What Funny Cow does is manage to tackle the subject of being a woman in comedy by showing a focus on the behind-the-scenes drama. Funny Cow (Maxine Peake) is a woman who looks to break into the comedy scene during the 1970s. She would continue her rise into the next decade. The film is grounded through the performances in British comedy clubs. Whether this format works is up to the viewer but I surely struggled…
"Chicago Film Fest 2018: Funny Cow"Category: Movie Reviews
Led by a career-best performance from Mary Kay Place, Diane tells the story of a Massachusetts woman who puts others before herself. Time flies by for Diane (Mary Kay Place)–this is a woman who rarely puts herself first. When we’re first introduced to her, it’s at the hospital to show support for her cousin, Donna (Deirdre O’Connell). If she’s not showing care for Donna, she’s trying to deal with the mess that is her son,…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: Diane"
Wolkenbruch’s Wondrous Journey into the Arms of a Shiksa, now known as The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch, may play into some comedic tropes that we’ve seen before but the humor is delightful. This film has a classic Woody Allen vibe going for it–only this film features Yiddish, German, and Hebrew. While I don’t want to say that Judith Wolkenbruch (Inge Maux) is the stereotypical Jewish mother, she comes very close. She wants her son, Mordechai…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: Wolkenbruch’s Wondrous Journey into the Arms of a Shiksa"
Featuring the likes of Aubrey Plaza and Craig Robinson, An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn is the rare miss for some of our favorite comedy stars. Who is Beverly Luff Linn (Craig Robinson)? This is one of the questions that drives the story of the film with posters plastered everywhere. What is it that drives Lulu Danger (Aubrey Plaza) to attend his show? While these questions are good in and of themselves, the film itself simply…
"An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn: A Rare Miss"
A host of talent, directors, and more pay tribute to the career of William Friedkin in Francesco Zippel’s documentary, Friedkin Uncut. Fresh off a Best Director win for The French Connection, the Chicago-born native would do to horror what Star Wars did to sci-fi. When The Exorcist premiered in 1973, audiences were lined up for the film like crazy. Because of its content, Quentin Tarantino’s mom forbid him from seeing the film. Friedkin was born to…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: Friedkin Uncut"
The Other Story is grounded through a father-daughter relationship but also touches on the struggles between Ultra-Orthodox Judaism and secular lifestyles. There are two major plots going in The Other Story. One is the relationship between Anat Abadi (Joy Rieger) and Shachar Elkayam (Nathan Goshen). The other deals with patients of Dr. Shlomo Abadi (Sasson Gabai), Rami (Maayan Bloom) and Sari (Avigail Harari). While Shlomo brings in his son, Yonatan (Yuval Segal), to help these…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: The Other Story"
Headlined by shining performances from Tika Sumpter and Ben Tavassoli, An Acceptable Loss is full of political thrills in the Chicago-set thriller. A brief prologue introduces us to former US security advisor, Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Lamm (Tika Sumpter), and her boss, then-Vice President Rachel Burke (Jamie Lee Curtis). While watching the film, we learn that Lamm authored the controversial and “commission-proof” Burke Doctrine. It’s because of this that Lamm decides to step away from her position. Cut…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: An Acceptable Loss"
The Great Buster: A Celebration is a well-deserved cinematic tribute to Buster Keaton–one of the greatest silent comedy stars to have ever lived. Discussing the great silent comedy stars must include Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd. Interestingly, Keaton starred in College as a response to Lloyd’s The Freshman. Where Lloyd starred as a freshman who played football, Keaton would play every other sport. As for Chaplin, he directed Keaton in 1952’s Limelight. This…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: The Great Buster"
A headline that sounds like it can only be ripped from the likes of The Onion, The Oath is the perfect political satire for the Trump era. Imagine every American being asked to sign an oath that states: “I pledge my loyalty to my President and my country and vow to defend them from enemies, both foreign and domestic.” This is what writer-director Ike Barinholtz is asking us by watching The Oath. It’s a new political…
"The Oath: The Satire for the Trump Era"
With first-time director Paul Dano at the helm, Wildlife benefits from a stand-out performance from actress Carey Mulligan. Based on Richard Ford’s book of the same name, we view the events through the eyes of teenager Joe Brinson (Ed Oxenbould) in Great Falls, Montana. As his parents struggle financially, Joe decides to quit the football team to work for a photographer. Meanwhile, Joe’s dad, Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal), decides to run out of town to fight fires some…
"Wildlife: A Career-Best for Carey Mulligan"