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+.
Brian Tallerico
‘Anvil! The Story of Anvil’ is Best Documentary of 2009 to Date
Submitted by BrianTT on April 23, 2009 - 4:28pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Abramorama’s “Anvil!: The Story of Anvil” has been building buzz nearly as loud as the heavy metal featured in this excellent documentary, the best of the year so far and such a good film that I can nearly guarantee that you won’t see a better doc for the next eight months.
Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck Bring Spark to Mediocre ‘State of Play’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 17, 2009 - 1:21am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I’ll be the first critic to tell you that they don’t make adult thrillers often enough. I was very disappointed by the lackluster box office take of Tony Gilroy’s ” Duplicity”. But does that mean that we should give all intellectual mysteries a pass? Of course not. And while I want to love Kevin Macdonald’s “State of Play,” a few poor decisions during production keep it back from being the excellent film it could have been.
Seth Rogen Delivers in Controversial, Hilarious ‘Observe and Report’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 10, 2009 - 12:09pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The hysterically misleading TV spots for Jody Hill’s “Observe and Report” make it out to look like another broad comedy that might even have a cute romance between stars Seth Rogen and Anna Faris. There’s nothing cute or predictable about “Observe and Report”. And that’s precisely why it works.
‘Fast & Furious’ With Vin Diesel, Paul Walker is Loud, Boring, Useless Drivel
Submitted by BrianTT on April 3, 2009 - 11:58am Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It took eight years to reunite the cast of the original “The Fast and the Furious” - Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and Michelle Rodriguez. What’s changed in that time? The franchise lost two articles and gained an ampersand. Maybe the next film will simply be called “F F”. I can think of one word that starts with ‘F’ that certainly applies to the latest film - failure.
DreamWorks’ ‘Monsters vs. Aliens’ Has Great 3D Concept, But Falls Flat
Submitted by BrianTT on March 27, 2009 - 12:09pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Hasn’t Pixar proven that animation can be more than just concept and celebrity voice work? The problem with “Monsters vs. Aliens” is that the team behind it clearly prioritized nearly every element of the film over actual storytelling.
Ramin Bahrani’s ‘Goodbye Solo’ Stands Alone So Far in 2009
Submitted by BrianTT on March 27, 2009 - 11:16amRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There were a few great films of late 2008 that weren’t widely released until early this year including “Waltz With Bashir” and “Che,” but Ramin Bahrani’s “Goodbye Solo” is the first truly great film of 2009.
Julia Roberts, Clive Owen Shine in Tony Gilroy’s Clever ‘Duplicity’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 20, 2009 - 11:05amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Writer/director Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”) uses words the same way horror movie directors use blood or action movie auteurs use bullets. His weapon of choice, witty repartee, is delivered wonderfully in the enjoyable, clever, charming “Duplicity,” starring Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, and Tom Wilkinson.
Amy Adams Brings the Sparkle to ‘Sunshine Cleaning’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 20, 2009 - 10:59am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Amy Adams gives a performance in Christine Jeffs’ “Sunshine Cleaning” that is not only the best actress turn of the year to date but nearly single-handedly makes the many flaws of this quirky comedy easy to overlook. It’s rare, but sometimes one talented star can make any project shine. Amy Adams is that talented.
Epic, Gorgeous ‘Everlasting Moments’ Lingers Like a Dusty Photograph
Submitted by BrianTT on March 13, 2009 - 1:33pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Jan Troell’s epic “Everlasting Moments,” a Golden Globe-nominee for Best Foreign Language Film of 2008 and Sweden’s entry in the same category for the Oscars (notoriously making “Let the Right One In” ineligible because of the stupid “one country, one movie” rule), is a haunting, beautiful movie about small, emotional movements set against a backdrop of national change.
Documentary ‘Brothers at War’ is Heartfelt But Narrow in Scope
Submitted by BrianTT on March 13, 2009 - 1:03pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The market has been flooded with documentaries about the failure of the Iraq War, which makes the arrival of a human story about real people on the ground something notable and refreshing. Sadly, Jacob Rademacher’s “Brothers at War” is as myopic as any piece of “left-wing propaganda” about the failure of the war, missing both the big picture and the human one due to its filmmaker’s refusal to ask the dark questions.
