ESCAPE ROOM
“It’s one of those “jump scare” films that will generate screams, clutched arms and – for the more cynical – rolling eyes. It’s definitely “check-your-brains-at-the-
BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 01/04/2019
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BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 12/28/2018
VICE
“Its obvious strength is a bravura performance by Christian Bale as Cheney.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Magazine
“It’s just a bunch of stuff that happened, shuffled all out of order and repeated a few times extra loud for the cheap seats.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery
“Winter movie season inevitably brings a deluge of dreadful issue-based movies that turn subtext into text and jam sentiment down viewers’ throats. VICE is no exception.” – Andy Crump, Men’s Health
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
“…an achingly beautiful film, and so terribly sad.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery
“The year is drawing to a close, but one of 2018’s finest films is just hitting theaters.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian
BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 12/21/2018
AQUAMAN
“…dizzying, delightful, and completely bonkers.” – Andy Crump, Men’s Health
“As superhero origin stories go, it’s actually an improvement over most of the movies based on DC comics.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies
“I don’t mind the direction they chose to take AQUAMAN as a character. Momoa isn’t a great actor by any stretch, but he’s proven to be the least of their worries in both this movie and the future.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential
“It’s a shame his film stinks like yesterday’s tuna.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian
WELCOME TO MARWEN
“The unspoken message of WELCOME TO MARWEN seems to be that we’re lucky that Hogancamp was brutalized and nearly died because, as a result, he’s now making imaginative art.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies
“…WELCOME TO MARWEN shows us that even when the story has been practically reinvented for the purposes of telling that story, it can still fail on all accounts.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest
“…an ineffective, emotionally aggressive, self-important and baffling experiment that is Zemeckis’ most similar film to the overrated FORREST GUMP since, well, FORREST GUMP.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
“…less than a sequel than a muddled attempt to clone the elements of the original film.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies
SECOND ACT
“If you’re looking for romance, watch COLD WAR. If you’re looking for comedy, watch GAME NIGHT. If you’re looking for romantic comedy, watch CRAZY RICH ASIANS. Whatever you do, don’t waste a second on this SECOND ACT.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest
2018 AWARDS
BEST PICTURE
YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
BEST DIRECTOR
Lynne Ramsay, YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
BEST ACTOR
Ethan Hawke, FIRST REFORMED
BEST ACTRESS
Toni Collette, HEREDITARY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Richard E. Grant, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Regina King, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
BEST SCREENPLAY
Paul Schrader, FIRST REFORMED
BEST ENSEMBLE
SUPPORT THE GIRLS
BEST SCORE
Jonny Greenwood, YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Alfonso Cuarón, ROMA
BEST EDITING
Joe Bini, YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
BEST DOCUMENTARY
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
ROMA
BEST ANIMATED FILM
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDERVERSE
TOP 10 FILMS OF 2018
1. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
2. FIRST REFORMED
3. ROMA
4. BLACKKKLANSMAN
5. BLACK PANTHER
6. SHOPLIFTERS
7. SUPPORT THE GIRLS
8. THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS
9. HEREDITARY
10. IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 12/14/2018
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
“INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE is built for a new kind of fandom, offering a world in which anyone can be Spider-Man — including young men of color, teenage girls, anime robots, talking pigs and even Nicolas Cage.” – Sean Burns, North Shore Movies
“Anyone who believes that superheroes should be canonized only by their classic identities will probably walk out of SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE with a nasty rash.” – Andy Crump, Men’s Health
“SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE works in every way it needs to in order for it to be the genuine success it is.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential
VOX LUX
“Certain to be a polarizing cinematic experience, VOX LUX is not easy or accessible.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest
“…a burly, overbearing piece of filmmaking, often horrifically funny and excitingly unencumbered by questions of good taste or worries about when to say when.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery
“…an ambitious film that proves to be less than the sum of its parts… but fans of Natalie Portman won’t want to miss her risk-taking performance here.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Reviews
MORTAL ENGINES
“MORTAL ENGINES creates a beautiful, dangerous, and escapist world, but it suffers from trying to do too much with characters we barely care about.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest
“What makes it fascinating even for those unfamiliar with the source material (like this reviewer) is its stunning visual design.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies
BEN IS BACK
“BEN IS BACK is not your typical, weepy addiction drama. But addiction is not a monolith and if adding a little intrigue to this story gives us another version of this story, then it’s fine by me.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest
“The problem is in the script, as filmmaker Hedges doesn’t seem to have asked himself why an audience would want to subject themselves to this.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies