Top 20 Films of 2017: Part II
In a year that has consistently felt like an apocalyptic black comedy, albeit one that is no laughing matter, the greatest films have served as an anchor of sanity. I’m […]
Top 20 Films of 2017: Part I
Over the past 11 years I’ve spent on the movie beat in Chicago, there have never been as many contenders for my annual “best of” list as there are in […]
Jumping the Wall: Andrew Droz Palermo’s “One & Two”
Timothée Chalamet and Kiernan Shipka are two of the best actors of their generation. The camera can hold on their faces for an indefinite amount of time and be constantly […]
Something Rare and Sacred: Elvira Lind’s “Bobbi Jene”
What constitutes an out-of-body experience for moviegoers? For me, it’s when a film transports me so entirely into the life of the person onscreen that I feel as if I […]
What’s Going On Here: The Dark Side of “The Room”
If laughter is one of the greatest gifts we can give and receive, then Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 cinematic disaster, “The Room,” is the bargain basement gift that keeps on giving. […]
Clare Cooney on “Runner”
A year before the Harvey Weinstein scandal upended Hollywood by placing a glaring spotlight on its culture of sexual harassment, the career of a similarly revered-yet-notorious figure in the Chicago […]
Margaret Betts on “Novitiate”
I’ve never tired of my parents’ stories detailing their Catholic education. Their vivid memories of the nuns who taught them run the gamut from endearing and hilarious to flat-out terrifying. […]
CIFF 2017: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “The Shape of Water” and Eight More to Remember
The 53rd Chicago International Film Festival is now complete, and my mind is swimming with countless flickering images that have become forever etched into my consciousness. I was honored to […]
CIFF 2017: Jakob Lass on “Tiger Girl”
The cinema of German filmmaker Jakob Lass is characterized by an intoxicating energy. His camera and characters are always on the move, involving us in their adventures with such playfulness […]
Six Soundtracks Worth Blasting Out Your Window On Halloween
Ever since I deemed myself too old to trick-or-treat, my favorite Halloween tradition has been to conjure the spirit of the holiday through the realm of music. When I was […]
Indie Outlook 