BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 04/11/2014

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a48c08d0-c00f-11e3-90f1-b3bc9d7bb80b_draftday_featurette_gsDRAFT DAY

“DRAFT DAY isn’t so much a movie as it is a 90-minute infomercial pimping out the NFL, the only sport with enough hubris to believe that the drafting of players from college to the professional ranks is important enough to demand a movie all its own.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“Like Sonny, Reitman can’t easily make up his mind; unlike Sonny, Reitman never quite figures it out.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“DRAFT DAY, then, is about as daring as a pair of dad jeans – and just as ugly.” – Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

“There’s so much melodrama here that a better title might have been “Football Camp.”" – Kilian Melloy, EDGE Boston

“How does it all shake out? Well, duh. This is a sports movie starring Kevin Costner. If you can’t guess, you really shouldn’t be in the game.” – David Riedel, The Santa Fe Reporter

DOM HEMINGWAYdomhemingway1

“DOM HEMINGWAY is certainly an enjoyable film for adults who are looking for something different.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“Law goes ugly in DOM HEMINGWAY, and it’s a great look on him. ” – Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

THE RAID 2: BERANDALThe-Raid-2-Uwais

“Evans has jettisoned the bare bones approach here in favor of far grander storytelling, complimenting his expanded plot with almost twenty action sequences interwoven along the crewel of his overarching narrative.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“THE RAID 2: BERANDAL is a martial arts classic that’s both spectacular and memorable.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

JE3_7854.NEFOCULUS

“Though the film never proposes one ultimate uniting truth, this intentional ambiguity never leaves the audience wanting. Rather that failing to explain the actions on those two terrifying nights, it offers several possible explanations.” – Deirdre Crimmins, All Things Horror

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP 4/4/2014

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIERla_ca_0102_Captain_America

“For those invested in the Marvel superheroes, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER ranks high up there. It’s not THE AVENGERS or IRON MAN, but it’s better than most of the rest of them.” – Daniel Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies

“136 minutes of badly edited action sequences linked together with an overheated plot and some lukewarm performances.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“A fantastic comic book movie that is sure to entertain the overwhelming majority of its viewers.” – Jaskee Hickman

“Once you take him out of a fanciful WWII era, you can’t not get political with a character who’s named after a country and wears its flag as his uniform.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

“Blows its predecessor out of the water and rivals THE AVENGERS for slam-bang action and thrills. It’s the best Marvel movie thus far.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

UNKNOWNTHE UNKNOWN KNOWN

“But if Rumsfeld twists and spins, Morris seems to lack the energy to pin him down.” – Kilian Melloy, EDGE

 

 

 

NYMPH()MANIACNYMPHOMANIAC2

“Von Trier has made a psychological epic but he’s also made his greatest comedy.” – Jake Mulligan, Movie Mezzanine

 

 

DUNEJODOROWSKY’S DUNE

“”It is the greatest movie that never got made. … At least it is in the opinion of the man who wanted to make it.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP 03/28/2014

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Russell Crowe as NoahNOAH

“As entertaining and exciting as he makes it, Aronofsky makes sure you leave the theater  thinking about what you just saw in ways that go far beyond the ‘wow’ factor most epic movies like this shoot  for, and that’s what makes it great.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“You’ve got to respect the stones it takes to look at The Bible and say: “Yeah, it’s good – but we can do better!” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

“It’s entertaining in several respects; confounding, confusing and frustrating in many others.  It’s most assuredly not the Old Testament Noah story.” – Tim Estiloz, Boston Examiner

“There’s no command of tone here, no overarching mood the way, say, drab melancholy dominates THE WRESTLER or hallucinatory fever rules over BLACK SWAN.” – Jake Mulligan, In Review Online

 

SABOTAGE9cd28dcb-92d7-4dc1-a3bb-fe5b215e2b39_sabotage_blog_gs

“SABOTAGEis a really flat revenge tale that doesn’t come close to giving what they are advertising.” - Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

 

chavez28f-1-webCESAR CHAVEZ

“His film ultimately feels much more finely-honed than competing entries in biopic canon, which is to say that it meanders, but with slightly more purpose.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

“The film itself isn’t anything spectacular, but CESAR CHAVEZ gives its audience an opportunity to learn about this man and the trials and tribulations that the people on the fields had to deal with back in those days.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“Watching his life-size cardboard cutout of Chávez shout, “Yes, we can,” I was moved, but only to wish that one of the things “we” can do is to make a resonant, dramatically rich film about a leader who forcefully but nonviolently bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice — which this inoffensive cow pie most certainly isn’t.” – Inkoo Kang, The Village Voice

 

Le Weekend<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Directed by Roger Michell<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Starring Lindsay Duncan and Jim BroadbentLE WEEK-END

“Occasionally buoyant and more often wrenching, this film is admirably dedicated to portraying every facet of a dedicated relationship, beautiful or ugly, for better or worse—usually, ugly and worse.” – Andy Crump. In Review Online

“Kureishi’s endlessly quotable script provides a robust foundation for “LE WEEK-END, a mordant, mournful and acerbic relationship drama that represents a superb achievement for Duncan, Broadbent, and director Roger Michell (NOTTING HILL).” - Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP 03/21/2014

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DIVERGENTDIVERGENT

“Our setting: A post-apocalyptic, mostly-ruined future Earth where the only documents to survive The Fall were apparently an Archie Double-Digest and a DVD of SHE’S ALL THAT.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

“As for the cast…well, let’s just say that the post-apocalyptic future will be filled with healthy, beautiful young people with toned bodies, fantastic hair and, for the most part, blank expressions. Just like those other popular  book/movie franchises.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“All of the tension that could be mined out of her conundrum—no one can know that she was born different from nearly everybody else—gets shunted aside for boring filler and terrible world-building.” – Andy Crump, In Review Online

“My negative view of DIVERGENT is primarily based on the generic repetition that’s on display from beginning to end.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“The film works because it engages in some creative world-building… That said, its roots in other YA successes are painfully obvious. ” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

Muppets_Most_Wanted_14MUPPETS MOST WANTED

“…the film ends up being just as much of an ode to the Muppets’ brand of unbridled delight without having to wax sentimental; in the end, Bobin and Stoller cleverly get to have their cake and eat it, too. And so do we.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“The plot to steal England’s crown jewels makes no sense, but it’s a delightful kind of no sense, and if the point is gleeful silliness, who cares?” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

“I did start to wonder whether making fun of how far The Muppets have been left behind by popular culture is going to keep being enough to make it not true.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

 

BW1312.CR2BAD WORDS

“Clearly, and admirably, BAD WORDS strives to keep the hugging and learning to a minimum.” – Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

“Bateman almost has enough dry-tongued charm to pull off this deeply dislikable character — almost.” – Killian Melloy, EDGE Boston

“This bloodthirsty bunch fears broken dreams and innocence lost, and Trilby’s just taken the apple from paradise.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

 

nymphomaniacNYMPH()MANIAC

“NYMPH()MANIAC is a multi-pronged film; a cineaste could read it as a celebration of sexual positivism, or as a male-driven condemnation of female sexuality.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“Well, at least we now know why Shia LaBeouf wears a bag over his head when appearing in public.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“Make no mistake, Von Trier does not make movies about topics he likes or understands. If he’s filming something, odds are he has the utmost contempt for it, which is why most of his films center around female characters.” – Kristofer Jenson, DIG

“In the spirit of getting to the point: NYMPH()MANIAC: VOLUME ONE is a piece of shit.” – David Riedel, Raw Denim

 

THE LUNCHBOX

Trailer321“What is delivered in THE LUNCHBOX is something beautiful that anyone can appreciate.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

 

 

THE FACE OF LOVELOL d04 _32.NEF

“What’s problematic here is that THE FACE OF LOVE treats these close calls as though they’re disposable, rather than essential beats for sustaining the film’s central conflict.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“The Face of Love also wants to be a romance, a story about grieving (but not really), and a comedy, and all in 90 minutes. Mostly it’s just a mess.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter