‘Lucky You’ vs. ‘Rounders’: Bana is No Norton, Duvall is No Malkovich
CHICAGO– “Lucky You” undoes what “Rounders” did right.In the 1998 masterpiece, Matt Damon and Edward Norton exquisitely depict all that is divine about the game of Texas Hold ‘Em for rookies and old...
View ArticleDespite Daring Genre, ‘3:10 to Yuma’ Packs Powerhouse Acting With Fragmentary...
CHICAGO– Had you asked me to tag “3:10 to Yuma” before I screened it, you’d think me a bumbling idiot because I had absolutely no clue what to expect. I was scratching my head not because of lice but...
View ArticleAdam Sandler, Seth Rogen Star in Ambitious But Flawed ‘Funny People’
Rating: 3.0/5.0CHICAGO– Judd Apatow’s “Funny People,” starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann, is like watching a friend try out a new stand-up routine. As with a lot of attempts at trying...
View ArticleSaoirse Ronan Rocks in Joe Wright’s Riveting ‘Hanna’
Rating: 4.0/5.0CHICAGO– You won’t be able to take your eyes of Saoirse Ronan in Joe Wright’s action film “Hanna,” a visceral thrill ride that’s likely to be a more satisfying experience than most of...
View Article‘Closed Circuit’ is a Tense Reminder of Our Times
Rating: 4.0/5.0CHICAGO– The threat of terrorist acts defies security. That is a fundamental truth. With 7 billion people on the planet – and an infinite number of motivations within them – all the...
View ArticlePeter Berg’s Brutal ‘Lone Survivor’ Lacks Context
Rating: 2.5/5.0Imagine a version of “Saving Private Ryan” that takes place entirely on the beaches of Normandy. It would have a visceral power purely through the horror of the recreation of war....
View Article‘Deliver Us From Evil’ Goes Straight for the Jugular
Rating: 4.0/5.0CHICAGO– “Deliver Us from Evil” is director Scott Derrickson’s second foray into possession horror. His first, the excellent “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” was taut, thoughtful and...
View Article‘Into the Storm’ Maybe Needs Some Sharks
Rating: 2.5/5.0CHICAGO– What is there to say about a movie whose chief attraction lies in action set pieces involving CGI tornadoes? You either like this sort of thing or you don’t. I took my ten year...
View Article‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ is a Dull, Magicless Bore
Rating: 1.5/5.0CHICAGO– Have you ever had such a bad case of déjà vu while watching a film that trying to remember where the familiar elements are from turns into a more enjoyable experience than...
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