Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America in Avengers: Age of Ultron. For better or worse, Marvel Films has ushered in a new production method, planning out interlocking movies that form a universe all their own. With box office tallies in the billions, this is something other studios […]
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.
Posted inArts & Culture
“Adaline” Enchants Despite Lack of Chemistry
When Casablanca comes to mind, you think of Rick and Ilsa. When Wuthering Heights is mentioned, you immediately think of Heathcliff and Cathy. When The Notebook is on, you’re immediately sucked into the trials and tribulations that surround Noah and Allie. Great screen couples all, the success of these films and the reason they’ve all […]
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A Ghost in the Machine Haunts “Unfriended”
While I certainly wouldn’t want to watch many movies like Levan Gabriadze’s Unfriended, a film that consists of one long take of a computer screen that constantly reconfigures itself depending on the number of people participating in what becomes the video chat from hell, it does prove to be an intriguing visualization of the dangers […]
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Questions of identity abound in Young
Adam Driver as Jamie and Ben Stiller as Josh in While We’re Young. PHOTO COURTESY A24 As I’ve told my sons, “If you can avoid it, don’t get old.” Obviously, this good advice is impossible to heed and while there’s that notion that with age comes wisdom, I’d gladly be a bit dumber if I […]
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Lying and its Ramifications the Focus of “True Story”
In December 2001, Christian Longo murdered his wife and three children. The two oldest, four year-old Zachary and three year-old Sadie, were thrown into the freezing waters of Lint Slough in Waldport, Oregon, a waterway that leads to the Pacific Ocean. His wife Mary Jane had been stuffed into a suitcase, her neck broken so […]
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Mirren anchors powerful Woman in Gold
Max Irons as Fritz and Tatiana Maslany as Young Maria Altmann in Woman in Gold. PHOTO COURTESY THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY In 1999, Maria Altmann filed suit against the Austrian government in an effort to regain ownership of five paintings done by Gustav Klimt that once belonged to her family but had been stolen by the […]
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Furious 7’s only goal is to thrill
Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner in Furious 7. PHOTO COURTESY Universal Pictures There’s a great deal of anticipation surrounding James Wan’s Furious 7, the latest and posed to be the most lucrative installment in the greatest gearhead franchise in film history. Not only does the director have the unenviable task of trying to top the […]
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Hard silly, offensive but effective
Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart in Get Hard. PHOTO COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES’ With their comedic styles like night and day, there was no guarantee that any sort of chemistry would result from the pairing of Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart on screen, but after seeing them together in Get Hard, in retrospect it seems […]
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“Follows” Fails to Follow Through
A great deal of buzz has sprung up around David Robert Mitchell’s independent horror film It Follows and it’s easy to see why. The director successfully creates an atmosphere of dread that hangs over his sympathetic protagonists and the premise is one that lends itself perfectly to be exploited and explored within the horror genre. […]
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Insurgent ups the ante and succeeds
Theo James stars as Four and Shailene Woodley stars as Tris in Insurgent. PHOTO COURTESY SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT Smart, slick and superior to its predecessor Divergent, Insurgent does what every good adventure tale must, namely give us characters we care for as the whole world goes to hell around them. This is something often forgotten by […]
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Movie magic in Cinderella
Lily James stars as Cinderella in Cinderella. PHOTO BY WALT DISNEY PICTURES Do we really need another version of Cinderella? I didn’t think so until I saw Kenneth Branagh’s ravishing new rendition that’s buoyed by a reverent approach, perfect casting and a sumptuous production design that manages to create a magical kingdom that effortlessly straddles […]
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Business fun, despite its flaws
Vince Vaughn as Dan Trunkman in Unfinished Business There are some films that get past your better judgment. These are called “guilty pleasures,” movies that you can’t really defend from a critical point of view yet you enjoy despite the fact that you know you’re watching isn’t what is usually labeled “good.” We all have […]
