Instead of empathy leading to absorb the full breadth of such a possible tragedy, the conjured thrills selfishly serve only one side of the story and plead a hollow case by the end. By staying on Amy and her radical involvement in the climax, the movie forgets to consider the unseen characters in the story that do not fare as well. The movie is laser-focused on this one mom and her one kid with very little respect extended to the fullness of the event or larger issue. Even with the objective of making a claustrophobic and voyeuristic movie, that larger picture cannot responsibly be dismissed for selfish or singular gain.

MOVIE REVIEW: Strawberry Mansion

That exchange is one of few that typifies the giddy hospitality and the bizarre allure of Strawberry Mansion from the writing and directing team of Kentucker Audley and Albert Birney. The movie extends a coy and welcome hand to join its descent into weirdness while still spinning plenty of heady oddities to rattle cages of normal sensibilities. Go ahead and take this movie’s leap into the surreal. You may just like what you find.

MOVIE REVIEW: I Want You Back

Charlie Day and Jenny Slate are both very calibrated when it comes to self-deprecating humor. He has his plucky fluster and she has her Debbie Downer magnetism and their mutual resumes before this movie are full of that specialty. When they’re together, the two best actors and characters are bouncing emotions off each other. Their comedic cadences click for their future foregone conclusion of “will they” or “won’t they.”

2022, 2 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanFebruary 14, 2022Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Rifkin's Festival

Even with a blindfold, an astute movie fan could play “Pin the Tail on the Proxy” with the films of Woody Allen from the past two decades. The likes of Timothee Chalamet, Justin Timberlake, Jesse Eisenberg, Colin Firth, Joaquin Phoenix, Owen Wilson and others have taken on the signature scripted blather of the male leading roles the writer-director used to play himself when he was younger than the 86 he is now. For his newest film, Rifkin’s Festival, cherished character actor Wallace Shawn assumes the short New Yorker vessel for this romantic comedy jaunt.

2 STARS, 2022, Independent Film, Film Festival, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJanuary 26, 2022Woody Allen, Wallace Shawn, Rifkin's FestivalComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Tender Bar

George Clooney’s The Tender Bar has, above everything else, a crucial mentor character that wins over the entire film with everything he does. When regular dads are absent or inadequate, father-figures are incredibly important for an malleable kid. We’ve seen plenty of them in movies before, but Ben Affleck’s Charlie character feels more spot-on and special than usual. When he’s there putting an arm around a shoulder or mixing a martini, you’ll either wish for or recall your own Uncle Charlie from your life.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Power of the Dog

Calling down the inspirational Biblical thunder of Psalm 22:20 that swings like a pendulum between beloved darlings delivering souls and the deadly teeth of sin, The Power of the Dog allows straight bitterness to build its texture of smoke. You have a western that doesn’t pull a trigger to make its points. It kills without blades or bullets. Call it a woman’s touch, if you must, but that would be dismissive when you consider the source material and its notable twists.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Chicago Film Festival, Home Media, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanNovember 27, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Belfast

All of these lessons centered on Buddy’s experiences speak to the greater hopeful streak of generational bonds at the heart of the film. Backed by a soundtrack of reminiscent Van Morrison songs, the exit emotions of Belfast strike terrific chords for the power of home beyond brick and mortar. Branagh’s movie closes with a three-pronged tribute of “For the ones who stayed,” “For the ones who left,” and “For all the ones who were lost” as it transitions back to a current Northern Ireland where the healing has regenerated a viable city and region.

2021, 5 STARS, Chicago Film Festival, Film Festival, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 23, 2021Belfast, Kenneth BranaghComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Spencer

Try as she may, though, I look at the woman playing Princess Diana, even with all the clear personal commitment, and all I see is Kristen Stewart. Thanks to her own natural twitches under her blonde helmet of hair, Stewart’s same agape expressions and same exasperating line deliveries land a lip bite or two away from showing us it’s more her than who’s she playing.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Chicago Film Festival, Film Festival, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 4, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: 4 Positive Messages From the "Dumplin'"

by Devin Caldwell

Dumplin' is a 2018 film from Netflix based on the 2015 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a plus-size teenage girl from Texas named Willowdean Dickson, Will for short, who has a strained relationship with her beauty-queen mother. The mother is disappointed in Will's size and only refers to her by the nickname "Dumplin'." Lucy is Will's aunt and kindred spirit who encourages her niece in a love for Dolly Parton music.

2021, GUEST EDITORIAL, Editorial, Column, Independent FilmDon ShanahanOctober 31, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Last Night in Soho

All of the nimbleness from swimming in time-bending nightmares gets washed away by a present with little mystery to match. It’s odd to call an Edgar Wright film somewhat slow in pacing, yet here we are feeling drag when the pizazz is either turned off or soured by the ickiness. A level of extra oomph and shock is missing for the viewer. What was sensationally painted to linger doesn’t get the fullest chance to stain and sear more than just pretty clothes.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanOctober 28, 2021AMC River East 21Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Harder They Fall

Readying its eager and loose dramatic license, the opening message of The Harder They Fall begins with “While the events of this story are fictional…” and changes to proclaim “These. People. Existed.” fading in one word at a time with those table-slamming periods. Consider that an emphatic shout to be heard that is louder than any broken bone or gunshot that follows in this Netflix release. The indignation seething from this movie is warranted and gladly received.

MOVIE REVIEW: South of Heaven

Anyone who’s watched Sudeikis knows the Everyman archetype suits his charm and talent. The independent film South of Heaven from Big Bad Wolves director Aharon Keshales challenges Jason to take a podunk pariah that has been pushed into a corner and unravel him to commit violence to defend himself and the honor of the woman he loves against his better judgment and softhearted morals. It is indeed a very valiant turn within a movie that tailspins wide of the mark behind him.

2 STARS, 2021, Independent Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanOctober 18, 2021Comment