Melanie Laurent

CHICAGO – Boasting a big star ensemble cast, and themes of magical realism and misdirection, “Now You See Me” is an overdone, too-clever-for-its-own-good fantasy with some entertaining tricks.

CHICAGO – Mike Mills’ “Beginners” is a deeply personal piece, a drama about how one man’s choice to end his life in love and happiness impacted his son’s previously-stunted attempts at romance. It’s the kind of story that would make for great fiction but makes for merely average cinema, in no small part due to the fact that so much of the progression of its central character is internal. A stellar supporting turn by living legend Christopher Plummer helps to ground the piece, but the flawed script keeps the overall project from truly graduating.

CHICAGO – When the matriarch of a family dies, the void can create dynamic shifts or imbalance for those left behind. Pair that turmoil with the announcement that a surviving father is gay, and the atmosphere is created for the new film “Beginners.”

CHICAGO – What would be the circumstance if after a mother dies, the father suddenly comes out as a gay? Writer/director Mike Mills had that situation occur, and created the new film “Beginners,” featuring Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor.

CHICAGO – If only there were more filmmakers with visions as unique as “Inglourious Basterds” and the guts to put their reputation on the line. Thriller, drama, comedy, action film, and a slice of revisionist history that plays as a modern revenge fantasy, “Inglourious Basterds” plays even better the second time through and shines with a fantastic Blu-Ray release. It’s a total blast.

CHICAGO – What truly distinguishes Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” from the cookie-cutter marketplace also makes its impact incredibly difficult to put into words.

CHICAGO – Writer and director Quentin Tarantino posed with his new career achievement award for the HollywoodChicago.com lens on Aug. 18, 2009 at the summer gala for the 45th-annual Chicago International Film Festival premiere of his new film “Inglourious Basterds”.