MOVIE REVIEW: mother!

There is extreme thematic and visceral content in mother! that will rattle even the toughest souls. Metaphorical imagery and symbolism are everywhere, and the number of literal and figurative interpretations of what is implicitly or explicitly transpiring can kill as many brain cells as it multiplies. The film begs endless questioning. Surviving and absorbing the film becomes a maddening experience. In the end, what is evident to celebrate is also categorically impossible to fully condone.

2017, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Film Festival, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanSeptember 13, 2017AMC River East 212017, 2017 Fall Movies, mother!, Mother, Mother!, Darren Aronofsky, Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfieffer, Domhnall Gleason, Brian Gleeson, Hunger Games franchise, Philip Messina, Matthew Libatique, Oscar winners, Rosemary's Baby, The End of the World, Skeeter Davis, Patti Smith, film review, movie review, advance movie review, film commentary, movie commentary, Hollywood commentary, social commentary, movie critic, film critic, CIFCC, Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, film festival, Black Swan, Noah, life lessons, life lessons from movies, life lessons from film, Mindfuck, Mindfuck movies, Mindfuck films, psychological thriller, horror, Don Shanahan, Donald Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson, Chicago Independent Film Critics CircleComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Logan Lucky

The buzzing North Carolina public within the film Logan Lucky dub the central robbery a “hillbilly heist” and an “Ocean’s 7-11” perpetrated by “redneck robbers” and “Hee Haw heroes.” With diegetic puns like those being thrown around, how could you not be entertained by Steven Soderbergh’s first feature film in four years? It’s almost an invitation to pile on. How does “clodhopper caper” sound? What about “Podunk pilfering” or “backwoods buffoonery?” I’ll settle for “hayseed hijinks.”

MOVIE REVIEW: Detroit

For a film like Detroit with difficult content thrust upon audiences to endure, this is not a place to seek entertainment or joy. Instead, Detroit is a challenge of cementing respect and achieving an empathy deeper than basic sympathy. Step into a beyond-cautionary tale of history that school books skipped or have forgotten. Let Detroit stir and inspire conversations. Let the emotions, good and bad, come and talk about them.

2017, 4 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJuly 28, 2017ShowPlace ICON X at Roosevelt Collections2017, 2017 Summer Movies, Detroit, Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, Long Hot Summer of 1967, Jackson State, Los Angeles, Ferguson, Baltimore, blind pig, George Romney, Algiers Motel, The Algiers Motel incident, Jason Mitchell, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Hannah Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, Anthony Mackie, Will Poulter, Jack Reynor, Ben O'Tooel, Austin Hebert, John Boyega, Barry Ackroyd, Captain Phillips, Unbroken, Jacob Lawrence, Migration series, cautionary tale, race relations, Life Lessons, life lessons from film, life lessons from movies, historical drama, real-life events, real-life people, 1967, movie review, film review, movie commentary, film commentary, film critic, movie critic, Don Shanahan, Donald Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson, Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle, CIFCCComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Dunkirk

As technically proficient and respectful to history as Dunkirk is, no substantial human anchors of emotion emerge in this film that wants to be seen as an inspiring rescue saga before a war film or historical epic. The totems of fear and survival are ever-present, but there are no magnetic characters to carry those existential burdens. It is a critical flaw in an otherwise astounding dramatic thriller.

2017, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJuly 18, 2017Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Homecoming counts as a clean slate for Peter Parker’s web-slinger. Now nestled into the established Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom Holland is a true teenage Spider-Man, one that was never successfully conveyed by two previous franchises and their over-aged actors. Aiming to please and bursting with effervescent zest at every flip, swing, and turn, John Watts’ Spider-Man: Homecoming succeeds as a brand new jumping off point for a character that badly needed course correction.

2017, 4 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJune 29, 2017AMC River East 212017, 2017 Summer Movies, Marvel Films, Marvel Comics, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony Pictures, Sony Entertainment, Dolby, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Iron Man, Avengers, The Avengers, John Watts, Cop Car, Michael Keaton, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Kurt Russell, Batman, Beetlejuice, Donald Glover, Bokeem Woodbine, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Chernus, Hannibal Buress, Martin Starr, Mac Gargan, Kenneth Choi, Michael Giacchino, Steve Ditko, Deadpool, John Hughes, Captain America, Captain America: Civil War, Marvel Studios, Christopher Ford, Horrible Bosses, Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, The LEGO Movie, Jacob Batalan, Tony Revolori, Zendaya, Laura Harrier, Aunt May, Vulture, Shocker, movie review, film review, movie commentary, film commentary, comic book movie, comic book films, Comic Book Guy, comic book movies, film franchises, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, life lessons, life lessons from movies, life lessons from film, Donald Shanahan, Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson, Jon WattsComment

MOVIE REVIEW: War for the Planet of the Apes

A significant shift in attention and investment has occurred in this series. Our hearts and allegiances swayed from rooting for the madness of our own mankind to the superior traits of humanity exhibited by Caesar and his ape brethren. A transformation of empathy like that is downright miraculous. War for the Planet of Apes is a full-bodied epic of glory and pain that matches and then exceeds the moving importance and heart this rebooted franchise has established in two previous knockout films.

2017, 5 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJune 27, 2017ShowPlace ICON X at Roosevelt Collections2017, 2017 Summer Movies, Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes, Best of 2017, Andy Serkis, Caesar, Pixar, Toby Kebbell, Woody Harrelson, Ty Olsson, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Amiah Miller, Steve Zahn, Spartacus, Jurassic World, Michael Giacchino, Jerry Goldsmith, Lost, Matt Reeves, John Williams, Mark Bomback, Michael Bay, Transformers, The Batman, The Lord of the Rings, Gollum, Toy Story, Star Wars, The Godfather trilogy, Christopher Nolan, Peter Jackson, Special Achievement Oscar, Special Achievement Academy Award, Academy Award, Academy Award hopeful, film review, movie review, movie commentary, film commentary, life lessons, life lessons from film, life lessons from movies, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars trilogy, Movie trilogies, trilogies, superior sequels, sequels, reboot, remake, Reimagining, Donald Shanahan, Don ShanahanComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Beguiled

The transitive verb “beguile,” as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means “to engage the interest of” or “lead by deception.” Hoodwink and divert are synonyms. Director Sofia Coppola’s remake of The Beguiled means to charm our corsets and britches off right in line with its title’s root definition. Methodically and dastardly, the film wishes to seduce us with a heightened intrigue of challenged sexual repression.

2017, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Film Festival, MOVIE REVIEW, Independent FilmDon ShanahanJune 25, 20172017, 2017 Summer Movies, 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Cannes winners, Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Festival de Cannes, Best Director, Sofia Coppola, beguile, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Don Siegel, Clint Eastwood, Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Angourie Rice, Oona Laurence, Emma Howard, Addison Riecke, Thomas Cullinan, Phillip Le Sourd, Sarah Flack, Stacey Battat, Anne Ross, Phoenix, movie review, film review, movie commentary, film commentary, film festival, Festival review, festival preview, remakes, movie remake, life lessons, life lessons from movies, life lessons from film, Life lessons, Donald Shanahan, advance movie review, Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson, CIFCC, independent film, independent films, indie filmComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Cars 3

Wendy's founder Dave Thomas once said: “It all comes back to the basics. Serve customers the best-tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant, and they'll keep coming back.” Apply that telling quote of ease and simplicity to Cars 3 as a perfect parallel. The savvy creators at Pixar know how to package a quality product of with clean and clear values that gain brand loyalty from wide audiences. Returning to its Americana roots, Cars 3 rediscovers the franchise’s successful foundation of wholesome heart.

MOVIE REVIEW: It Comes at Night

Take the title of the film whatever way you wish, be it literally with the lurking threats of nightfall in this landscape or figuratively with the visions and nightmares one has while alone with their thoughts before sleeping. It Comes at Night is tightly comprised of excruciating moral challenges that escalate with time.

MOVIE REVIEW: Wonder Woman

The three-part noun definition of “wonder” can be summarized as “a cause of astonishment, the quality of excited admiration, or rapt attention at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience.” Used as an adjective in a proper name, the word could not be more fitting of Princess Diana of Themyscira, better known as Wonder Woman. Whether it represents a cog in a larger universe, a historical watershed for women’s leadership, or the answered prayers of long-suffering fans and idolizing dreamers, Wonder Woman is a valiant, momentous, and satisfying first step fitting of the iconic heroine.

2017, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEW, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanMay 31, 2017ShowPlace ICON X at Roosevelt Collections2017, 2017 Summer Movies, DC Universe, DC Extended Universe, DCEU, DC C, Wonder Woman, Diana Prince, Princess Diana of Themyscira, Themyscira, Diana, Gal Gadot, Patty Jenkins, WB, Warner Bros. Pictures, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, dictionary, wonder, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Chris Pine, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, comic book movie, comic book films, Comic Book Guy, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel, Superman, Batman, Ewen Bremner, Said Taghmaouri, Eugene Brave Rock, Harry Gregson-Williams, Monster, Pattie Jenkins, Charlize Theron, Allan Heinberg, Jason Fuchs, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Zack Snyder, movie review, film review, movie commentary, short film commentary, life lessons, life lesson from film, life lessons from film, life lessons from movies, Greek mythology, Ares, David Thewlis, movie casting, trolling, critics reactions, film critics, Rotten Tomatoes, Don Shanahan, Donald Shanahan, Every Movie Has a LessonComment

CAPSULE REVIEWS: Short films of the 5th Chicago Critics Film Festival

Over 40 feature-length and short films, many of which making their Chicago premieres, graced the main screen of the Music Box Theatre this past week-and-change as part of the fifth annual Chicago Critics Film Festival. It was an honor and pleasure to be be granted press credentials to cover the event. Here are my collected capsule reviews of the short film programs.

2017, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, CAPSULE REVIEW, Chicago Film Festival, Film Festival, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Social Media, SHORT FILMS, Video on DemandDon ShanahanMay 21, 2017Music Box Theatre2017, 5th Chicago Critics Film Festival, CCFF, Chicago Film Critics Association, CFCA, CIFCC, Collin Souter, The Dundee Project, Kaiju Bunraku, Drawn and Recorded, Drawn and Recorded: Teen Spirit, Teen Spirit, T-Bone Burnett, Nirvana, Bunraku Bay Puppet Theater, Mark Borchardt, Bill Benson, UFO Daze, Fry Day, Ted Bundy, Jordyn DiNatale, Tough, Chinese, Kieran Culkin, Mae Whitman, Approaching a Breakthrough, Hell You Talmbout, Janelle Monae, Civil Rights Movement, Northwest Tap Connection, Shakiah Danielson, Ten Meter Tower, short film, short films, short film review, Short films, short film commentary, Kurt Cobain, Kathleen Hanna, Bikini Kill, Smells Like Teen Spirit Comment

CAPSULE REVIEWS: Feature films of the 5th Chicago Critics Film Festival

Over 40 feature-length and short films, many of which making their Chicago premieres, graced the main screen of the Music Box Theatre this past week-and-change as part of the fifth annual Chicago Critics Film Festival. It was an honor and pleasure to be be granted press credentials to cover the event. Here are my collected capsule reviews of the feature-length films.

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

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