Smart Drama a cautionary tale for today A cautionary tale for today, Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama is a movie that thrives on making its characters and the viewer uncomfortable. Handling hot button topics with a commendable deft touch, the film puts social media era relationships under the microscope, as well as our ever-shifting perspectives of […]
Chuck Koplinski
Writing for Illinois Times since 1998, Chuck Koplinski is a member of the Critic's Choice Association, the Chicago Film Critics Association and a contributor to Rotten Tomatoes. He appears on WCIA-TV twice a week to review current releases and, no matter what anyone says, thinks Tom Cruise's version of The Mummy is a woefully underrated film.
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Super Mario Galaxy Movie disappoints, Fantasy Life is aimless and predictable
Galaxy simply goes through the motions I have yet to be blessed with grandchildren. Still, that doesn’t prevent me from casting my thoughts toward future events I hope to share with them. I look forward to birthday parties in which my wife and I will spend far too much money celebrating their arrival; I see […]
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Mike saved by veteran cast, Lethal is efficiently executed
Mike in desperate need of wit There’s a good idea rattling around in BenDavid Grabinski’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. Before enduring this surprisingly dull exercise, I didn’t realize I needed a time travel-hitman-buddy-movie-dramedy. Ironically, after sitting through this slog of a movie, that need remains. Even after my plot summary you may […]
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Hail Mary good but too long, Immortal Man brings Peaky Blinders to an end
Epic Hail Mary a journey too long Having not read Andy Weir’s novel Project: Hail Mary, I came in cold to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s big screen adaptation of the same. It didn’t take long to understand why the book was on the New York Times’ Best-Sellers List for nearly 40 weeks. Knowing that […]
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Slanted a pointed social satire, message of Hoppers is off the mark
Slanted provides a level-eyed look at race Hobbled by a modest budget, Amy Wang still manages to effectively deliver a pointed social satire with Slanted, a hybrid of The Substance and Mean Girls that examines the pitfalls of cultural assimilation. Through the eyes of its sympathetic protagonist, the film manages to address not only the […]
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Messy Bride never finds its footing, Protector a waste of time, money and talent
Bride a shambling mess of a movie In the interest of full disclosure, I need to say upfront that I’ve seen James Whale’s The Bride of Frankenstein more than any other movie. It never ceases to entertain, the filmmaker’s inventive combination of gothic horror, dark humor and fairy tale elements are as fresh today as […]
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EPIC features unseen Elvis Presley footage, younger set will love GOAT
EPIC showcases the King in his court While in the process of making Elvis, director Baz Luhrmann, was informed there was footage shot for the concert films That’s the Way it Is, and Elvis in Concert, that had never been used. The problem was, no one knew where it had been stored. His production assistants […]
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An honest, romantic, queer drama
Embracing its risqué subject matter, Harry Lighton’s Pillon is one of the most honestly romantic films to have graced the screen in the last decade. This queer drama deals takes place within the gay biker subculture, the relationship at its center based on a dominant/submissive dynamic, which will likely be a hard sell to middle […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Wuthering Heights a beautiful, frustrating film; Glen Powell shines in How to Make a Killing
Fennell her own worst enemy in Wuthering HeightsEmerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is a glorious, frustrating mess of a film. Thesumptuous production captivates with its broad visually romantic strokes, the directorputting her distinctive stamp on the Emily Bronte classic in using a vibrant and, at timesbrooding, aesthetic that’s never less than captivating. And yet, the overall […]
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Desperation drives Crime 101 characters, Good Luck is whiplash-inducing ride
Exceptional Crime a study of desperation Though it is being touted as an action film, Bart Layton’s gripping Crime 101 actually consists of multiple character studies, examining three people who’ve each come to a crossroads in their lives. Captivating and smart, the film benefits from exceptional work from its three veteran leads and old-school pacing, […]
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Crime 101 a throwback thriller
Though it’s being promoted as an action film, Bart Layton’s Crime 101 is actually a triptych of character studies. Adapted from the novella by Donald Winslow, the film focuses on three people who’ve each reached the end of their respective ropes, which compels them to make some rash, desperate decisions. Propelled by an ever-increasing sense […]
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Dracula shows some life, Send Help doesn’t end well
Cast finds life in flawed Dracula Estimates as to how many times Dracula has appeared on film range from approximately 200 to 500. The low number is tabulated by purists who only count productions that feature a version of Bram Stoker’s character while the latter figure included parodies or knock-offs of the seminal vampire. He’s […]
