CCFF 2016: Six Films to Remember
The fourth installment of the Chicago Critics Film Festival wrapped yesterday at the Music Box Theatre, and I couldn’t be prouder of my colleagues who made this passion project a […]
Tag Archives: HBO
I Don’t Know If I’m Coming or Going: An Appreciation of “Nine Lives”
Some wonderful things happen in the moments prior to a film screening. Strangers in the audience strike up a conversation, connections are made and in some cases, lives are forever […]
Phil Joanou on “The Veil”
The career of filmmaker Phil Joanou would make for a great film in its own right. He has directed some of U2’s most beloved music videos. He was Michael Apted’s […]
Top 20 Films of 2015: Part II
To demonstrate just how spectacular a year it has been for film, this Top 10 list is followed by three “special honorable mentions,” which should be considered a tie for […]
CIFF 2015 Preview: “Anomalisa,” “James White” and Six More
There comes a point when a film festival turns from a casual diversion and into an obsession. That happened to me last year during the Chicago International Film Festival, when […]
Stephen Cone, Cole Doman, Nina Ganet, Pat Healy and Elizabeth Laidlaw on “Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party”
“Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party,” the seventh feature from director Stephen Cone, is a masterpiece of nuance. It assembles a large cast of characters, observes their behavior as they interact during […]
High on “Inherent Vice”
I frankly didn’t know what to make of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice” the first time I saw it. I hadn’t read the Thomas Pynchon novel upon which it was […]
Top Twenty Films of 2014: Part II
Drum roll, please! Below are Indie Outlook’s picks for the Top 10 Films of 2014 (click here to view #11-20). Make sure to scroll all the way down for a […]
“Into the Woods”: Stage Versus Screen
When writing about Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s “Into the Woods,” there’s no need to beat around the bush. It’s my favorite musical of all time. I first discovered the […]
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 […]
