Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones

'Gonzo' Tells the Story of the Reporter Who Became the Storynew

Alex Gibney's last two feature documentaries, Taxi to the Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, are more important works of journalism than anything Thompson could bring himself to write in his later years. Compared to those movies, Gonzo feels a little soft and boomer-indulgent with its 10,000th rehash of the Nixon years and its soundtrack of trite 60s anthems.

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 07-07-2008 | Reviews

Tags: journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, documentary, Alex Gibney, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

David Mamet's Redbelt is a Return to Formnew

In a sense, the arc of Mamet's career has been one long journey from Chicago to Hollywood, and his last few movies as a writer-director -- State and Main, Heist and Spartan -- suggested that arc was turning steeply downward. Redbelt emphatically reverses this decline by combining in near-perfect proportion what Mamet loves and hates about Hollywood.

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 05-19-2008 | Reviews

Tags: David Mamet, Redbelt

"Young Americans," "Mourning Edition," "Teenage Noir"new

AltWeeklies Award - Arts Criticism

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 04-21-2008 | Media

Tags: media

Thomas McCarthy Carves Out a Plum Role for Veteran Character Actor Richard Jenkins in 'The Visitor'new

So much film criticism focuses on directors that we sometimes forget what draws most people to the screen: the prospect of seeing an actor connect with a role and really live it.

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 04-21-2008 | Reviews

Tags: Richard, jenkins, The Visitor, Thomas McCarthy

The Real Deal: How FDR Got into Picturesnew

When Franklin Roosevelt campaigned for president in 1932 he promised to attack America's economic woes through "bold, persistent experimentation," and the fascinating new program from the National Archives -- "For a Better America: The New Deal on Film" -- shows how that experimentation found its way onto movie screens.

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 04-14-2008 | Movies

Tags: FDR, national archives, the New Deal

When the Music Makes the Movienew

Scorsese masterfully captures the Stones onstage in Shine a Light, but the clunky new Curtis Mayfield doc Movin' On Up is still the better bet.

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 04-07-2008 | Reviews

A Southerner in the 'Snow'new

David Gordon Green tries his hand up north.

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 03-24-2008 | Reviews

Tags: David Gordon Green, Snow Angels

'Chicago 10': History Nownew

In his "mash-up documentary," Brett Morgen wants to erase the distance between 1968 and 2008.

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 03-03-2008 | Movies

Tags: Brett Morgen, Chicago 10

Tom Hayden on 'Chicago 10' and the 1968 DNCnew

Hayden, one of the defendants in the Chicago conspiracy trial, stopped by Chicago for a panel discussion on the changing nature of political activism. Here are some excerpts of his remarks.

Chicago Reader | J.R. Jones | 03-03-2008 | Movies

Tags: Brett Morgen, Chicago 10