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Last Wednesday, December 11th, the Chicago Film Critics Association  kicked off the film awards season with its annual Awards Dinner at Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern  on Gallagher Way , right next to Wrigley Field (yeah, where the Yum Yum Donuts  used to be). I have been a member of the CFCA, on and off, since the organization began in 1989. I've presented awards, made phone calls, tallied votes, set up chairs, and even driven celebrity presenters and winners to and from the a

Below is my list of the 20 Best Movies of 2024 in my order of preference, with the first being the Best Film of the Year 2024 was a solid year for movies—not great, but solid. You will notice that there are many films on my list that aren't on many other critics' lists, as there are many films that are NOT on my list that are included on my colleagues' lists. That's not on purpose; it's just how it worked out. A huge number of extraordinarily overrated movies were released th

I love my Film Critic pants; I enjoy putting them on. There, they are on, and here we go! It's time for some capsule (short) movie reviews of four New Releases for the week of Friday, November 15, 2024 1) A REAL PAIN Starring, written, and directed by Jesse Eisenberg , this exceptional comedy/drama about mismatched cousins (Eisenberg and a stellar Kieran Culkin ) who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother is one of the best and biggest surprises

The 60th annual Chicago International Film Festival  is now underway, with screenings, special events, tributes, and other festivities happening all over the city until Closing Night on October 27th. Here are five more exclusive reviews of CIFF movies; these films will be commercially released in the coming weeks and available for streaming. 1) GRAND TOUR The very talented Portuguese auteur Miguel Gomes has made another strikingly original film that is as lyrical as it is con