Paris

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on July 14th, reviewing “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” the adventures of a British cleaning lady when she decides to wish upon a dream, in theaters on July 15th.

CHICAGO – There’s something to be said for a well done ass kicker in January that provides an entertaining distraction from the ice and snow outside. “The 355” is not it, offering a typical quick cutting action thriller that plods along in the most formulaic and least exciting manner possible. There’s nothing in this movie that hasn’t been done to death already.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on the new documentary about the art world, “The Lost Leonardo,” in select theaters, including Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, on August 27th, 2021.

CHICAGO – At the point HollywoodChicago.com last talked to author Lorraine Evanoff, it was during the summer reading season, during the time her latest novel “Pinot Noir” – the second novel featuring financial sleuth Louise Moscow – was winning awards and appearing on best seller lists.

CHICAGO – It’s no mystery that author Lorraine Evanoff – who just released her second “Louise Moscow Novel,” entitled “Pinot Noir” – loves the genre of intrigue, for her life has mirrored the adventures of her fictional super spy character. Where Louise Moscow begins is where Lorraine Evanoff has been.

CHICAGO – It comes down to this. After the weeks of preparation, filming and post production judging, the local edition of the international 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) competition culminates with their “Best of Chicago” and Awards Ceremony. The 2019 films – created in 48 hours, then whittled down to the finalists – will be screened before the awards ceremonies beginning at 7:00pm, Wednesday, September 25th, at the historic Music Box theater. Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com was a judge for this year’s competition, and will present an award at the ceremony. For film line-ups and ticket information, click here.

CHICAGO – “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is remarkably light on its feet considering it takes place in the wake of the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” After the five year period between finger snaps which is now referred to as “the blip,” Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and some of his classmates have returned the same age, while everyone else has gotten five years older.

CHICAGO – In any ear for pop culture, the name Rudolf Nureyev is well known. A Soviet Russian-born ballet virtuoso nicknamed “Lord of the Dance,” RN lived large until he died, of complications due to AIDS at age 54 in 1993. But before that, he was born into poverty, danced into fame, and historically defected to the West in 1961. “The White Crow,” a new film directed by Ralph Fiennes, tells his story.

CHICAGO – What if a new fascism were to sweep the land, and affects Paris, as it did in World War 2? “Transit” postulates on that very theory and creates a paranoid atmosphere that is stunningly real, but brings that emotion to a conclusion that I believe is redundant, and pretends to be deeper than it is.

CHICAGO – The maturation of Keira Knightley… from ‘Bend it Like Beckham” to “Pride and Prejudice” to the current “Colette,” has had the actor delivering an evolving depth and purpose to her roles. The latest is a fantastic overview of an ahead-of-her-time French novelist, as the rest of society tried to catch up.