You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried, and even if you could, how many people would believe you? Better yet, how many folks would offer the classic exclamatory reaction of “They need to make a movie about that!” Well, your wish has been granted for a zany tale such as this by the unpredictable, unshy, and uncompromising Roofman, starring the newly middle-aged Channing Tatum in one of the most entertaining yarns in recent memory.
Read MoreTwo founders and directors of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle felt the romantic power of "The Light Between Oceans" from director Derek Cianfrance and starring Oscar contenders Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Rachel Weisz. Enjoy the first impressions of myself andJim Alexander of The Movie Blog and The Young Folks!
Read MoreOne could say melodramas take preposterous human mistakes and play them for dramatic effect. They challenge the audience to interpret how you would act defiantly or morally differently in the same situation. These films do so while still compelling you watch in hope for any semblance of a happy ending. To understand “The Light Between Oceans” is to understand melodrama. The themes of melodramatic journeys are meant to be arduous. In the medium of film, the clinchers that aid in the ability to embrace and appreciate a melodrama are its tone and the acting performances. “The Light Between Oceans” flourishes to accomplish both benchmarks.
Read MoreDue entirely to his talent and appeal, two hours of Bradley-being-Bradley works and the film will rightly entertain at an acceptable superficial level. The subject is simple and the the risk is low. The food is pretty, the ensemble is smooth, and the cliches are pre-made. While "Burnt" offers a flourish or two to spark a little extra entertainment, it is far from the grass roots personal touch and smaller scale passion that was Favreau's "Chef" a year ago. "Burnt" is, in essence, more elitist and that requires you to be impressed, but only at a distance.
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