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+.
Focus Features
Tina Fey Difficult to Get Into in ‘Admission’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 22, 2013 - 2:14am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tina Fey, love her. Paul Rudd, like his work, he’s a Judd Apatow guy. Wallace Shawn in “The Princess Bride,” exquisite. Lily Tomlin is a comedy legend. All these great and interesting performers participated in “Admission,” for which they all get an “F.”
Gus Van Sant’s ‘Promised Land’ Breaks Promise to Audiences
Submitted by mattmovieman on December 28, 2012 - 5:32pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When a Gus Van Sant picture works well, it can be as rousing as “Milk” or as thrillingly experimental as “Elephant.” Few filmmakers have straddled the mainstream and independent realms with such success (Steven Soderbergh would be another). But when a Van Sant film fails, it often fails spectacularly, as proven by “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” and that notoriously pointless “Psycho” remake.
Awkward History Mars ‘Hyde Park on the Hudson’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 14, 2012 - 7:52pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Franklin Delano Roosevelt – father of the New Deal, leader through the Depression, war president – and according to the new film “Hyde Park on the Hudson,” he’s horny, baby. Bill Murray portrays FDR, with support from Laura Linney, Samuel West and Olivia Williams.
Brilliant Staging Bolsters Emotionally Hollow ‘Anna Karenina’
Submitted by mattmovieman on November 16, 2012 - 9:22amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Though cinema is first and foremost a visual medium, too many modern directors have become prone to using it as a stage for long-winded exposition. No matter how polished the lensing is in a film like David Fincher’s “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” remake, the picture basically amounts to a series of dense dialogue passages interrupted by violence.
‘For a Good Time, Call...’ Has a Stellar Ringtone
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 31, 2012 - 8:05am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Rising above the usual romantic comedy dreck is an admirable achievement in today’s film landscape. “For a Good Time, Call…” is not only funny and unconventional, but focuses on the relationship between the two lead woman characters, portrayed by Lauren Miller and Ari Graynor.
Robert De Niro Triumphs Again in ‘Being Flynn’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 9, 2012 - 6:09pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The intensity that Robert De Niro puts into his movie characters had slackened a bit, as he bent his reputation on more commercial roles. But Director Paul Weitz has revived the old legend with a meaty, purposeful character, and De Niro delivers it with his old fire. ‘Being Flynn’ is not a comeback, but a gratefully received reboot.
Honest, Precisely Acted ‘Pariah’ is Passionate Filmmaking
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 6, 2012 - 9:19amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The exploration of culture, so tied to class and social standing, is not explored too often in mainstream films. In 2009, there was “Precious,” and this year the stand out is “Pariah.” Writer/director Dee Rees formulates a passionate story about a racial/social/orientation fish out of water.
Stoic Gary Oldman Uncovers ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 16, 2011 - 7:16am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Espionage sure isn’t like it used to be. The new film “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” is set during the Cold War period of the early 1970s, when lines were drawn by their proximity in front of and behind the Iron Curtain. Gary Oldman plays an old British spook in this thriller adapted from the famous John le Carré novel.
Performance of Exemplary Cast Collects on ‘The Debt’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 31, 2011 - 6:54amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Re-imagining, almost re-engaging the evil of the Holocaust has been thoroughly examined in film for years. “The Debt” looks at another angle, that of revenge and how much that revenge can wreak havoc on the truth.
Romantic Coupling of ‘One Day’ Rises Above Average
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 19, 2011 - 11:25amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the sure hands of director Lone Scherfig, the underrated film “An Education” brought Carey Mulligan to full light. Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess generate similar radiance in Scherfig’s new film, “One Day.”
