Review: Subtitles Be Damned, Heavy Trip is Heavy On Laughs
Subtitles, traditionally speaking, are not exactly a friend to comedy. How can a joke succeed if, in the middle of the punchline, one has to take their eyes off the […]
Lisa Trifone is Managing Editor and a Film Critic at Third Coast Review. A Rotten Tomatoes approved critic, she is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Find more of Lisa's work at SomebodysMiracle.com
Review: Bisbee ’17 Breaks the Bounds of Average Documentary Filmmaking
Documentaries abound about historical stories and figures we all know well; they’re typically straight-forward and straight-laced, with talking heads and archival footage recounting whatever incident or experience they document. The […]
Review: Nell Gwynn at Chicago Shakes Delivers Laughs and a Lush Production
About 20 minutes into Nell Gwynn, the American premiere of Jessica Swale’s comedy now on at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, it’s possible to wonder just exactly what we’re all doing here. […]
Screens Monthly: Festivals and Halloween Fare on the Big Screen in October
As Chicago prepares for hibernation over the long winter ahead, October proves to be a strong month for film options around town. With plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween on […]
Review: How Puppies Become Guide Dogs In Wonderfully Warm-Hearted Pick Of The Litter
If the woes of the world have you feeling down, I suggest sneaking away for an hour and a half this weekend to treat yourself to Pick of the Litter, easily […]
Review: Lush Period Piece Colette Glosses Over Early French Feminist’s True Impact
Keira Knightly has made something of a name for herself in period pieces, from Lizzie Bennett in Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, to one half of the […]
Review: A Few Scares, a Few Fart Jokes Make for an Uneven House With a Clock in Its Walls
The House With a Clock in Its Walls is a very bad title for a movie. The unfortunate tagline—”This house knows what makes you tick.”—is even worse. Fortunately, the film to […]
Dispatch: Oscar Buzz Abounds at Toronto International Film Festival
In my first dispatch from Toronto International Film Festival, a selection of six films offered a diverse taste of the hundreds of films screened at the 2018 edition (which officially […]
Review: White Boy Rick Isn’t a Classic Gangster Flick, But It Does Have Something To Say
The most compelling part of White Boy Rick, the true story of a Detroit teenager who became a hustler, an FBI informant and a drug kingpin all before the age of 16, […]
Dispatch: Toronto International Film Festival Introduces the Year’s Hits…and Misses
Positioned as it is in early September, the Toronto International Film Festival has long been a first stop for films destined for Oscar glory by the end of any given […]
Screens Monthly: What to See and Do at the Cinema in September
This month, with summer blockbusters (thankfully) behind us, film festival season kicks into high gear. While yours truly jets off to Toronto International Film Festival for a week (dispatches to […]
A Local Brewery “Dumped Trump” and Now You Can Support the Documentary About It
Another day, another debacle of diplomacy from the current administration, amiright? Whether it’s his former campaign manager and personal lawyer both guilty of crimes, a fumbled conference call with the […]