2016

Posted on March 18, 2016 by bofca

THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT

“This is two whole hours of boring retread bereft of any sort of personality, and the movie knows that.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS

“The comedy that’s blended into a story about coping with loss, searching for love and reaching for seemingly unattainable goals makes HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS worth the trip to theaters.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“[Michael Showalter] is a kind soul who feels more at ease when he’s treating the characters in his movies like actual human beings instead of punchline pincushions.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

“Change is in the offing– and that is the stuff of the film.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

EYE IN THE SKY

“Though it is emotionally manipulative and comes close to over-dramatic, it never becomes flamboyant. It raises far more questions than it answers.” – Deirdre Crimmons, Cinematic Essential

RIVER OF GRASS

“In an aesthetic sense, this is a far more manic film than any of Reichardt’s later works (WENDY AND LUCY, MEEK’S CUTOFF, NIGHT MOVES), but it’s no less instructive about her artistic voice.” – Jake Mulligan, Dig Boston

“There’s a wonderful specificity to the film, and Reichardt is already displaying her knack for keeping characters small in the context of a larger perspective.” – Sean Burns, The Artery

REMEMBER

“…if you happen to nod off about an hour and ten minutes into Remember, it becomes a much better movie than if you decide to see it through to the end.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 03/11/2016

Posted on March 11, 2016 by bofca

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE

“It may not leave you screaming for a sequel, but it won’t leave you screaming for your money back either.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“While there isn’t enough to make 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE into a genuine sequel to CLOVERFIELD, there are a number of small features that link them together.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“The film manages intermittent moments of suspense, and a few genuine shocks.” – Kilian Melly, Edge Boston

“It’s the rare circumstance where the mystery box approach actually succeeds.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

“…claustrophobic, terrifying, terrifically-made and will have you clapping by the time the credits roll.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

“Originally conceived through individual creative inspiration, and a spectacularly satisfying film regardless of its association to a previous one, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE makes mincemeat of expectations and becomes its own entity.” – Greg Vellante, Sound & Picture

KNIGHT OF CUPS

“To summarize the film’s plot, or lack thereof, would be a disservice to the film itself. KNIGHT OF CUPS does not exist to tell or story or explain a character’s evolution into a slightly changed person, rather it is a visual reflection on a man’s existence in Los Angeles and along a bunch of beaches.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

“We fucking get it, Terry. You can do something different now.” – Greg Vellante, Sound & Picture

“As someone who considers Malick’s first four films stone masterpieces, the increasing narrowness of his vision is a disheartening development. ” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT

“This is a stunningly original piece of art, that fully transports viewers into the heart of the Amazon jungle.” – Max Covill, Impassioned Cinema

“It is possible that there’s a tighter movie in here, or at least a more subtle one, but though Guerra plays loose with structure and pacing, his unmuted messages hold the film’s disparate parts under an umbrella of harmony.” – Andy Crump, Birth. Movies. Death.

THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY

“A tasteless affair with brief moments of hard laughter and heavy shame, yet it’s all too sparse and too minimal.” – Greg Vellante, Sound & Picture

“Oh, did I laugh. God help me, I laughed like a mental patient.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 03/04/2016

Posted on March 4, 2016 by bofca

WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT

“WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT is episodic, so much so that one may rightly wonder if it Baker’s (or Barker’s) tale would work better as a miniseries.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

“Tina Fey gets her best role since playing Sarah Palin on ‘Saturday Night Live.'” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“It may not leave an impression with you far after watching it but it’s a good way to spend two hours watching talented people do things.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

ZOOTOPIA

“It says a lot about the state of America’s cultural dialogues on acceptance and discrimination that a Disney movie feels this urgent, but maybe a movie about animals living under the impression of harmony is a long-term solution for our short-term failures.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“ZOOTOPIA is by no means a miss, it just never fully settles into its own message or visual style.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

“Everything you could want in an animated film: creative visuals, solid script, engaging characters.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“And perhaps, it’s a movie we all need. Something that shows us how to love others, how to not only accept those who are different from us, but embrace them. ” – Greg Vellante, Sound & Picture

LONDON HAS FALLEN

“This is a movie designed to appeal to the worst in its audience.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“London Is Fallen is fast, frenzied and, at least for the audience, a truly fun and entertaining wild ride.” – Tim Estiloz, Boston Examiner

“…this is all about the action and plot.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 02/26/2016

Posted on February 26, 2016 by bofca

TRIPLE 9

“TRIPLE 9 manages to be both something that’s decent and something that leaves you wishing there was a little bit more to it at the same time.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“…a good, gritty B-movie with a solid A-list cast.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“…t’s all perfectly executed excess, almost like a tribute to B-movies like DEATH WISH.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

“…a delightful surprise for its economical craftsmanship and an almost complete lack of pretense.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

GODS OF EGYPT

“…for all its clichés and obvious borrowings… somehow manages to be more fun that you might imagine.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

ONLY YESTERDAY

“Those not expecting to find something filled with magic should be pleasantly surprised at the depth and love that goes into ONLY YESTERDAY.” – Max Covill, Impassioned Cinema

“ONLY YESTERDAY is slow, but it is impeccably measured. Its two-hour running time doesn’t tick by as much as it stands majestically still.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“Memories are key to Takahata’s narrative; there’s a sadness that informs many of Taeko’s childhood recollections, from her classmates’ mocking to the awkwardly believable way in which she deals with her first menstruation. ” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 02/19/2016

Posted on February 19, 2016 by bofca

RACE

“[Stephan] James is perfectly cast as Owens, combining his movie star good looks with a steely edge that gives the character believable backbone.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“Although the story of Jesse Owens means a lot in terms of historical importance, RACE isn’t the movie that showcases its truly epic stature.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“The myth of the Olympics is that it’s not about politics, but that’s nonsense. RACE gives us the story of an athlete who, simply by doing his best, made a powerful political statement that still resonates today.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“RACE has Important stamped all over it, starting with the ham-handed double meaning of its title, but its own feeling of importance cannot overcome the ponderous way the story clumps along, nor the undisciplined sprawl of its narrative.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

THE WITCH

“Lots of horror films try to jolt you for micro moments at a time. THE WITCH coils itself around your soul, through craft, through performance, through authenticity of era as well as feeling, and through narrative candor.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

“The film comes on the wave of enthusiastic reviews from last year’s Sundance Film Festival, and that should be the giveaway. What plays well at this showcase for arty films doesn’t always work elsewhere.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“I found it difficult to identify that many things in THE WITCH that I liked. While I didn’t hate the movie, it certainly doesn’t give me anything to love or even appreciate.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“The portrait-esque snapshot of a time without rational hope is as endearing as it is bone-shaking.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

“There’s something here, for sure, but I’m not quite sure it all comes to fruition by the end of the story’s 92 minutes. ” – Greg Vellante, Sound & Picture

RISEN

“A half- baked Biblical epic.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“…it’s more the pity that RISEN takes some decidedly lazy shortcuts, and can’t help throwing in some dubious — or downright incorrect — elements.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

THE CLUB

“THE CLUB’s unobtrusive style works well even though it’s handling the kinds of controversial topics that usually lend themselves to being too dramatic and emotional in real life.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“…as a muted alternative to Hollywood’s attempt at examining the same atrocity, the film is refreshing for its grand uncertainties.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

TOUCHED WITH FIRE

“…there’s an intensity — of joy, of sadness, of hope, or of despair — that fits the characters’ own extremes of mood.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

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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

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