Elizabeth Wood on “White Girl”
Nothing about the cinema of Elizabeth Wood could in any way be defined as timid. I’ll never forget the experience of seeing her solo feature debut, “White Girl,” at Chicago’s […]
Tag Archives: Gene Siskel Film Center
Joost van Ginkel on “170 Hz,” “The Paradise Suite”
The structurally audacious, vividly nuanced work of Dutch filmmaker and playwright Joost van Ginkel has been one of my most cherished discoveries this year. His first feature, 2011’s “170 Hz,” […]
Michael Glover Smith on “Cool Apocalypse”
There is no foolproof guidebook on how to make a living as an artist. For Michael Glover Smith, his passion for film has taken him many places before he arrived […]
Rebecca Parrish on “Radical Grace”
Few films this year have left me feeling more elated and hopeful than Rebecca Parrish’s sublime documentary, “Radical Grace.” It follows three key members of the “Nuns on the Bus” […]
Popcorn Porn: “Fifty Shades” and “Kingsman”
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, audiences around the country have two pieces of cheerfully dumb, studio-approved, hard R-rated pornography to choose from at mainstream theaters. One is Sam Taylor-Johnson’s […]
Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly on “The Homestretch”
Kasey, Anthony and Roque are three extraordinary Chicago teens with personalities and aspirations that are a natural fit for the big screen. They also just happen to be among the […]
EUFF Spotlight: “Waltz for Monica”
There are few things less compelling than a reverential biopic that strips a fascinating human life of all blemishes and shortcomings. How can one be expected to get involved in […]
Joe Swanberg on “All the Light in the Sky”
With the release of his 15th feature, the star-studded romantic comedy, “Drinking Buddies,” this past summer, it’s clear that the Windy City’s micro-budget auteur, Joe Swanberg, has succeeded in working […]
Casey Puccini on “Children Without Parents”
Nothing brings a family together quite like a sudden tragedy, yet in the case of Casey Puccini’s caustic dark comedy, “Children Without Parents,” the family is “together” only in the […]
‘La Camioneta’ Takes Soulful Ride to Guatemala
One of the great gifts of cinema is its ability to transcend the social and cultural boundaries that too often prevent us from viewing the world through the eyes of […]
