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+.
Emily Blunt
Wondrous Last Act for Hayao Miyazaki in ‘The Wind Rises’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 1, 2014 - 9:54am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The master animator and film legend Hayao Miyazaki (“Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke”) announced his retirement after his latest film, “The Wind Rises.” He is often called “Japan’s Walt Disney,” but there is more to him then that, a soul and a mystery that is revealed in the stages of his animated art, and his contribution to artistic culture will continue to influence for generations to come. “The Wind Rises” is nominated for Best Animated Film at the 2014 Academy Awards.
Phony Emotional Connections Trip Up ‘Arthur Newman’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 26, 2013 - 8:41pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In what could be subtitled, “The Challenge of American Accents,” the new release “Arthur Newman” has a laugh-inducing U.S. inflection face-off between Brits Colin Firth and Emily Blunt. Amid that obstacle, there is a lame road picture that emotionally is false, and makes no sense.
Stunning, Creative Vision of ‘Looper’ with Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Submitted by BrianTT on September 6, 2012 - 9:41pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s so refreshing to see a talented filmmaker that has been allowed to bring his unique vision to the screen without compromise. You know the feeling when you’re watching a product of a marketing focus group or producer interference and when you’re seeing something fresh, new, and personal.
Great Trio Elevates Lynn Shelton’s ‘Your Sister’s Sister’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 15, 2012 - 10:35am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Lynn Shelton’s “Your Sister’s Sister” is a character-driven piece about hidden feelings and complex relationships. Like her work on “Humpday,” Shelton has a keen ear for the way people alter their behavior as their dynamics with other people continue to shift, often in a sexual direction. When a close friend suddenly looks like something more, when a long-term relationship seems to be falling apart, when a sibling may have betrayed you – Shelton’s gift as a filmmaker is how she can traverse these emotional minefields while still staying true to her characters.
Darkly Comic Jason Segel in ‘The Five-Year Engagement’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 27, 2012 - 7:29am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are some major laughs in “The Five-Year Engagement,” good old fashion you-can’t-breathe laughs. But it is also dark and serious at times, and makes some surprising contemporary statements regarding coupling. Jason Segel and Emily Blunt portray the engaged couple.
Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt Flounder in ‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 9, 2012 - 4:59pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Often when novels with quirky titles get made into films, all that is left of the quirk is the name on the cover. That is exactly what has happened to “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” a tome authored by Paul Torday, and reduced to torpid blandness by director Lasse Hallstrøm.
Chemistry of Matt Damon, Emily Blunt Drives ‘The Adjustment Bureau’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 3, 2011 - 8:31pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – George Nolfi’s “The Adjustment Bureau,” starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, is a nearly-great movie, a rare piece that merges romance and science fiction into something that is at-times mesmerizing. A few hiccups in the screenwriting late in the film hold it back from its true potential but this is still worth a look for genre fans and even those usually uninterested in the genre.
‘Gnomeo & Juliet’ Charms With Music of Elton John
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 11, 2011 - 4:05pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As movie animation domination continues, “Gnomeo and Juliet” throws its stone cap into the ring, and has a lively story that tweaks it source, while respecting its power. James McAvoy and Emily Blunt are the voices of the star-crossed lovers, with the addition of familiar vocals from Michael Caine and Ozzy Osbourne, among others.
Jack Black, Emily Blunt Think Big in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 24, 2010 - 11:00amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Call it too much holiday eggnog, but the re-imagining of the immortal classic “Gulliver’s Travels,’ starring Jack Black, Emily Blunt and Jason Segal, has a little Yuletide fun and hurts no one. If you like Jack Black, you’ll enjoy the film. If you don’t, find another way to spend 93 minutes this tinsel time weekend.
‘The Wolfman’ With Benicio Del Toro Misses By a Hair
Submitted by BrianTT on February 14, 2010 - 2:02pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Joe Johnston’s “The Wolfman” nearly works. The Benicio Del Toro vehicle has a strong supporting cast, a few striking visual compositions, and at least one must-see sequence, but it misses the mark as a complete film, never quite as compelling or entertaining as it could or should have been.
