Ah! A life of Anne Deveraux, the mother of perennially perma-tanned charmer and Hollywood glad-hander George Hamilton embodied by an eternally squint-eyed, purse-mouthed Renee Zellweger: how many petitions were issued, how many signatures were signed, how many producers were required to bring this 1953-set, I mean, pre-“Mad Men”-era road-trip-cum-romantic fantasy about a mom and her two teenage sons to the screen? (In the case of producers, the answer is eleven credited, “in association with Merv Griffin Entertainment and George Hamilton Entertainment.”) There are laughs and small, neat jokes about the young Hamilton who hopes to be a non-phony post-“Catcher In The Rye” writer, but the family’s general progress west plays soddenly, a failed soufflé, un-screwball with modest energy; Rex Reed kvelled. From Richard Loncraine, director of “Brimstone and Treacle” and “Wimbledon,” and written by Charlie Peters, the screenwriter of “Blame It On Rio” and “Hot To Trot.” The music is by Mark Isham, who did some cool Alan Rudolph scores in the day. With Kevin Bacon, David Koechner, Eric McCormack, Nick Stahl, Steven Weber and Chris Noth as “Dr. Harlan Williams.” 118m. Anamorphic 2.40 widescreen. (Ray Pride)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Uncanny Ally: A Review Of M3GAN "M3GAN" sells itself in its first handful of seconds in how it introduces the handiwork of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, "Get Out") and her present product, PurrPetual Petz from Funki.
Spawn Sacrifice: A Review Of The Creator "The Creator" is richly detailed, punchy, pulpy, punkish entertainment that still has highly serious subjects in mind, without growing didactic and with substantial heart.
A Drag Getting Old: A Review Of Indiana Jones 5 In the protracted opening couple of reels, a very young, computer-crafted Harrison Ford plays a younger cultural marauder who first encounters the dull MacGuffin of the title.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
Ah! A life of Anne Deveraux, the mother of perennially perma-tanned charmer and Hollywood glad-hander George Hamilton embodied by an eternally squint-eyed, purse-mouthed Renee Zellweger: how many petitions were issued, how many signatures were signed, how many producers were required to bring this 1953-set, I mean, pre-“Mad Men”-era road-trip-cum-romantic fantasy about a mom and her two teenage sons to the screen? (In the case of producers, the answer is eleven credited, “in association with Merv Griffin Entertainment and George Hamilton Entertainment.”) There are laughs and small, neat jokes about the young Hamilton who hopes to be a non-phony post-“Catcher In The Rye” writer, but the family’s general progress west plays soddenly, a failed soufflé, un-screwball with modest energy; Rex Reed kvelled. From Richard Loncraine, director of “Brimstone and Treacle” and “Wimbledon,” and written by Charlie Peters, the screenwriter of “Blame It On Rio” and “Hot To Trot.” The music is by Mark Isham, who did some cool Alan Rudolph scores in the day. With Kevin Bacon, David Koechner, Eric McCormack, Nick Stahl, Steven Weber and Chris Noth as “Dr. Harlan Williams.” 118m. Anamorphic 2.40 widescreen. (Ray Pride)
