CHICAGO – It is Chicago where New York City native Harry Wood is debuting his first play, entitled “Roast,” through The Comrades theater company at the Greenhouse Theater Center. The comic drama, about a gathering of stand up comics and relatives to “roast” – rather than eulogize – a deceased fellow comedian, is a World Premiere that runs through August 18th, 2019. For tickets and more information, click here.
Germany
‘The Aftermath’ is Strained & Illicit Romance During War
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 26, 2019 - 10:07am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the roots of the sexual revolution in America was World War II (as it was the roots of many social movements). The stakes of life and death in an instant motivates the softest of puppy love to passion. “The Aftermath” takes that time honored emotional intensity into a right-after-the-war romance.
Inflammatory ‘In the Fade’ is the State of Our Now
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 25, 2018 - 10:05am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In one of the more truthful and contemporary films of 2017, “In the Fade” is a German/French production about the fallout due to a terrorist act. What it also emphasizes is the generated hatred, frustration and waste of such acts, and its textual story is stunning and distressing.
Heroics of ‘Dunkirk’ Portrayed Ardently & Humanely
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 19, 2017 - 8:25am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – War is hell, even in “The Good War.” The early days of World War II were a desperate time for the British, and the events of “Dunkirk” were largely about loss, yet mostly about inspiration. Director Christopher Nolan gives his film a grand cinematic treatment, evoking an era that has mostly faded away.
Joy of Life Expands When Meeting ‘Toni Erdmann’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 30, 2017 - 10:37amRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If you need a little cinema therapy, it doesn’t get any better than “Toni Erdmann.” This subtle story builds to generate a joyful feeling, which defines the small-but-important survival guides for this thing called life. Writer/director Maren Ade has delivered the goods, and the film is nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards.
‘Unfinished Business’ is an Unfunny Vocation
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 6, 2015 - 6:23pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Have you ever seen a film where they throw everything against a wall to see what sticks? The appropriately titled “Unfinished Business” is a throwing machine, taking the flimsy premise of a business trip and using it as an excuse for a splattering of jokes that mostly don’t work.
More is Preferred in ‘Love is All You Need’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 10, 2013 - 5:48pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Creating the lofty name for this film, “Love is All You Need” – from a translation of its original title, “Den skaldede friser” – is intently ambitious considering its source is a lyric from one of The Beatles most famous songs. The film has its moments, but cannot sustain itself in a stew of high drama and mixed emotions.
Director Wim Wenders Celebrates Choreographer in 3-D ‘Pina’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 20, 2012 - 12:13pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Director Wim Wenders, famous for his magical takes on life and love in “Wings of Desire” and “Until the End of the World,” brings that same enchantment through a 3-D documentary about a rebellious and unusual German choreographer named Pina Bausch in “Pina.”
