CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Jim Broadbent
Film Review: ‘Cloud Atlas’ Reaches For the Sky But Loses Its Way
Submitted by BrianTT on October 25, 2012 - 3:46pmCHICAGO – Not all great works of literature make great works of film. David Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas” is a masterpiece but Tom Tykwer, Andy & Lana Wachowksi’s “Cloud Atlas” is definitely not. It is an ambitious work with many of Mitchell’s fascinating ideas about the ripple effect of emotion through time left intact but it is a work that frustrates as often as it thrills.
Blu-ray Review: ‘The Iron Lady’ Wastes Meryl Streep’s Brilliant Portrayal
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 17, 2012 - 8:34amCHICAGO – The best scene in Phyllida Lloyd’s biopic, “The Iron Lady,” takes place in a doctor’s office as former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher insists that she’s doing perfectly well, thank you very much. The bullheaded determination that fueled her spectacular success and garnered a fiery backlash has now manifested itself in her elderly years as a warm but firm stubbornness.
Film Review: Meryl Streep Accentuates Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Iron Lady’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 14, 2012 - 4:12amCHICAGO – It would be a cheap jab to say that “The Iron Lady” is a drag version of “J. Edgar,” and also redundant (hyy-ooh). Meryl Streep takes on the role of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, with a dreamy and vague interpretation of the PM’s life that at times feels like it’s told through the wrong end of a telescope.
Film Review: Aardman Studios Offers a Merry ‘Arthur Christmas’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 23, 2011 - 4:55pmCHICAGO – Aardman Studios, the creators of the irrepressible “Wallace & Gromit” and the witty “Flushed Away” is back with another animated holiday treat, “Arthur Christmas.” Santa Claus and the gang are taken into the modern era, but the cheeky lads/lasses at Aardman can’t help but throw in a bit of whimsy and heart.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Topsy-Turvy,’ ‘The Mikado’ Join Criterion Collection Together
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2011 - 2:02pmCHICAGO – Leave it to The Criterion Collection to not just perfectly remaster one of the most acclaimed films of the ’90s but to take its ancestor, the film version of the play in which the modern classic centers around, and give it a similarly remarkable treatment. Fans of Mike Leigh’s “Topsy-Turvy” will adore the new Criterion edition, available now on DVD and Blu-ray, but they should also pick up “The Mikado” to see the inspirational musical in its entirety.
Film Review: Mike Leigh Finds Heartbreak in Humanity of ‘Another Year’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 14, 2011 - 10:17amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Mike Leigh (“Happy-Go-Lucky,” “Vera Drake”) has long ago been correctly-labeled as one of our most remarkably-attuned writer/directors when it comes to capturing the tragedy of the everyday human condition on film. His latest work, “Another Year,” may seem like just another slice of life and it’s certainly not the drama to see if you need fancy hooks with your popcorn, but realistically presenting the highs and sadness of an unfulfilled life is much harder than it looks.
Blu-Ray Review: Beautifully Designed Drama of ‘The Young Victoria’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 30, 2010 - 9:56amCHICAGO – The end of April and beginning of May has produced an onslaught of 2009 Oscar winners and nominees on Blu-ray including “Avatar,” “Crazy Heart,” “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” “Nine,” and Oscar winner for Best Costume Design, “The Young Victoria”.
Emily Blunt is the Girl Who Would Be Queen in ‘The Young Victoria’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 18, 2009 - 9:03amCHICAGO – One of the functions of royalty seems to be an expected adoration from the peasants. Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend and Paul Bettany offer their interpretation on a monarch’s origins with “The Young Victoria.”
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ Looks Amazing in HD
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2009 - 4:04pmCHICAGO – “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is one of the most visually striking films of a year filled with achievements in great cinematography. I love Deakins’ work on “A Serious Man,” Richardson’s on “Inglourious Basterds,” and Christian Berger’s on “The White Ribbon,” but Bruno Delbonnel (who also lensed “Amelie”) has helped produce one of the most aesthetically remarkable films of the year, easily the most interesting interplay of shadow and light yet seen in a “Potter” film. Naturally, it makes for a great fit with the 1080p of Blu-Ray.
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ Discovers the Wizard of Awe
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 14, 2009 - 9:28amCHICAGO – The Harry Potter phenomenon, born from the pen of J.K. Rowling and nurtured through the utter magic of modern filmmaking, has reached a monumental creative peak with the film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”