Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – The Road to Endgame

The Guardians of the Galaxy have returned in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, a sequel that provides just as much action and fun as the first movie. The soundtrack for the sequel is provided by Awesome Mixtape #2.  This is the last gift that Meredith Quill (Laura Haddock) gave to her son, Peter (Chris Pratt), prior to dying in the first movie. For Peter Quill, he has never known who his father is.  Lo…

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – The Road to Endgame"

Papillon Drags On Longer Than Necessary

Papillon drags on a half hour longer than necessary but will inevitably draw people to compare the film to the 1973 original if they’ve seen it. We’re transported back in time to 1931 Paris where Henri “Papillon” Charrière (Charlie Hunnam) has stolen a number of diamonds for mobster Castili (Christopher Fairbank).  He makes one pivotal mistake and the filmmakers really stress this through the camera framing.  He hands a diamond necklace to his girlfriend, Nenette (Eve Hewson).  So…

"Papillon Drags On Longer Than Necessary"

Chicago Film Festival: The Ballad of Lefty Brown

The Ballad of Lefty Brown shows that the western isn’t dead and gives actor Bill Pullman a showcase role in the thriller. Written and directed by Jared Moshé, Pullman leads a cast that includes Bill Pullman, Kathy Baker, Jim Caviezel, Joe Anderson, Diego Josef, Tommy Flanagan and Peter Fonda. Edward Johnson (Fonda) gets elected as a senator of Montana and Lefty Brown (Pullman) is by his side when he’s shot to death.  Nobody ever takes Brown–a sidekick for…

"Chicago Film Festival: The Ballad of Lefty Brown"