journey? So, yeah, I spent some time with the marketing team. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m doing it because it is their job but I will weigh in and nudge in one direction or another. That was something that we talked about. Especially when you have a platform like “American Idol” that does attract a lot of young women on which to sell the show.

HollywoodChicago.com: How much of the storytelling that you do is based on Chicago history or is it more of a general piece rather than specific events?

Ryan: Certainly, this show is fictionalized. Having said that, I would say that we were inspired more by reality in this show than we were in “The Shield.” That really sprung a lot from our collective imaginations. Occasionally, we’d use something that we read. In this case, we really dove into the history of Chicago. Sometimes we were inspired more by certain things we read in books and then we thought, “How can we put a 21st century twist on this?” All of the titles of the episodes have something to do with Chicago. So, for instance, one episode, we start with the premise of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. What was that and what would be a modern-day equivalent of that? There was a heat wave in ‘95. What would a heat wave do today and what would the cop’s responsibilities be? That was the basis for an episode. So, we are taking more from reality in that regard.

The Chicago Code
Photo credit: Jeffery Garland/FOX

HollywoodChicago.com: How important is to you to be on-the-ground in Chicago and how do you choose the neighborhoods you highlight?

Ryan: It’s extraordinarily important to me and my job was kind of to make the macro decision that we were going to invest in Chicago and do it all there. Having said that, when it comes down to individual episodes, occasionally there would be a story point — like the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in Lincoln Park or an episode where we dive into Boys Town — but the vast majority of the work can be decided by the director and the production team. We give an indication as writers, but we’re not dictating. We do talk about exploiting, in a good way, the city of Chicago to our fullest ability: Capturing the uniqueness of the city. That was important to me. We spend six out of every eight shooting days out in the world filming. It’s pretty much the opposite of most shows. Most shows that “take place in Chicago,” really don’t film in Chicago.

HollywoodChicago.com: Some of the behind-the-scenes material that allowed access into the entire creative process on “The Shield” DVDs still stands as some of the best TV-DVD special features to date. Are you allowing a similar behind-the-scenes access for this show?

Ryan: Yes. Yes. Though these companies are kind of resistant to spending too much time and resources on a first-season show. We don’t know how successful the show’s going to be and, therefore, how the DVD might do. But I maintain a completely open set in that regard with my studio. They had a lot of people filming behind-the-scenes. If we get picked up, I’m sure they’ll be emboldened to increase those efforts in future years.

The Chicago Code
Photo credit: Jeffery Garland/FOX

HollywoodChicago.com: And when will we know that? Probably not till May?

Ryan: Probably. The ratings for the first week were good-not-great. If it stays in that range, we’ll probably have to wait till May. If it rockets up, we’ll find out earlier. If it craters and tanks, we’ll probably know the bad news earlier than that. Most likely, we’ll find out in May.

HollywoodChicago.com: It seems like every show that ends nowadays gets the rumor of a movie — “24,” “The Sopranos,” “Arrested Development.” Would you ever consider revisiting the world of “The Shield” or is it over?

Ryan: I’ve had some conversations about it but it’s certainly a real high bar for me in terms of how much control I enjoyed over the show. And I’m so pleased with the ending that we had that to do something in that universe would have to be under a few conditions that are hard to come by. Having said that, I do talk with Michael Chiklis occasionally about it. He’s certainly game for it. If there’s the right idea and the right time that would be supported in the right way by the studio, then I’m open to it. I haven’t said definitely not. I think it’s good that a couple years have passed and we’ll see if there’s an appetite. We’ll see if there’s an idea that excites me and doesn’t violate the show. Then we’d have to see if the studio is supportive of that. The show did very well for basic cable but is not pulling “24” numbers on FOX. So, I’m sure it would have to be done for a budget, but we did the show for a budget early on. So, maybe. But, I don’t want to give hope to people that it’s around the corner like maybe the “24” and “Arrested Development” do.

HollywoodChicago.com: I adore the show and I’m conflicted because the end was so perfect. I think a lot of shows come back to deal with unfinished business but I can’t imagine you have any of that.

Ryan: I know one thing: If I were to attempt to do a movie, it would not be all of the same characters in the same place continuing that story because I feel like that story had an end. It would be something involving one or more of the characters in something that felt filmic — a two-hour movie story.

HollywoodChicago.com: Do you have an endorsement for Mayor?

Ryan: Absolutely not. (Laughs.) Because I have to live with the winner. Believe me, I’ve learned enough about Chicago politics that whoever wins is going to be my favorite.

“The Chicago Code” stars Jason Clarke, Jennifer Beals, Matt Lauria, Devin Kelley, Todd Williams, Billy Lush, and Delroy Lindo. It was created by Shawn Ryan and airs on FOX on Monday nights at 8pm CST.

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

TV Review: Jennifer Beals, Jason Clarke Define ‘The Chicago Code’

PatrickMcD — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:36:05 -0500

CHICAGO – Is Rahm Emanuel taking notes? “The Chicago Code,” premiering on Fox TV on February 7th, exposes the underbelly of cops, bad guys and political corruption characteristic of the Windy City, and also has an intriguing cast and storytelling style.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

Jennifer Beals leads the way as Chicago police superintendent Teresa Colvin, whose honesty and dedication made her the youngest and first female top cop in the city’s history. Jason Clarke is Jarek Wysocki, a gritty street level detective who was once Colvin’s partner, and who has a reputation for no-nonsense policing. One of his main characteristics is that he can’t seem to tolerate new men, including his latest partner Caleb Evers (Matt Lauria). Overseeing them in city government is the powerful Alderman Gibbons (Delroy Lindo).

Superintendent Colvin is suspicious of Gibbons, and tries to form a task force to root out his misconduct. When the request is denied through city hall, Colvin takes matters into her own hands by enlisting the help of Wysocki. It is the murder of a woman in a park that points back to the alderman, as she was an accountant for a construction company with ties to both Gibbons and the Irish mob.

The Chicago Code Cast L-R: Delroy Lindo (Alderman Gibbons), Billy Lush (Liam), Matt Lauria (Evers), Jennifer Beals (Colvin), Jason Clarke (Wysocki), Devon Kelley (Vonda) and Todd Williams (Isaac)
Photo Credit: Kharen Hill/Fox

It will take all of the resources of Wysocki and his new partner to crack the “code” of Chicago’s dirty business. He recruits his police officer niece Vonya (Devin Kelley) and her partner Isaac (Todd Williams) to his team, and uses an undercover informant, Liam (Billy Lush) to infiltrate the seamier side of both the Irish mob and Alderman Gibbon’s connection to them.

The city depicted in The Chicago Code seems to be going back to its Al Capone roots. There are plenty of bullets flying and corpses as a result, why not a nice overview of the many cultural offerings? It is an easy shorthand to revert to an Irish mafia and crooked politicians in association with the Windy City, which at times gave the show an air of a 1940s police movie melodrama.

But it was Jason Clarke as Wysocki that provided the spark, controlling the atmosphere with a believable spin as the moral and streetwise cop. This is in contrast to his partner played by Matt Lauria, who was a bit too pretty-boy to imagine as a police detective. Jennifer Beals was still finding her character in the pilot, not expressing initially enough heft and fortitude in the superintendent role. But she is a Chicago native, and it was fun to hear that south side accent come out.

The multi-layered narrative and style of story rendering is strong. It is established early that Delroy Lindo’s Alderman Gibbon’s is corrupt, but his power keeps him above the fray. This sets up an interesting cat-and-mouse game between his office and the superintendent’s task force. Director Charles McDougall makes nice use of compact flashbacks to reveal the back story of characters, which allows for immediate empathy. The pace of the pilot episode is a bit quick, with some auctioneer style line readings, yet it maintains a decent integrity.

Partners in Crime Fighting: Matt Lauria and Jason Clarke of ‘The Chicago Code’
Photo Credit: Peter Sorel/Fox

The city of Chicago itself is used quite effectively. For every cliché wide shot of the skyline and the el train, there is some nice neighborhood stuff, mostly in the environs of the foreclosed apartments and vacant lots on the west and south sides. Some funny Cubs vs. White Sox banter is displayed, with Wysocki of course being the Sox fan having some choice words for his partner’s love of the Cubbies.

Hopefully, show creator Shawn Ryan (who previously produced “The Shield”) can evolve “The Chicago Code” into its own identity and establish some variation in the cop drama, in time to create some body and soul for the City of Big Shoulders.

”The Chicago Code” premieres Monday, February 7th at 9pm EST/8pm CST on Fox TV. Check local listings for channel location. Featuring Delroy Lindo, Billy Lush, Matt Lauria, Jennifer Beals and Jason Clarke, produced by Nicholas Bradley, Tim Minear and Shawn Ryan.

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