Author Archives: Dann Gire

Ronnie and Dave (Malin Akerman and Chicago’s Vince Vaughn) get some romance tips from Marcel (Jean Reno) at a tropical resort in the romantic comedy “Couples Retreat.” Hollywood must really have it in for Buffalo Grove. How else to explain why the Northwest suburb has been used as the setting for two inane and intelligence-abusing […]

Back in 1987, William Dear directed an endearing family movie about a lovable abominable snowman called “Harry and the Hendersons. Now, his newest film, an indie sports drama titled “Free Style,” represents a severely regressive work. It closely resembles an elaborate student film, complete with cast members who could have been snatched from a local […]

Superhero origin movies are the rage these days (“Batman Begins,” “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” etc.), so why not one for super French fashion designer Coco Chanel? Audrey Tautou, who charmed international audiences in “Amelie,” brings an emotionally weighted whimsy to Chanel as Anne Fontaine’s biopic whisks the future artist through her early days in a Catholic […]

So where’s the outrage? OK, outrage may be a little strong, but come on people. Look what’s happening. I recently went online and called up a theatrical trailer to the new Bruce Willis thriller “Surrogates.” What did I get? A TV commercial for a car company. The commercial came with an explanation that the “video” […]

Actor Willem “The Green Goblin” Dafoe joins a parade of filmmakers attending the Chicago International Film Festival through Thursday, Oct. 22. He’s scheduled to be at a screening of his new controversial drama, Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist,” on October 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago. (Read more…) Go to […]

Actress Tia Carrère will attend screenings of her immortal comedy “Wayne’s World” on October 8 at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. at the Hollywood Palms theater, She’ll also attend screenings on October 10 at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. at the Hollywood Boulevard theater and again on October 11 at 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. back at the […]

Tough guy Clive Owen goes moist and squishy on us in Scott Hicks’ poignant and problematic domestic drama about Down Under sports writer Joe Warr, who periodically receives child-rearing advice from the imagined spirit of his deceased wife (Laura Fraser). Joe not only raises his 6-year-old (Nicholas McAnulty), but his imported rebel teen son (George […]

Actress Uma Thurman, who sliced her way through Quentin Tarantino’s two-volume action film “Kill Bill,” will open the 45th Chicago International Film Festival with her bittersweet comedy “Motherhood.” The actress and the film’s writer/director, Katherine Dieckmann, will be at the opening where the actress will also receive the festival’s Career Achievement Award. Director John Woo, […]

Muckraker doc maker Michael Moore gets a cold greeting from a guard at GM headquarters in “Capitalism: A Love Story.” “I refuse to live in a country like this!” Michael Moore declares, “and I’m not leaving!” In Moore’s ingeniously provocative, amusingly muckraking, obnoxiously hilarious, shamelessly showboating doc “Capitalism: A Love Story,” the filmmaker takes on […]

I sat down with the effervescently cute Drew Barrymore at Chicago’s Metro club for a quick chat about her directorial debut, the rollerblading babes movie “Whip It,” opening today. “Were you old enough to remember anything that Steven Spielberg did on the set of “E.T.” that might have helped you as a director?” I asked. […]