BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/27/2014

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTIONtransformers-age-of-extinction-30825-2880x1800

“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION is nothing more than a repetitive, mind-numbing orgy of self-indulgent excess by director Michael Bay… filled with a 165-minute long cacophony of ear-splitting noise, on-screen chaos, horrible dialogue and meaningless mayhem.” – Tim Estiloz, Boston Movie Examiner

“I liked it. Mostly. Flaws and all and with a big dollop of self-provided absurdist irony… but yeah, it’s a major improvement over the first three and it’s not a chore to watch.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

“The longer TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION stumbled along, the more I wanted to go home.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“…a bloated, incoherent mess that may divert children (and grown-ups who enjoyed playing with the toys) who have turned the last three films into international hits. It’s a prime example of why box office is not a good measure of quality.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

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THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ

“Knappenberger understands the factual complexities of Swartz’s case, and the events that culminated in his 2013 suicide; he also understands how to present them in sterling clarity, and without condescending to a less informed audience.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“Aaron Swartz’s life story is a tragedy, but not for the reasons the makers of THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY would have you believe.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, The Jewish Advocate

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/20/2014

imagesJERSEY BOYS

“The casting is of good quality, the songs are fun to listen to, but JERSEY BOYS as a whole suffers from the deficiencies of the tone and style that’s utilized.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“Those of you who have despaired of finding any major studio release amidst the flood of monster, superhero, fairy tale, and goofy comedy movies now have something to go see. ” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Does it work? Your parents might think so, but… Eastwood’s not exactly Martin Scorsese.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“In the public eye, that talking-to-the-chair bit at the Republican National Convention got Eastwood written off as a serious personality. In the cinema, this film might do the same.” – Jake Mulligan, Movie Mezzanine

 

Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce in The RoverTHE ROVER

“If you looked in Robert Pattinson’s Netflix cue, you would probably find that he’s recently rented RAIN MAN, I AM SAM, FORREST GUMP, RADIO, and just about every other movie you can think of featuring a Hollywood star pretending to be mentally challenged. All for naught.”  – John Black, Boston Event Guide

THE ROVER isn’t the kind of film someone would highly recommend, but it’s solid enough to watch if you’re interested in giving it a chance.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“Even in THE ROVER’s darkest moments, there are pieces of humanity in Eric and Rey that keep them from becoming the worst of the worst, like Henry and his cohorts.” – David Riedel, Santa Fa Reporter

 


" THE GRAND SEDUCTION " MAX FILMSPhoto: Duncan de Young  /  Max FilmsTHE GRAND SEDUCTION

“At the very least, McKellar deserves acknowledgement for being shrewd enough to poach from an underseen film instead of something more visible.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“It’s pleasant, occasionally funny, relatively well-made, and yet it’s intensely frustrating every step of the way.”  – Jake Mulligan, EDGE Boston

 


battlecompanykorengal7900x506KORENGAL

“…KORENGAL does carry a tinge of rehash about it, and a sense that it’s a document about yesterday’s battles with current events rapidly overshadowing the past. – Kilian Melloy, EDGE Boston

 

hero_IvoryTower-2014-1IVORY TOWER

“Rossi doesn’t content himself simply with examining the spinning gears in society that have allowed the cost of education to ratchet up to such astronomical levels as they’re at today.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/13/2014

22-Jump-Street-5  22 JUMP STREET

“Whether doing physical or verbal comedy, though, both Hill and Tatum have the talent to never play to a joke; they play every scene as seriously as they can, which makes the film all the funnier.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have fantastic chemistry again as the mismatched cops Schmidt and Jenko. Their partnership is definitely bromantic, but is also entertaining because it feels like a real romantic relationship.” – Evan Crean, Starpulse

“Although it lacks in the department of originality, I think most people will find some legitimate comedic value in 22 JUMP STREET.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

” …raucous, goofy fun that doesn’t assume the people who are watching are idiots.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Lord and Miller use this meta-narrative to work through their professional anxieties – a fear of sequel and reboot-itis, and of making the same films that their peers are already making.” – Jake Mulligan, Movie Mezzanine

 

how-to-train-your-dragon-trailer-2HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

“Perhaps the best scene of the film, though, belongs to a broken down old Viking named Gobber (Craig Ferguson) as he bids farewell to a fallen comrade with a poem read at the Viking’s funeral. It’s not only the most cinematic sequence in the animated film, but one of the most honestly heartfelt moments you’re bound to find in any summer blockbuster, animated or otherwise.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“DeBlois has no interest in a game of plug and play with the qualities that made the previous film a hit. He’s out to build upon them.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“As a reviewer who greeted the first film with lukewarm praise as merely acceptable children’s entertainment, let it be noted that the reaction is much different this time. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 joins that short list of sequels that surpass their originals.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

A117_C002_0418MHOBVIOUS CHILD

“It is an awkward, cynical film that clearly knows little about the romantic comedies its main character says she despises.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, The Jewish Advocate

“OBVIOUS CHILD isn’t just a romantic comedy, and it’s not just about abortion. It’s about time someone made a funny movie that reflects real life.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

 

THE SIGNALTheSignal_FocusFeatures_Image3_720

THE SIGNAL is what I would consider to be an intelligent and imaginative science fiction movie.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

 

 

WE ARE THE BEST!

WE ARE THE BEST!

“No one might immediately associate the anti-authoritarian tenor of punk with sweetness, tenderness, and innocence, but Moodysson stitches together the attitudes of the former with the latter seamlessly.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“The film has a merry charm that buoys it along from start to finish.” – Kilian Melloy, EDGE Boston

“WE ARE THE BEST! is hard to dislike, being a well-made, deeply felt, bracingly immediate film about the rebellious spirit of youth, something that pretty much everyone on the planet can relate to.” – Jake Mulligan, Movie Mezzanine

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/06/2014

maxresdefaultEDGE OF TOMORROW

“EDGE OF TOMORROW is effective on a narrative level because it intentionally keeps its time travel elements simple. This leaves little room for plot holes and allows you to get lost in its experience.” – Evan Crean, Starpulse

“EDGE OF TOMORROW offers an entertaining experience for anyone wanting to see an action packed science fiction feature film.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“…a thoughtful, action-packed, and occasionally amusing take on the [time loop] premise melded into the alien invasion story. For summer entertainment, it will more than do.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Smart, fun summer entertainment until the big guns roll in in the fall just before Oscar season.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

“While actual video game-derived movies have consistently failed, Liman’s latest perfectly captures the experience of playing a game.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“How wonderful it is to report that EDGE OF TOMORROW has all the signs of a creative team and studio wanting to make a good, borderline-great action spectacular, and the filmdelivers.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

“it wants to nail you to the edge of your seat, and does.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

 

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THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

“The most impressive thing about THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is how effortless the interactions between its main characters feel.” – Evan Crean, Reel Recon

“…Hazel’s personal awareness gives the film a back and forth, empowering her with choice in the face of a conflict so grave that most of us cannot imagine how we might confront it if the shoe was on the other foot.” – Andy Crump, In Review Online

“THE FAULT IN OUR STARS will definitely be something that will make a significant amount of people who see it shed a few tears.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“You will laugh. You will cry. You will be surprised that a movie this manipulative is the best teenage love story so far this year.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“It has a lot to say about the fragility of life and what it all means– or doesn’t.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

“It has a lot to say about the fragility of life and what it all means– or doesn’t.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

 

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IDA

“Ultimately, little is what it seems in IDA, but Pawlikowski captures his parade of enigmas and uncertainties with a pristine clarity.” – Andy Crump, In Review Online

“…those willing to appreciate finely etched character studies of two women, trying to make sense of a discovered or rediscovered Jewish past, will find this both engaging and moving.– Daniel M. Kimmel, The Jewish Advocate

“This is a new movie about old times, presented, in some ways, in the visual manner of an old movie, though its sensibilities remain utterly contemporary.” – Kilian Melloy, EDGE Boston

 

Night MovesNIGHT MOVES

“Reichardt’s minimalism leaves us to seek out our own answers to the questions she poses, but it’s in how she poses them that NIGHT MOVES leaves its mark.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“It’s an excellent example of show-don’t-tell; the characters dole out bits of information to each other on a need-to-know basis, and the audience is in the dark as much as each of the characters is.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

the-sacrament-movieTHE SACRAMENT

The film proves compelling even when it’s just about modern men standing dumbstruck by the simplicity of the alien world they’re treading through. – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“West’s movie goes all the way around the block, to a cult that’s ostensibly located on the other side of the globe, just so it can get to the haunted house next door.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE Boston