Review: A Slightly Dark Mystery Gets Weird in The Death of Dick Long
Well that was unexpected. Written by Billy Chew and directed by Daniel Scheinert (one half of the Swiss Army Man directing team “Daniels”), The Death of Dick Long is a […]
Review: Britt-Marie Was Here is a Sweet Swedish Story of Starting Over
Three years ago, a wonderful little Swedish film called A Man Called Ove was released in the U.S., and as far as art-house films go, it found a sizable audience […]
Review: Not Quite a Rom-Com, A Faithful Man is a Parisian Treat
If a trip to Paris isn’t in the books this weekend, consider escaping to the Siskel Film Center for a screening of A Faithful Man, a 75-minute romantic comedy of errors […]
Review: An Eclectic Mix Delights in Sundance’s Short Film Tour
Just last week, the Chicago International Film Festival announced its line-up for their 55th edition; happening October 17-26, look for in-depth coverage on your hometown festival in the coming weeks […]
Review: Monos is a Visceral, Visually Captivating Portrait of Adolescence and Survival
Like reading books or wandering an art gallery, one of the best aspects of film is its ability to transport us to worlds and experiences that we’d never otherwise experience […]
Review: Photographer Jay Maisel Ruminates on Art, Collections and Life in Jay Myself
For some reason, when I finally figured out that the title of this documentary on influential photographer Jay Maisel was based on a mishearing of his name, that amused me […]
Review: Brad Pitt at His Best in a Visually Stunning Ad Astra
It’s a helluva year to be Brad Pitt. He’ll go a couple years sometimes without making a movie, and then spring to life as he has this year with the […]
Review: Familiar Faces—and That Familiar Charm—Return in Downton Abbey
Editor’s Note: minor spoilers for the “Downton Abbey” television series follow, in order to relate the new film to the narrative’s larger arc. As difficult as it is to imagine […]
Review: A Chaotic Give Me Liberty Finds the Heart of the Matter
A sure sign of a film’s impact is finding oneself thinking back to scenes, moments or certain lines of dialogue long after seeing it. Such is the case with Kirill […]
Review: Writer and Pundit Molly Ivins Gets the Last Word in Raise Hell
From first-time feature director Janice Engel, Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins is that rare documentary that might have more of an impact on someone unfamiliar with […]
Review: Film Adaptation of The Goldfinch Loses Far Too Much in Translation
Oh, this one is shit. I don’t care how many Pulitzer Prizes the book (from author Donna Tartt) may have won or how critically acclaimed it is. This movie adaptation […]
Review: The Life and Music of Linda Ronstadt in Sound of My Voice
It was only four or five years ago that I rediscovered my childhood love of the music of Linda Ronstadt, fueled by the purchase of a couple CD volumes of […]