Category Archives: Review Roundups

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 8/17

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PARANORMAN

“I think this might actually be my favorite movie I have seen this year.” – Bob Chipman, The Escapist

“Any misgivings about the plot are eased by the handcrafted visuals. Catch it in 3D if you can.” – Brett Michel, The Boston Phoenix

“It’s sort of like what THE GOONIES might’ve been, had THE GOONIES been beautifully animated and not terrible.” – Sean Burns, The Improper Bostonian

“Funny, engaging, and creatively animated. This is one you might enjoy even without any kids in tow.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

“It’s very funny, the pacing is good. I really don’t know where to fault it.” – Steve Head, The Post-Movie Podcast
 
“Perfect for the family – perfect for anyone, really – it’s a spooky, fun, lucid dream that I cannot wait to visit again.” – Greg Vellante, The Eagle Tribune
 

 

THE EXPENDABLES 2

“A lot of us were looking forward to seeing this movie, but they made the excecutive decison not to show it to critics in Boston. From what I’ve heard, it was shown in other cities. Can’t say why?” – Monica Castillo, The Post-Movie Podcast 

“This one’s still a B-movie, but it doesn’t have the same anarchic spirit. You can only trade your wares on a novelty premise for so long.” – Jake Mulligan, The Suffolk Voice

“Of course it’s garbage. But this is my favorite kind of garbage.” – Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly

“This boring, bloated waste of celluloid hit theatres with all the excitement of a rotten gourd hitting a brick wall.” – Bob Chipman, The Escapist

 

SPARKLE

“The thinly drawn characterizations feel better suited for a juicy TV movie than a big feature film.” – Norm Schrager, Paste Magazine

“Not a remarkable film, but it is highly entertaining fluff and mild melodrama bolstered by some great nostalgic music and style of the late 60’s.” – Tim Estiloz, Boston Movie Examiner

“It’s a vehicle rather than a statement, providing a fitting eulogy for Houston and a solid launching pad for Sparks.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

“The melodramatic turns stray into camp, and newcomer Jordin Sparks doesn’t have the finesse to avoid it. Nor does the sloppy camerawork, stilted acting, and bad lip-syncing help the cause.” – Monica Castillo, The Boston Phoenix

 

 
CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER

“While the story leads to unexpected places, there’s a heavy dose of gender cliché that clings to the movie like a push-up bra.”  – Kilian Melloy, EDGE Boston

“With such erratic construction, the scant 91-minute runtime feels like it goes on forever.” – Jake Mulligan, The Boston Phoenix

“Because we see so many romantic comedies, we project what we think is going to happen. And it never followed that route. I’d think it was going to go right and it would go left.” – John Black, The Post-Movie Podcast

 

THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN

 “If you relax and take the ride, you’ll walk away believing something special happened.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“A very odd film indeed… a fantasy that can touch your heart if you let it.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

“If you allow yourself to simply give in to the sweetness of the story, you’ll end with a smile on your face and a warm feeling.” – Tim Estiloz, Boston Movie Examiner

 

2 DAYS IN NEW YORK

“Delpy aims low and consistently hits the target. It’s broad, silly, but with a crucial touch of messy humanity.” – Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 8/10

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THE BOURNE LEGACY

“No amount of fake nostalgia for the first three movies can cover up the stink that emanates from every frame of the new Bourne movie.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“Definitely not bad, but fair warning: I only finished watching it six hours ago and I already don’t remember most of what was supposed to be going on.” – Bob Chipman, The Escapist

“Hell, over an hour and a half into the movie, we get introduced to the bad guy from another CIA program that chose its acronyms out of alphabet soup.” – Monica Castillo, DigBoston

“A film that sucks the vibrant marrow out of this once entertaining franchise, leaving behind only a bland, overall dull, lifeless bone with no real meat to savor.” – Tim Estiloz, Boston Movie Examiner

“The end of the film is not so much a resolution as a pause. The studio obviously hopes it stands for a big sign that reads ‘to be continued.’” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

“After a while I became extremely jealous of Matt Damon for managing to escape this franchise and I desperately wished to join him.” – Greg Vellante, The Eagle Tribune

“Tony Gilroy’s spy flick isn’t close family. It’s more like a less interesting distant cousin.” – Evan Crean, Reel Recon

“The problem with the movie is that it sucks.” – Brett Michel, The Post-Movie Podcast

 

KILLER JOE

“Visceral and sadistic, yet with a fiendish sense of humor about its fundamental depravity. The movie is plain wrong on so many levels, and I loved every minute of it.” – Sean Burns, The Improper Bostonian
 
“Hollywood maverick-turned-independent holdout William Friedkin’s taste for sadism has never been personified better than in McConaughey’s unassuming-but-dangerous drawl.” – Jake Mulligan, The Boston Phoenix
 
“I didn’t think it was a well-made movie. I liked some of the performances but I didn’t think it held together well at all.” – John Black, The Post-Movie Podcast
 
“Everything takes place within McConaughey’s devilish eyes that flicker with charm and then glare into your soul with unmatched, bone-chilling depravity.” – Greg Vellante, The Eagle Tribune

 

THE CAMPAIGN

“If you’re already fed up with just how stupid real life politics has become, this movie is the antidote.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

“We’ve so thoroughly left behind any credible representation of actual life and real people that the movie lacks any political punch.” – Kilian Melloy, EDGEBoston

“I really liked it. I think this is Zach Galifianakis at his funniest. I can’t wait to see it again.” – Steve Head, The Post-Movie Podcast

“It’s the most infuriating kind of comedy, one that keeps flirting with sharp ideas, only to retreat into barn-door-broad buffoonery.” – Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly

“The entire movie is filled with moments that feel overplayed and underwritten. It always settles for the cheap, easy laugh.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“It wants to be sharp political satire. Unfortunately, its wit is as dull as our latest GOP candidates.” – Jake Mulligan, The Suffolk Voice

 

HOPE SPRINGS

“Despite its missteps, the film is impossible to resist after a summer that was almost entirely devoid of stories about human beings.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGEBoston

“This won’t make any ten best lists at the end of the year, but it ought to start a lot fruitful conversations.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

 

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

“It’s so lightweight and underdeveloped, you’ll leave the theatre feeling like they still haven’t found him yet.” – Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly
 
“Bendjelloul unlocks a mystery, painting a compelling portrait of a hidden rock icon.” – Brett Michel, The Boston Phoenix 
 
 
 
DARK HORSE
 
Perhaps this is the filmmaker’s trip back to the metaphorical toy store, realizing that with age, there’s more to storytelling than examining shocking people and ugly values.” – Norm Schrager, Meet In The Lobby
 
 
 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 8/3

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RUBY SPARKS

“As sophomoric as it may sound on paper, RUBY SPARKS clicks, with a script that embraces as much convention as it intends to buck.” – Norm Schrager, Meet In The Lobby 

“Hobbled by one of the least appealing lead performances of this or maybe any year and directed with tone-deaf inconsistency at every turn.” – Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly
 
“Just because the filmmakers wink at us through all this sub-Woody Allen bullshit doesn’t mean it isn’t sub-Woody Allen bullshit.” – Jake Mulligan, The Suffolk Voice

 

 TOTAL RECALL

“I didn’t hate the new TOTAL RECALL. But only because it’s way, way too forgettable to be worth the effort to hate. Call it extreme indifference, I guess.” – Bob Chipman, The Escapist

“I’d rather watch paint dry. At least then, when the process was finished, I’d be looking at something different than what I was looking at before.” – Greg Vellante, The Eagle Tribune

“One of the few, fortunate movies to do something interesting with an old favorite, preserving timeless tropes while addressing contemporary concerns.” – Kilian Melloy, Kal’s Movie Blog

“It takes the central conceit of the original film and saps away all the irony and bombast that made it endearing in the first place.” – Jake Mulligan, The Suffolk Voice

“TOTAL RECALL doesn’t forget its roots. It simply overwrites them with some new memories.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

 

EASY MONEY

“Tides of fear, rage, and greed sweep through the cast of characters, propelling them on disastrous collision courses.” – Kilian Melloy, EDGE Boston
 
“In this world, it’s not the blood on your hands that brings you down — it’s the stain on your cufflinks.” – Jake Mulligan, The Boston Phoenix
 
 
 
KLOWN
 
“Like HEART OF DARKNESS if it were built around semen humor, KLOWN gives us the kinkiest trip down a river since DELIVERANCE.” – Jake Mulligan, The Suffolk Voice
 
“Denmark’s answer to CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, with vestiges of Dogme 95.” – Brett Michel, The Boston Phoenix
 
 
 
GIRLFRIEND BOYFRIEND
 
“Complicated but compelling, the film also struggles a bit with Yang’s erratic direction.” – Monica Castillo, The Boston Phoenix
 
 
 
 THE BABYMAKERS
 

“A testosterone-fuelled view of infertility; meaning it’s all about sperm jokes, penis jokes, masturbation jokes and, when all that fails, getting hit in the crotch.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“I promise you, I’m not making this up: this is a movie someone paid to make, and assumed other people would pay to see. I’m at a loss.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE Boston

 

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS

“More like diary of a little asshole.” – Greg Vellante, The Eagle Tribune

“If you’re over the age of 12, chances are you’re already too old for these movies.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

 

AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY

“Some bio-docs let you feel as though you’ve lived the subject’s life. For better or worse, this one makes you feel like an eavesdropper.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE Boston

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 7/27

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THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

“The recession writ extra-large in gigantic gaudy letters, director Lauren Greenfield’s documentary transcends its Bravo TV-show trappings to become something rather telling, and weirdly empathetic.” – Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly

“Distinctly American in ways many of us would likely rather not admit, not least because Greenfield truly seems to have some reverence for their broken, oversized dreams.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE Boston

 

THE WATCH

“Unforunately, THE WATCH takes four genuinely funny comedic actors and gives them nothing of substance to work with. In turn, it gives the audience nothing worth watching.” – Tim Estiloz, Boston Movie Examiner

“Congratulations, MEN IN BLACK III. You are no longer the least entertaining comedy about aliens that I have seen this summer.” – Bob Chipman, The Escapist

“How the hell did this much talent produce something so middling? It simply feels like smaller bits and pieces from funnier movies, thrown together without any attempt at a cohesive structure or a controlled pace.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE Boston

“If you’re curious how well the moron comedy and the alien invasion film work together let’s put it like this: as well as chocolate syrup goes with sushi.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, The Sci-Fi Movie Page

“The film’s general effect is one of mild, harmless entertainment, but by the same token this is also a movie you’ll forget you saw within a matter of hours.” – Kilian Melloy, Kal’s Movie Blog

“The word ‘crude’ comes to mind, as both a description of the humor and the quality of the writing.” – Evan Crean, Starpulse

 

STEP UP REVOLUTION

“The dancing’s there, but frustrated sighs and Kristen Stewart-esque eyes will only get you so much emotion.” – Monica Castillo, DigBoston

“It’s mind-numbingly stupid. But it’s also energetic, youthful, and most of all visually exhilarating.” – Jake Mulligan, The Sufflolk Voice

“There’s a lame plot stringing together a lot of energetic dance numbers. There’s nothing wrong with that. The classic MGM musicals were much the same, although the dialogue was a bit sharper.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

 

SACRIFICE

“Kaige does a masterful job of pacing the story, weaving together the formative moments of the young man’s life to create a compelling and thoroughly entertaining cinematic experience.
 – John Black, Boston Event Guide 

“The two hours crawl by, hanging on a series of exposition-heavy conference scenes, and it’s hard to stay emotionally invested in a plot so twist-heavy.” – Jake Mulligan, The Boston Phoenix

 

HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI

“By sticking to conventions and never subverting the formula, Miike shows off his versatility in yet another way. And when his craft is this studied and strong, it’s hard to begrudge him going classical.” – Jake Mulligan, The Suffolk Voice

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 7/20

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THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

“It goes bigger. It goes bolder. It even goes broader – with what I think might be director Christopher Nolan’s interpretation of what we humans call ‘comedy.’ And yet something about it just doesn’t work.” – Bob Chipman, The Escapist

“Maybe the biggest movie I have ever seen. Not the best, mind you – just the largest, most sprawling, and most comically ambitious. By the time the fifth or sixth act rolled around I learned to stop worrying and love the hugeness.” – Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly

“Hathaway is a delight and wonderfully redeems the big-screen portrayal of Catwoman; washing away Halle Berry’s ineptly asinine take on the character from our collective nightmares.” – Tim Estiloz, Boston Movie Examiner

“In its grandiose design and large-scale aspirations, this movie reaches levels not often reached in the superhero genre.  When it finished, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.”  – Greg Vellante, The Eagle Tribune

“You had to expect that Christoper Nolan would throw everything he’s got into the final chapter of his bar-setting Batman series. It’s a huge, mixed bag of Nolan-sized ambition, working both for and against the film.” – Norm Schrager, Meet In The Lobby

“This is exciting, dramatic and intelligent filmmaking. Nolan’s Batman trilogy represents the high water mark for costumed hero sagas and one not likely to be matched anytime soon.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

“Nolan, who co-wrote the script with his brother Jonathan, tries to coat the film in a slick sheen of ‘bigger meaning,’ but none of the themes are really fully developed beyond the footnote stage.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“It’s as if Nolan has held up a mirror and left enough in the text for either side to interpret it their way, rather than make a more pointed political statement. For such a broad work of pop-art, it’s the perfect approach.” – Jake Mulligan, The Suffolk Voice

“Do you think that Nolan, in his re-envisioning of the Batman universe, has maybe become a little condescending towards it? Does he think that he’s better than the source material?” – Steve Head, The Post-Movie Podcast

“His story gets diluted by focusing on so many characters at once. Batman himself almost seems to take a backseat in his own movie.” – Evan Crean, Reel Recon

 

THE DAY HE ARRIVES

“Hong Sang-soo may be copying a template from his earlier movies about flailing directors, but each film is unique, punctuated by occasional zooms that underline the randomness of existence.” – Brett Michel, The Boston Phoenix