Michael Phillips – Page 80

Jon Batiste, winner of Best Original Score – Motion Picture for "Soul", speaks during the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards broadcast on Feb. 28, 2021.

Golden Globes analysis: Recruiting Black HFPA members not enough to fix scandal

March 1, 2021 at 11:35 a.m.

Even in a crisis, there's an upside to being a tiny, rich, self-dealing and likely corrupt nonprofit organization. Being small, flexible and desperate means you can launch a brand rehabilitation...

Even with Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan front and center, little in the trailer of "The Dig" seemed particularly promising, but I gave it a go and it's good. Some of it's true, too: Along the east coast of Britain in 1939, with war clouds looming, self-taught Suffolk archeologist Basil Brown was hired by ailing widow Edith Pretty to discover if anything of value lay beneath the earth mounds on her property. There was indeed, and the remains and artifacts of a sixth-century Anglo-Saxon burial ship stunned the world. Fiennes is Basil; Mulligan is Edith; around the halfway point of director Simon Stone's film, the focus (for better or worse) shifts to others in the orbit of the excavation effort, particularly characters played by Lily James and Johnny Flynn. Based on the 2007 novel by John Preston, "The Dig" freely mixes fact and invention, overloading the crises a bit but generally succeeding. A fair amount of screenwriter Moira Buffini's dialogue plays out as Terrence Malick-styled voiceover, while the camera focuses on the stark beauty of the surroundings, and men and women actually doing the work. The results are trim, well-made and quite moving. So much for my prejudgments. (Netflix) — Michael Phillips

‘It’s a Sin’ review: London calls, and a generation faces the AIDS crisis head-on. It’s the best thing I’ve seen this year.

February 26, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.

Already a smash in Britain, the five-episode limited series "It's a Sin" is now streaming on HBO Max. It's a marvel. The story explores 10 years among a tight-knit group...

What we’re watching: Stanley Tucci adventures to Italy, ‘When Calls the Heart’ and the friendly Muppets

February 26, 2021 at 7:00 a.m.

Wondering what to watch this week? Check out our weekly film and TV recommendations. We want to know what you're streaming, too. Click here to share your picks with us....

Can Evanston’s downtown movie house find a new tenant? Here’s why it looks likely.

February 25, 2021 at 2:52 p.m.

In a surprising show of support for the future of Chicago-area moviegoing, owners of the Music Box Theatre, the Davis Theater, the New 400 Theaters and Downers Grove-based Classic Cinemas...

‘United States vs. Billie Holiday’ review: In a nervy, unconventional biopic, Andra Day triumphs as Lady Day

February 25, 2021 at 12:05 p.m.

Many Billie Holiday fans may be left frustrated and perplexed by "The United States vs. Billie Holiday," now streaming on Hulu. I am not one of them. It's worth seeing...

‘Behind Her Eyes’ requires bold British fare from Pleasant House Pub

February 24, 2021 at 1:14 p.m.

Watch this: "Behind Her Eyes" Netflix's six-part head-bender "Behind Her Eyes" is a London-set story about a secretary, her surly but charismatic boss, and the boss's plainly untrustworthy wife. It's...

Cinemark 18 closes, leaving downtown Evanston without a movie theater

February 24, 2021 at 8:12 a.m.

Without so much as Scotch-taping a "Thanks for 20 Years!" note to the front door, Texas-based multiplex chain Cinemark has closed its downtown Evanston location, the Cinemark 18 at Church...

Twitter temporarily suspends Music Box Theatre’s account. Blame it on that song from ‘Top Gun.’

February 23, 2021 at 5:23 p.m.

Twitter can suspend an account for all sorts of reasons. A president or ex-president might violate the rules of hate speech or incendiary language designed to foment an insurrection, for...

What we’re watching: ‘Nomadland’ to Queen Latifah’s ‘The Equalizer’ and ‘Outlander’ stars in kilts

June 29, 2021 at 10:13 a.m.

Wondering what to watch this week? Check out our weekly film and TV recommendations. We want to know what you're streaming, too. Click here to share your picks with us....

‘I Care a Lot’ review: Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage go for the throat in Netflix fable of greed, American style

February 19, 2021 at 12:28 p.m.

For a while, "I Care a Lot" has some grim fun with fearsome adversaries played by Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage trying to get what, and who, they want: Dianne...

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