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‘Happy Christmas’ is Au Naturale for Good or for Bland
Rating: 2.5/5.0CHICAGO– One thing that struck me about writer/director Joe Swanberg’s previous “Drinking Buddies,” and made it one of my more celebrated from 2013 despite not really loving it as a...
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Four Fairy Tales Charmingly Unite in Hollywood, Broadway Merger of ‘Into the...
Rating: 3.5/5.0CHICAGO– Neither Hollywood nor purely Broadway, Disney’s big-screen adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Into the Woods” finds a charming home on Hollyway. Even if you’re not a...
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‘Cake’ Serves Emotionally Honest, Career-Growing Dramatic Role for Jennifer...
Rating: 4.0/5.0CHICAGO– It’s been a while since I walked out of a screening so affected and feeling that I just experienced a truly honest, important film.Sure, other ones have since, but back in 2007,...
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Hidden Gem ‘The Last Five Years’ Launches Anna Kendrick as a Serious Singer
Rating: 4.0/5.0CHICAGO– Perhaps you’ve heard Anna Kendrick dabble in that thing called “singing” with her cutesy “Cups” on the radio, her runaway princess role in “Into the Woods” or “Pitch Perfect”....
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Sequel’s Tune is Off Key in ‘Pitch Perfect 2’
Rating: 3.0/5.0CHICAGO– “Pitch Perfect 2” wasn’t bad. There was the same off-kilter weirdness and funny lines of the first film, but in this sequel there were also stretches of boring, seemingly...
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‘Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates’ is Hilarious Joy
Rating: 4.5/5.0CHICAGO– In these difficult times, we flat out need a belly laugh. The timing of “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” couldn’t be better, because this group of comic actors and this movie...
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‘The Accountant’ is a Strange Indulgence for Ben Affleck
Rating: 2.0/5.0CHICAGO– Remember the hilarious video of Ben Affleck during the “Batman v Superman” promotions, his blank stare synched up to the song “The Sound of Silence”? Well, he’s decided to take...
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‘Trolls’ is Catchier Than it Has a Right to Be
Rating: 3.5/5.0CHICAGO– “Trolls” isn’t the type of confection that I would normally subject myself to, but at least it didn’t make me want to stick knitting needles in my ears. That’s because “Trolls”...
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As Comedy, ‘Table 19’ Only Serves Hor d’Oeuvres
Rating: 2.5/5.0CHICAGO– “Table 19” is an example of a movie that doesn’t try to do too much. It simply takes its little idea and lets it play out, without the forced subplots and desperate stabs of...
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Entertaining ‘A Simple Favor’ Can’t Maintain Its Mojo
Rating: 3.5/5.0CHICAGO– As the secrets are revealed in “A Simple Favor,” filtered through the witty and entertaining directorial style of Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”), the story moves with charm and...
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