CHICAGO – From villain to anti-hero to homoerotic fan fiction icon, Loki has traveled a long way from the greasy-haired megalomaniac we have come to love. For most of his cinematic character development, Loki has been a foil to Thor’s massive himbo (n.: a very attractive, often beefy male who isn’t the brightest bulb, but is still able to shine because of his good-natured attitude and respect for women. Male version of a “bimbo”) energy.
Keira Knightley
‘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.
‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ is Beautiful, But Broken
Submitted by JonHC on November 1, 2018 - 3:53pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Film has always felt like a much more accessible way to get cultured than, say, going to watch a play or opera. Watching a foreign film can educate you about the world and history as well as any play. “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” promised that kind of experience, but your time is better served catching the actual ballet at a local theater instead.
Keira Knightley is Ahead of Her Times as ‘Colette’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 28, 2018 - 10:01amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The maturation of Keira Knightley… from ‘Bend it Like Beckham” to “Pride and Prejudice” to the current “Colette,” has had the actor delivering an evolving depth and purpose to her roles. The latest is a fantastic overview of an ahead-of-her-time French novelist, as the rest of society tried to catch up.
A Lost WWII Hero Remembered in Slick Thriller ‘The Imitation Game’
Submitted by NickHC on December 13, 2014 - 2:35pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The heroism of World War II codebreaker Alan Turing has been lost in time. Partly due to the secrecy of his mission within the British military in World War II, but also because of the intolerance that erased him soon after his incredible accomplishments. The story of Turing, a man who helped the Allies win the war but was then persecuted for his closeted homosexuality, is given a long-overdue major feature treatment.
‘Laggies’ Lags Behind With Connect-the-Dots Story
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 7, 2014 - 12:27pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Apparently “Laggies” is a term which does mean one is “lagging behind” in the growing-up-to-be-an-adult requirement. The term is the title of a new comedy, which places the main character in a high concept situation, which only resides in the parallel universe of movieland.
Character Reboot ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ Pales as Compared to Masterful Predecessors
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on January 18, 2014 - 7:26pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s been 12 years since we’ve seen Tom Clancy’s masterful, Jason Bourne-esque character Jack Ryan in 2002’s “The Sum of All Fears” (led by Ben Affleck), which itself was a character reboot. We first saw Jack in 1990’s “The Hunt For Red October” as Alec Baldwin and then twice in the body of Harrison Ford with 1992’s “Patriot Games” and 1994’s “Clear and Present Danger”.
‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ Can’t Find Honest Emotion
Submitted by BrianTT on June 22, 2012 - 11:12amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Lorene Scafaria’s “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is a manipulative mess that’s only slightly redeemed by yet-another engaging performance from one of the best actresses of her generation. Even the always-great Keira Knightley can’t hold back the deluge of clichés and false characters that drag this piece down into the kind of dreck that would be universally derided if it just had the name “Nicholas Sparks Presents” in front of it.
David Cronenberg’s ‘A Dangerous Method’ Needed More Risk
Submitted by BrianTT on December 16, 2011 - 3:07pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are glimpses of actual danger in David Cronenberg’s divisive “A Dangerous Method” with Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, and Keira Knightley, and the film has a lingering power as it’s easy to roll around your brain and contemplate its themes, but I wanted a bit more actual risk to the filmmaking. Easily the masterful director’s most straightforward work in some time (possibly ever), this is a worthwhile piece that nonetheless disappoints in the context of the rest of his filmography.
