BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 01/14/2022

A pink-haired girl stands holding a small creature in the animated film BelleBELLE

“BELLE’s most spellbinding sequences come from inside the virtual world of U. Colorful 3D figures float through a kaleidoscope of colors and towering structures.” – Max Covill, Paste Magazine

“The aesthetics of U, where BELLE spends about half its running time, are staggering. A vast pixelated sea that the ids, egos, and superegos of its hundreds of millions of users all sail upon, U is a dream sold by the science fiction canon and presented in startling detail by Hosada’s animation team. But it’s his screenplay that welds this dream to harsh reality.” – Andy Crump, Inverse

“…BELLE encapsulates Hosada’s finest animation and most emotionally gripping tale. Despite already setting a high bar for himself with BELLE, the filmmaker exceeds expectations through gusto and creative passion that has long marked him as one of the very best in the medium.” – Allyson Johnson, Inverse

 

Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox stand next to each other in the movie Scream 5SCREAM

“Like most critics, I’ve got more than a little Randy Meeks in me, and as such I approached the latest Scream movie, simply called SCREAM*, with all due caution. To all the Randy Meekses reading this, rest assured: the new Scream is not only good, but an honest-to-god SCREAM movie.” – Oscar Goff, Boston Hassle

 

Lilly Krug holds a drill in her hand and smiles deviously in the movie ShatteredSHATTERED

“SHATTERED, one of the first releases of 2022, is well-made trash. If that sounds like a contradiction in terms, hear me out.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 05/09/2014

NEIGHBORSNEIGHBORS

“A completely shallow flick that doesn’t come close to delivering much quality in any way.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“[The film] displays a similar empathy for both sides of a feud in NEIGHBORS, and it’s that rare emotional intelligence – along with the film’s sly, surprising jokes and self-aware sidestepping of comedy clichés – that makes this Seth Rogen vehicle an instant classic.” – Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

“A moronic comedy pitched to the lowest possible denominator. No thought was given to anything beyond the initial premise. After that it’s all sex, drugs, and people acting like idiots.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“It’s smart (in its stupidity), it looks better than any college movie should and it’s laugh-out-loud funny. And you get to see an almost naked Seth Rogen. Who could ask for more?” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

 

BELLEBELLE

“BELLE’s plotting may be described as formulaic at best, but its incredible production design, thought-provoking writing, and pristine acting offset that rote structure.”  – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“This warmly poignant tale of two illegitimate sisters’ efforts to marry despite their social handicaps (one is dowry-less, the other half-black) offers all the passionate idealism, the precise social insights, and the delightfully sharp-tongued dialogue that recall the best of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY” – Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

 

MOMS’ NIGHT OUTMOMSNIGHT

“Debuting two days before Mother’s Day, MOMS’ NIGHT OUT has only one message for its harried, overworked, women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown characters (and, by extension, its audience): Jesus loves you, so get over it.” – Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

 

LEGENDSOFOZLEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN

“Strictly for the little ones, although serious students of computer animation may want to take a look as well.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

 

FEDUPFED UP

“A riveting new documentary.” – Jared Bowen, WGBH

“The film approaches the issue systematically on all fronts: scientific, social, personal, and puts it in context historically.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

“A clearinghouse for theories about the obesity epidemic that threatens not just America, but nations around the world.” – Killian Melloy, EDGE

 

BLUERUINBLUE RUIN

“Macon Blair’s portrayal of Dwight, the vengeful son, is subtle and nuanced, and it completely blew me away.” – Deidre Crimmins, All Things Horror

“Eventually, the film’s insistence on human bloodlust becomes too much, and Saulnier fatally undercuts his own meditation on cycles of violence by reveling in them.” – Andy Crump, In Review Online

“Filmmakers who adore violence should stop pretending that they abhor violence.” – Jake Mulligan, Letterboxd

“It’s too early to make proclamations about the best movie of the year, so let’s put it this way: BLUE RUIN has a spot in the top 10 unless 10 other superlatively spectacular films come out between now and Dec. 31.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

hero_Locke-2014-01

LOCKE

“You may have all kinds of theories as to what LOCKE is really about based on its trailers, but leave your suppositions at the door and allow the film’s mesmeric, hypnotic sheen to wash over you.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“LOCKE is an innovative film that is able to give you something new while still feeling that much of what you’re seeing is familiar.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“Tom Hardy is nothing short of magnificent in LOCKE.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter