MOVIE REVIEW: James White

51st Chicago International Film Festival U.S. Indies special presentation

Much of the resisted maturation journey playing out for the title character in Josh Mond's "James White" feels petulant and half-hearted, much like the character himself. We learn that effort is by design because he is a character that needs fixing. The only way James White can mature is through bottoming out and finding emotion in places other than himself. "James White" is a difficult and unflinching look at both terminal illness and wasting one's life on selfish excesses.

MOVIE REVIEW: The 33

51st Chicago International Film Festival Highlight special presentation

In the hands of someone more bombastic, the finished product of "The 33" would be far more cliche and erroneously over-dramatized. Director Patricia Riggen certainly still employs a plentiful creative license to dramatize and compress this trauma into two hours, but the lionizing on one end and the vilifying on the other is remarkably low. "The 33" is a winning survival film where the people come before the stereotypes and theatrics.

2015, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 12, 201551st Chicago International Film FestivalThe 33, 33, Chilean mining accident, 2010 Chilean mining accident, 2010 Copiapo mining accident, Copiapo, Atacama Desert, Chile, Patricia Riggen, Under the Same Moon, La Mimsa Luna, Chicago Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, 51st Chicago International Film Festival, Rodrigo Santoro, Bob Gunton, Laurence Golborne, Sebastian Pinera, Andre Sougarret, Gabriel Byrne, Jeff Hart, James Brolin, Antonio Banderas, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mario Sepulveda, Super Mario, Luis Urzua, Don Shanahan, Donald Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson, life lessons from films, life lessons, life lessons from movies, life lessons from film, movie commentary, movie review, film commentary, film review, 2015, 2015 Holiday Movies, 2015 Holiday Movie PreviewComment

GUEST CRITIC #13: The Peanuts Movie

As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, sometimes a simple sentence or two from a friend says it all. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for quick-hit movie reviews. Here is the Stark family with "The Peanuts Movie."

MOVIE REVIEW: Love

French filmmaker Gaspar Noe's new film, "Love," demands audience acceptance of seeing art in the explicitness of sex. When you bring up the idea of explicit sex, the immediate label is "pornography." Lead by trio of unknown leads and shot in exploitative 3D, "Love" is going to have a hard time (go ahead and start inserting "that's what she said" at every opportunity) shaking that label of "pornography" in favor of "art."

ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW: Brooklyn

"Brooklyn" is an forthright, approachable, and esteemed historical drama where the dignity and honesty soar to heavenly heights to shine on the plights of love and independence. This tremendous film nestles a powerful love triangle within a touching immigrant and independent woman's saga from the 1950s. More than just being some high-end chick flick, "Brooklyn" stands as one of the finest films of the year and an immediate Oscar contender.

MOVIE REVIEW: Burnt

Due entirely to his talent and appeal, two hours of Bradley-being-Bradley works and the film will rightly entertain at an acceptable superficial level. The subject is simple and the the risk is low. The food is pretty, the ensemble is smooth, and the cliches are pre-made. While "Burnt" offers a flourish or two to spark a little extra entertainment, it is far from the grass roots personal touch and smaller scale passion that was Favreau's "Chef" a year ago. "Burnt" is, in essence, more elitist and that requires you to be impressed, but only at a distance.

CHECKLIST: 2015 Holiday Movie Calendar

Here is your lineup of upcoming films for the peak Oscar season months of November and December. Add these to your calendar or print and slip this list on the fridge. As always, release dates shift all of the time, so be aware. My full seasonal preview will be coming soon! Enjoy!