BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 4/4/2025

THE FRIEND

“Great Danes are the king of dogs,” declares a character in The Friend. If you believe that, you may be engaged by this story of a woman bequeathed a hulking dog named Apollo. Otherwise, in spite of a game performance by Naomi Watts, it is a chaotic mess.” Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

TIME TRAVEL IS DANGEROUS

“For my second novel, Time on My Hands, I set out to spoof every cliché of the time travel story, a genre I enjoy. The makers of the British comedy Time Travel Is Dangerous have come up with something even I didn’t think of: having a time machine would come in really handy if you owned a shop selling vintage items.” Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 3/28/2025

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

“Do people even remember Andy Kaufman today? It’s hard to believe that this comedian/performance artist/actor has been gone for more than forty years, dying of lung cancer in 1984 at the age of 35. Thank You Very Much is a wonderful introduction to this unique talent. For those us who were around then, it provides interviews and insights into who he was and what made him tick.” Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

THE PENGUIN LESSONS

Steve Coogan deserves better. So does the penguin.John Black, Cinekong

 

 

 

DEATH OF A UNICORN

“While wearing its homages to the alien franchise on its sleeve, I don’t see this fact as a bad thing.” Byron McNeal, On The Reel On Tumblr

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 3/21/2025

SNOW WHITE

“The original film is not remembered fondly for its narrative, so there must have been an incessant amount of mental gymnastics to adapt this.” Byron McNeal, On The Reel On Tumblr

Snow White should do well as family entertainment but perhaps the best news is this: with the upcoming “live action” version of Lilo & Stitch, Disney is running out of animated features to remake.” Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 3/14/2025

BLACK BAG

“Ultimately, it’s the cast’s understated collective anxiety that sells the film’s stakes, and Soderbergh’s trademark casual cool that sets up its political allegory while obscuring it at the same time.” Andy Crump, Cool Material

 

OCTOBER 8

October 8 makes no attempt to solve the issues between Israel and Palestinians. It isn’t a “Jewish film” in the sense that it’s not narrowcasting to a particular audience. It’s a message to all of America: the world’s oldest hate has staged a comeback – what are we going to do about it?” Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 3/7/2025

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN

“Watching two veteran actors bringing their characters to life is one of many possible pleasures at the movies. Watching them struggle in vain against a script that’s just spinning its wheels is not. The Rule Of Jenny Pen – a purported psychological thriller – is the latter.” Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies