Review: Filmmaker Brian De Palma Brings Nothing New, Interesting to Domino
I don’t want Brian De Palma to stop making movies, not ever. But I also don’t want him making movies like Domino, his latest work that is such a retread […]
Review: Music Takes Center Stage Telling Elton John’s Story in Rocketman
I’ve already spotted think-pieces about the Elton John biopic Rocketman that break down scenes from the movie and declare them truthful or not, and after you see the film, you’ll […]
Review: Godzilla: King of the Monsters Makes for a Solid Addition to the Monster Movie Canon
In a way, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the film that shows us that Warner Bros., the makers of 2014’s Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, are fully committed […]
Review: Author, Auteur John Waters and the Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder
Iconoclastic film- and filth-maker John Waters told interviewer Michael Phillips that the first time he came to Chicago was with a “drive-away” car. He couldn’t believe a stranger trusted him […]
Review: Walking on Water Reveals Grand Art to be a Great Headache
The scope and scale of the public art created by Christo and Jeanne-Claude is undeniable; for decades, the artists (and spouses) inspired awe and wonder around the world, with installations […]
Review: Non-Fiction is a Modern Comedy That Moves Fast, Says Quite a Lot
With popcorn buttered and perfect seats secured at the movie theater this weekend, you might want to buckle in before the previews end and Olivier Assayas’s latest, Non-Fiction, begins. Because once […]
Review: “Game of Thrones” Series Finale Shocks, Impresses With Profoundly Sad, Immensely Satisfying Ending
Major spoilers follow. Seriously. You’ve been warned. The final episode of “Game of Thrones” begins how it should: in silence. It’s a thoughtful silence, one that both reflects—and objects—on behalf […]
Chicago Critics Film Festival Brings One Solid Week of Films to Music Box Theatre
On Friday, a week of films kicks off at Music Box Theatre that could only have been curated by people who know a thing or two about what they’re doing. […]
Review: All Creatures Here Below Explores a Tragic, Captivating Relationship
I can absolutely understand people not responding well to the second feature from the writing/directing team of David Dastmalchian and Collin Schiffi, who last made the bleak and haunting Animals, […]
Review: A Gripping True-Life Crime Drama in Trial By Fire
In a time when some of the most compellingly filmed dramas are found on television or some streaming service or another, it felt like a bit of an adjustment watching […]
Review: Life Struggles and New Romance is Just OK in The Sun is Also a Star
I genuinely love a good, grown-up romance film. I’m not talking about rom-coms, and you damn well better know the difference. But lately most of the attempts at genuine, heartfelt, […]
Review: Not Much Develops in Photograph
The best moment in The Lunchbox, the insanely underrated 2013 film by Ritesh Batra about a homemaker whose warm lunches end up getting delivered to a stranger, is the ending. […]