2018

Posted on November 2, 2018 by bofca

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

“Watching Queen come together, work together, and perform elevates the movie and gives it just about all of the value that it has.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“[Malek] burns up the screen as Mercury whether dealing with intimate personal issues, ego-driven conflicts behind the scenes, or on stage in performance.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

SUSPIRIA

“SUSPIRIA is cut off from the aesthetic pleasures of [Guadagnino's] previous pictures, suffocated in the self-serious stupidity of trying to make his sexy witch movie into a statement about the Holocaust.” – Sean Burns, North Shore Movies

“SUSPIRIA is wholly its own film and offers frantic energy and lush visuals to make for a nearly perfect cinematic experience.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS

“… an imaginative and charming movie for the upcoming holiday season.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Were it not for the lush art direction and occasional nods to Tchaikovsky, THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS would be a vapid, money-grabbing release for the Christmas season.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

WILDLIFE

“…a quietly devastating work from Dano, leaving behind scar tissue you may not even notice until the credits have rolled.” – Charlie Nash, Edge Boston

“…WILDLIFE, while distant in its approach at the start, is a lingering familial drama that promises a rising, directorial talent.” – Allyson Johnson, Cambridge Day

CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?

“The greatest pleasure CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? offers, though, is the chemical reaction between [Melissa] McCarthy and [Richard E.] Grant, perhaps an unlikely pairing but no more perfect a pairing than you will find in theaters as we roll into the juddering doldrums of awards season.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

MUSEO

“…in the end it’s the questions this restlessly intelligent film asks about the shifting values we ascribe to objects that make “Museo” worth the price of a ticket.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

MONROVIA, INDIANA

“MONROVIA, INDIANA begins with a series of strikingly beautiful, postcard-worthy vistas featuring cornfields, mailboxes, blue skies and assorted other familiar, stock images of Americana. It ends with a shot of a grave.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

BOFCA MID-WEEK ROUNDUP 10/31/2018

Posted on October 31, 2018 by bofca

Spoilerpiece Theatre talks BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, MID90S and HOLD THE DARK

Max Covill looks at the finale of THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA

Bob Chipman talks Classic Scary Movies and SUICIDE SQUAD 2

Dave Riedel talks scary movies

Jared Bowen looks at MEASURE FOR MEASURE and WINNIE THE POOH: EXPLORING A CLASSIC

Charlie Nash reviews WILDLIFE

Sean Burns looks back at WANDA

Andrew Crump talks Films By Women and HALLOWEEN

Joyce Kulhawik reviews THE TRAGIC ECSTASY OF GIRLHOOD, ALL MY SONS and FUN HOME

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/26/2018

Posted on October 26, 2018 by bofca

MID90S

“…this film does a lot of things right, yet leaves much to be desired at the same time.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“…the roughness of Hill’s boxy, 16mm compositions cast their own spell.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“There’s a lackadaisical, conflict-averse quality to this picture that leaves a galling aftertaste.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

HUNTER KILLER

“HUNTER KILLER insults the intelligence of its audience, plays into decades-old politics, and wastes the talents of some solid actors. It’s wholly without value.” – Deidre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

“Like the recent HALLOWEEN, it is an unapologetic genre film that treats its material – and the audience – with respect.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN

“Fans of the two previous JOHNNY ENGLISH films will find this on par with the previous efforts, as will those who have enjoyed Atkinson’s turn as the equally inane Mr. Bean.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN is perfectly fine in its own right, but its naiveté feels dated and unnecessary. For a spy film with car chases and explosions, it falls flat and fails to fully engage.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

“Sure, it’s silly fun that you might forget the moment you leave the theater, but given these tense times, that might be enough.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“If you found any sort of value in the first two movies in the trilogy and know what to expect ahead of time, you should give JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN a chance.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

WHAT THEY HAD

“WHAT THEY HAD feels like a timely film, given the aging population in America, and will likely strike a nerve with people who are struggling with elder care issues in their own families.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING

“THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING is not hard-hitting investigative journalism. It’s a soft, though sporadically prying, look at the high prices and high living of art dealers and collectors today.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/19/2018

Posted on October 19, 2018 by bofca

HALLOWEEN

“This HALLOWEEN is so much fun they’ll probably ruin it with a bunch of sloppy sequels.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

“HALLOWEEN feels more like a slow-moving action movie than it did a horror film.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

BEAUTIFUL BOY

“Just like the young man at its center, the film is evocative, at times dazzling and too frequently unreliable as a source of consistent storytelling, but it will manage to wrangle your wandering and aching heart by the end.” – Allyson Johnson, The Young Folks

THE HAPPY PRINCE

“…[Rupert] Everett’s Wilde projects great warmth and humor, even during the darkest of days, aided by John Conroy’s sumptuous cinematography and Gabriel Yared’s achingly lovely score.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

THE GUILTY

“All of what we have in THE GUILTY comes together to create a thriller that you won’t really get to experience anywhere else at the moment.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/12/2018

Posted on October 12, 2018 by bofca

FIRST MAN

“There are some good moments to get out of FIRST MAN, but there aren’t enough to turn it into something I’d be willing to watch again all the way through.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“It seems that every young filmmaker is currently emulating Terrence Malick, specifically his work in spiritual drama THE TREE OF LIFE. Sadly, the latest to suffer from this affliction is 33-year-old Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, who cribs mercilessly from Malick’s metaphysical masterpiece, whether or not his biopic of Neil Armstrong needs it.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“FIRST MAN will probably be nominated for half-a-dozen Oscars. I left the theater fuming.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

“Chazelle’s versatility and skill is on display, a step forward in an already formidable career, but there’s always the inescapable sense we’re seeing only half of what the film could have been.” – Allyson Johnson, Cambridge Day

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

“In spite of the apparent potential for something fresh, a lot of what we get in BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE is actually predictable.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“The new film from Drew Goddard (director and co-writer of THE CABIN IN THE WOODS) is a film out of time; set during the late ’60s, it feels exactly like one of these Tarantino wannabes—only arriving 20 years too late for extra hipster cred.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

THE HATE U GIVE

“While the film possesses a great deal of compassion, humor and warmth, it’s response to injustice that makes for one of the most startlingly visceral films of the year.” – Allyson Johnson, Cambridge Day

“THE HATE U GIVE is powerful and should be compulsory viewing. Its simple approach to these complex issues is appreciated, and makes its clear point accessible to the young audience for whom it was created.” – Deirdre Crimmins, High-Def Digest

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The Boston Online Film Critics Association was established in May of 2012 to foster a community of web-based film critics.

Category Archives: Review Roundups

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 11/02/2018

BOFCA MID-WEEK ROUNDUP 10/31/2018

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/26/2018

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/19/2018

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/12/2018