CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Isabelle Huppert
French Bliss! On-Air Film Review of ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 15, 2022 - 7:58am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
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.
No Bogarting! Audio Review of ‘Mama Weed’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 16, 2021 - 3:40pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on the new film “Mama Weed,” a French Film distributed by Music Box Films of Chicago. In select theaters including Music Box Theatre beginning July 16th, 2021, and through Video On Demand July 23rd.
Familiar Scares of ‘Greta’ Has Too Many Plot Holes
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 1, 2019 - 5:49pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Admittedly, horror films are not my thing. I find them redundant, pandering and more reliant on gore rather than story. “Greta” is somewhat of a thriller horror film, about an older lady stalker preying on a younger New York City woman, but it had both a seen-it-before and unreliable plot.
Lives Interact in ‘The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 22, 2014 - 2:04pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There was something blank within “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them,” although it dealt with the issues of loss, family and reconciliation. The all star cast, including Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and William Hurt, add their performing spins to the story.
Colin Farrell Can’t Let Go in ‘Dead Man Down’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 9, 2013 - 11:24amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Nothing like a high concept crime story to compliment “spring forward.” Colin Farrell plays the revenge card to the nth degree in the unusual and slowly paced “Dead Man Down,” and takes Noomi Rapace (of the Swedish “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) along for the ride.
Michael Haneke’s ‘Amour’ Turns Inevitability of Death Into Art
Submitted by BrianTT on January 11, 2013 - 1:24pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the most shocking developments at yesterday’s Oscar nominations was the widespread inclusion of one of international cinema’s most controversial directors, Michael Haneke (“Caché,” “The White Ribbon”). His newest film, “Amour,” opening in Chicago theaters today, was nominated for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Picture of the Year.
Isabelle Huppert Gives Daring Performance in Excellent ‘White Material’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 19, 2010 - 2:58pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Can dedication overcome all odds? Film has taught us for years that it is the truly justified, righteous, and committed that will prevail. Of course, life is not that simple. And the films of the masterful French director Claire Denis often brilliantly portray the true complexity of life. Her newest film, “White Material,” completes an amazing 2010 one-two punch with the excellent “35 Shots of Rum” released earlier this year. She’s one of our best international filmmakers.
