MOVIE REVIEW: Belfast

All of these lessons centered on Buddy’s experiences speak to the greater hopeful streak of generational bonds at the heart of the film. Backed by a soundtrack of reminiscent Van Morrison songs, the exit emotions of Belfast strike terrific chords for the power of home beyond brick and mortar. Branagh’s movie closes with a three-pronged tribute of “For the ones who stayed,” “For the ones who left,” and “For all the ones who were lost” as it transitions back to a current Northern Ireland where the healing has regenerated a viable city and region.

2021, 5 STARS, Chicago Film Festival, Film Festival, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 23, 2021Belfast, Kenneth BranaghComment

MOVIE REVIEW: King Richard

Almost predictably, some folks are not going to key into the bold messages of King Richard. What’s cloying for some is exactly the rightful heft and positive intentions for others. Even if the movie is too long in its gradual sculpture of its future stars, the movie means to inspire and has the perfect popular subjects for celebration to do just that. King Richard will mean something, and that’s the greater success than filmmaking. There’s too much good truth to share, both in the biographical department and in the familial saga of prime life lessons. Once again, passing on it all would be a mistake.

2021, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanNovember 19, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Ghostbusters: Afterlife

In true Ghostbusters fashion, the climax of this long-distance sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife is enveloped in foreboding dark clouds. People either cower at their sight or take initiative to save the day and the greater world. Those haunted thunderheads and the characters making those resolute choices might as well symbolically match the judgment and dread that’s building for this holiday blockbuster. Some folks are going to find rainbows, which may or may not be made out of proton streams, in those clouds and others will just see a swirling mess.

2021, 3 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 18, 2021Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters: AfterlifeComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Spencer

Try as she may, though, I look at the woman playing Princess Diana, even with all the clear personal commitment, and all I see is Kristen Stewart. Thanks to her own natural twitches under her blonde helmet of hair, Stewart’s same agape expressions and same exasperating line deliveries land a lip bite or two away from showing us it’s more her than who’s she playing.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Chicago Film Festival, Film Festival, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 4, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Eternals

The grandiose convergence of mythic themes is all the talk of Eternals. It not so softly preaches the specialness of the planet and its people in the larger realm of existence where the exchange of energy at the end of one life begins another. Such heady motivations, coupled with heroism, is a lovely core away from the usual costumed good vs. evil throwdowns, but it’s very, very profuse, complete with all of the intergalactic gibberish in between.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanOctober 29, 2021AMC River East 21Eternals, Chloe ZhaoComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Last Night in Soho

All of the nimbleness from swimming in time-bending nightmares gets washed away by a present with little mystery to match. It’s odd to call an Edgar Wright film somewhat slow in pacing, yet here we are feeling drag when the pizazz is either turned off or soured by the ickiness. A level of extra oomph and shock is missing for the viewer. What was sensationally painted to linger doesn’t get the fullest chance to stain and sear more than just pretty clothes.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanOctober 28, 2021AMC River East 21Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Harder They Fall

Readying its eager and loose dramatic license, the opening message of The Harder They Fall begins with “While the events of this story are fictional…” and changes to proclaim “These. People. Existed.” fading in one word at a time with those table-slamming periods. Consider that an emphatic shout to be heard that is louder than any broken bone or gunshot that follows in this Netflix release. The indignation seething from this movie is warranted and gladly received.

MOVIE REVIEW: Dune

All can be asked in a simpler way. Can the melodramatic be made mythic and can the gaudy be made truly grand? Do that and you’ve got the fans and the newbies. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune moves a great many things in spectacular fashion: sand, swords, aircraft, plots, necks, eardrums, eyelids, and more. For all its triumphant fury, what Dune doesn’t move is the heart. That is the unconquered core barrier that remains unshaken. Golly, do we ever have a jaw-dropping and cold movie!

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Chicago Film Festival, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanOctober 20, 2021Music Box TheatreComment

MOVIE REVIEW: South of Heaven

Anyone who’s watched Sudeikis knows the Everyman archetype suits his charm and talent. The independent film South of Heaven from Big Bad Wolves director Aharon Keshales challenges Jason to take a podunk pariah that has been pushed into a corner and unravel him to commit violence to defend himself and the honor of the woman he loves against his better judgment and softhearted morals. It is indeed a very valiant turn within a movie that tailspins wide of the mark behind him.

2 STARS, 2021, Independent Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanOctober 18, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Last Duel

It is also through her side of the story, clearly a huge product of Holofcener’s storytelling contributions, where the historical behaviors in The Last Duel accurately yet problematically fly against our still-evolving modern attitudes. While Scott’s film may follow the charted multiple perspectives of Jager’s well-researched novel, folding its painful and triggering trauma three times makes for an exorbitant and unsettling movie experience.

MOVIE REVIEW: No Time to Die

Pushing new discipline, they realigned their creative engine to strip the rote and antiquated character’s foundation back down to its very studs. Progressive change was needed for a new era of geopolitical influences and a new leading man who favored toughness over suaveness. Cinematic dalliances that burned hot, moved with excitement, and extinguished themselves quickly were given depth that was previously rare or entirely dismissed.

2021, 4 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanOctober 5, 2021AMC River East 21James Bond, No Time to DieComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Venom: Let There Be Carnage

This is a comic book movie that centers on and attempts to broaden two of the most violent, powerful, and deadly villains ever to grace Marvel Comics, and what do you get? Asininity instead of menace. Venom: Let There Be Carnage feels like the cinematic equivalent of a young teenager who just learned to be brash for brash’s sake where the consequences haven’t kicked into gear. The kid curses a bunch, breaks stuff, and tries to sound all tough only to always come out looking like a clown, complete with a retreaded Iron Man 2 party scene of stage-stealing and mic-dropping cringe.

2 STARS, 2021, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanSeptember 30, 2021VenomComment