BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 12/22/2017

 

jumanji-welcome-to-the-jungle-trailer-reaction-video-cinemacon-2017-socialJUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

“I’m happy to have recently been able to see a movie with a coherent story and multiple character arcs that match up well.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

 

 

 

the-greatest-showman-hugh-jackman-slice-600x200THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

“Gracey wants us to see THE GREATEST SHOWMAN for the show. That’s certainly possible. It’s equally as impossible to watch the film without feeling uncomfortable knowing what he’s left out of the picture.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazin

“Here’s the long and short of it: If you gave up on Jackman as a musical star after the horrible misjudged, though ambitious, film version of LES MISERABLES, give him another chance. After all, America is the land of second acts.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“Jackman — a performer whose charms are lost on me — speak-sings his way through most of them, while the sparsely populated dance sequences and chintzy sets reek of amateur hour.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

“…viewers may find themselves dreading the next musical number, with an array of undistinguished songs that Jackman and company try to sell to no avail.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Of course, some people will have fun with what they get, but the movie itself probably would have been better off not being a musical and doing a better job of building a more unique story.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

 

 

Downsizing-Matt-Damon-Kristen-Wiig-620x360DOWNSIZING

“While it seems like DOWNSIZING is an easy film to dunk on, it remains a fascinating object in 2017, a year in which many filmmakers ventured to understand lifestyles and cultures that are not their own.” – Sam Cohen, Substream Magazine

“A film that thinks big while keying in on the smaller but grander moments in life, DOWNSIZING is messy, inconsistent and noisy in its many messages, but there’s something refreshingly heartfelt about it all.” – Allyson Johnson, The Young Folks

“The film weaves a sprawling and somewhat lopsided net into which to herd all its notions, but when it at long last draws up into a recognizable narrative shape it’s sort of impressive — a sci-fi tinged drama striving for a level of low-key affect and maturity of genre on par with SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK or HER.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“…a science-fiction comedy that goes off in so many directions that it ends up being pointless.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Payne’s early, acidic satires like CITIZEN RUTH and ELECTION used to cut through this exact sort of self-congratulatory, limousine liberal BS.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

 

913CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

“So infrequently does a film as purposefully languid as this arouse such urgency in its audience.” – Allyson Johnson, Cambridge Day

“It’s an awfully nice movie, maybe even too nice?” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

 

 

 

margot-robbie-i-tonya-harding-c653dea4-a789-4015-a146-0b7b363b1d6bI, TONYA

“Make no mistake, this is a film that will be as polarizing as it is fascinating, and on many levels, immensely entertaining to watch, thanks in large part to the performances of Margot Robbie and Allison Janney.” – Tim Estiloz, El Mundo Boston

“…the whole movie feels at odds with itself, chiding the audience for disrespecting Harding’s underprivileged background while at the same time chock full of sight gags sniggering at poor people.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

 

 

Pitch Perfect 3 - Official Trailer [HD] (screen grab)
CR: Universal PicturesPITCH PERFECT 3

“This is a movie that wants you to laugh and enjoy the music, not engage in analysis.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Call it aca-awful, aca-trocious, ap-aca-lyptic or aca-palling. Whatever cute play on words you settle on to describe its failings, make sure to call it a major disappointment, too.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

BOFCA MID-WEEK ROUNDUP 12/20/2017

Greg Vellante offer his Year End Countdown

Allyson Johnson reviews BIRDBOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN

Andrew Crump joins The Playlist’s Year-End List and talks Luke Skywalker

Spoilerpiece Theatre talks I, TONYA and STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

Sean Burns looks at The Museum of Fine Art’s Bob Fosse Retrospective

Bob Chipman talks LAST JEDI spoilers

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP 12/15/2017

LAST JEDI BOFCASTAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

“A shining beacon of hope in this incredibly crummy year.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Film Thrills

“I went into THE LAST JEDI hoping it would be better than what it is.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“Represents a triumph for the series and will make you forget Jar Jar Binks ever existed.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Feels more like a proper war movie than even ROGUE ONE did.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

 

FERDINANDFERDINAND

“Shows both a surprising depth and some inventive zaniness, which proves to be an entertaining combination.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“It’s fine.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

 

Boston Online Film Critics Association – 2017 Awards

GET OUT BEST PICTURE

BEST PICTURE
GET OUT

PHANTOM THREAD BEST DIRECTOR

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, PHANTOM THREAD

TIMOTHEE CHALAMET BEST ACTOR

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

FRANCES MCDORMAND BEST ACTRESS

BEST ACTRESS
Frances McDormand, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI

WILLEM DAFOE BEST ACTOR

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe, THE FLORIDA PROJECT

LAURIE METCALF BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laurie Metcalf, LADY BIRD

GET OUT BEST ENSEMBLE

BEST ENSEMBLE
GET OUT

GET OUT BEST SCREENPLAY

BEST SCREENPLAY
Jordan Peele, GET OUT

FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER BEST FOREIGN

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER

FACES PLACES BEST DOCUMENTARY

BEST DOCUMENTARY
FACES PLACES

COCO BEST ANIMATED

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
COCO

BLADE RUNNER 2049 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins, BLADE RUNNER 2049

DUNKIRK BEST EDITING

BEST EDITING
Lee Smith, DUNKIRK

SHAPE OF WATER PHANTOM THREAD BEST SCORE TIE

BEST SCORE (TIE)
Alexandre Desplat, THE SHAPE OF WATER
Jonny Greenwood, PHANTOM THREAD

GET OUT TOP TEN 2017

TEN BEST FILMS OF 2017
1. GET OUT
2. THE FLORIDA PROJECT
3. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
4. LADY BIRD
5. PHANTOM THREAD
6. DUNKIRK
7. THE SHAPE OF WATER
8. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
9. A GHOST STORY
10. GOOD TIME

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 12/08/2017

the-shape-of-water-sally-hawkinsTHE SHAPE OF WATER

“Unfathomably magical, relentlessly worrying and fittingly romantic, THE SHAPE OF WATER may be del Toro’s most earnest film.” – Allyson Johnson, The Young Folks

“Visually, THE SHAPE OF WATER screams dieselpunk, signifying BIOSHOCK more than the brothers Grimm, but the film bears the indelible stamp of folkloric mythmaking all the same.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“THE SHAPE OF WATER is a perversely adult fairy tale that plays like a collection of the filmmaker’s private fetishes spackled over with an unconvincing coat of feel-good whimsy.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

 

Wonder-Wheel-Kate-WinsletWONDER WHEEL

“Too bad the screenplay’s all stuff plucked from Woody’s recycling bin, including not one but two instances of the old Allen standby in which the manly stud gives flighty women books to read.” – Sean Burns, The ARTery

“…sodden is sodden and you can’t help missing the light, dry, nimbly acerbic Allen of old.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

 

thumbnail_26516DARKEST HOUR

“This film wants you to know that Churchill was an eccentric and a bit of a bumbling drunk, yet it timidly skirts over the more controversial components of the historical figure’s persona.” – Greg Vellante, Spectrum Culture