Two-time Academy Award-nominee Liv Ullmann brought her new film, “Miss Julie,” to serve as the opening night film of the 50th Chicago International Film Festival on Thursday, October 9th. “Miss Julie” is based on the 1888 August Strindberg play of the same name and stars two-time Oscar nominee and rising star Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”), Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell (“In Bruges”), and fellow two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (“Minority Report”). Both Ullmann and Farrell attended the Opening Night Gala in Chicago.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Skeleton Twins

Thanks to their outstanding careers on "Saturday Night Live," Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are completely recognized, celebrated, and even typecast as total comedic performers. We've never seen them do real drama until "The Skeleton Twins." The success of your like or dislike of the film will come from your desire to either want more comedy or not believe the drama.

REVIEW RE-RUN: The Expendables 2

HUMOROUS DISCLAIMER: I had pretty overwhelming feeling going in that The Expendables 2 was going to be a carbon copy of the first movie from 2010, only bigger, louder, busier, and very few minor differences of note. Well, I was right. While redundant enough to come across as Xerox as The Hangover Part II was to The Hangover with just a change of setting, this doesn't make The Expendables 2 any less awesome. To have a little fun and prove this point, I have copied my EXACT 2010 review of The Expendables word-for-word below (follow the link and see) and added strike-through edits and red text additions of those very minor differences. Enjoy!

MOVIE REVIEW: 22 Jump Street

Disclaimer: I pulled this trick out a few years ago in comparing “The Expendables” with “The Expendables 2” where, because of the incredibly repetitive scenarios between the original and the sequel, I literally wrote on top of the first review for the review of the second movie. After seeing “22 Jump Street,” a movie that intentionally aims to copy its first effort, I knew this was a good chance to have a little editor’s fun again. Follow the strike-throughs below for edits and the bold writing for new language inserts. Other than that, the review for the first film might as well be the review for the second film. It’s that similar.

MOVIE REVIEW: Godzilla

Amazingly, I’m happy to report that this “Godzilla,” while actually having a trainwreck in it (two in fact), is not a complete trainwreck itself. This is a legitimate summer blockbuster in scale and in quality. The promised size and scope of monster carnage that the 1998 film failed to compellingly deliver and, honestly, we never thought we would see done right on the big screen is successfully accomplished in a big way. This new film makes “Pacific Rim” look as silly as it really is, “Transformers” look downright weak and tiny, and even makes the controversial city destruction final act of “Man of Steel” look like a knocked-over sand castle or two.

MOVIE REVIEW: Neighbors

That said, the peak occupied by any R-rated comedy isn’t very high and far from snow-capped among the clouds of cinema greatness. Rarely do movies like “Neighbors” create any watershed or bedrock. In terms of peaks and heights, let’s go ahead and just call “Neighbors” your new favorite sledding hill or deluxe tree house. Besides, that’s not the “high” this film is looking for anyway, if you get my drift. The target is decidedly, and rightfully, low-brow.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

As much as this new take still feels rehashed on many levels, this sequel is the real deal as an exciting comic book adventure and spectacle. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is ideally suited to be the blockbuster opening act of the summer of 2014. It indeed does embody a second film that is narrowly better than the first film.

MOVIE REVIEW: Stalingrad

In one of the largest and most expensive Russian film productions ever attempted, the simply-titled "Stalingrad" makes its debut in U.S. theaters this weekend to put their personal and emphatic voice to their proud history. "Stalingrad" was Russia's entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar competition for this weekend's 86th Academy Awards. It is also the first Russian and first non-American film to be shot in IMAX 3D. Last year, the film became Russia's largest modern box office success. No matter what you think of Russia or what you know about the Battle of Stalingrad, this often impressive film can play in the big boy's pond.

ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW: Draft Day

Rest assured, thanks to his endless versatility and charm, Costner proves again that he is a comfortable and lifting presence to any sports film, even a football one.

ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW: That Awkward Moment

"The Awkward Moment" is an oasis of fun in a dreary winter cinema landscape. This is one of those rare romantic comedies that can actually appeal to both genders. Set your date night up now. With its wide release coming on January 31st, ladies and gentleman, your Valentine's Day weekend must-see movie has arrived two weeks early.

MOVIE REVIEW: Inside Llewyn Davis

It was Oscar Wilde that famously said "life imitates art more than art imitates life." When that mantra gets applied to cinema, we commonly talk about how we, as audiences, live vicariously through the imagination and fantasies that films create for us. The first part of that quote gets talked about all the time in that way. It's not too often that the second half of that quote comes true, but I feel that Ethan and Joel Coen have achieved just that with their latest feature film, Inside Llewyn Davis. As a fictional documentation and internal look at a crucial week-long journey in the life of an aspiring folk singer in 1961 Greenwich Village within New York City, Inside Llewyn Davis uniquely feels more like a film taking on real life than one pretending the other way around, as is so often the case with movies. While unique, I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. Let me explain.

2013, 3 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanDecember 27, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: American Hustle

During the seemingly long Oscar season each year, studios save some of their best and brightest films for the end of the year so that voters with short memories will remember them most when its time to fill out a ballot for awards nominations. It's incredibly rare to see a Best Picture Academy Award winner from a month earlier than October. The term that gets used a great deal is "Oscar bait." This creates a very flooded market in December of memorable film after memorable film. These studios pull out all of the marketing stops and want that "Nominated for..." and "Winner of..." sound byte or graphic on their print advertisements, posters, trailers and TV spots. They long to be showered with praise and are cradled by the powers-that-be to grab that spotlight. They want you to pay your money and join in that praise, hence the term "Oscar bait."

2013, 3 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanDecember 23, 2013Chicago, IL, USAAmerican HustleComment