BOFCA MID-WEEK ROUNDUP 5/27/2015

Joyce Kulhawik reviews FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER and MAD MAX

Bob Chipman talks MAD MAX controversies

Kilian Melloy reviews TWO MEN IN TOWN and JAMAICA INN

Jared Bowen looks at THE LAST TWO PEOPLE ON EARTH, MOTHERS & SONS, IRIS AND TOMORROWLAND

Monica Castillo reviews THE FILM CRITIC and reports on George Clooney, POLTERGEIST, Amy Winehouse, STAR WARS, TERMINATOR: GENISYS, iZOMBIE, Summer Movies, LAW & ORDER: SVU and the New Jersey School Sexting Scandal

Spoilerpiece Theatre talks MAD MEN and TOMORROWLAND

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP 1/10/14

LONE SURVIVORLone Survivor

“A worthy story that’s given the jingoism treatment by director Peter Berg, who’s last big-screen endeavor was BATTLESHIP. It’s been a long time since FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, Pete.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

“Is this the best way to salute our troops? Even if your feelings toward the United States’ wings of military are complicated, the answer here should be a resounding ‘no.'” – Andrew Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“There’s a point where the SEALs make a bold escape by flinging themselves down a cliff, and Berg shoots every bump and crunch for such a protracted period it feels like the Springfield Gorge sequence from [the SIMPSONS’] BART THE DAREDEVIL.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

“The story of LONE SURVIVOR is all in the title, which may make you wonder what the point of it all is.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Berg’s picture yearns for a realistic depiction of the event. He wants the docu-drama aesthetic of something like ZERO DARK THIRTY. But he’s far too invested in making heroes of his subjects to approach the film with comparable emotional detachment.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE

 

THE LEGEND OF HERCULESLEGENDHERC

“It isn’t very good… yet for those willing to leave their critical faculties behind and remember what it was to be like to be an 11 year old with a bag of popcorn at the movies on a Saturday afternoon, it is not without its charms.” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

RAZERAZE

“Even setting aside the women-only hook, its one of the most brutal fight-films you’re likely to have seen in a while.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

“A sweaty, queasy, bruising experience — and a superbly crafted film. With a few short brushstrokes, Robert Beaucage’s unsentimental script makes people out of its female characters while building to a satisfying, somewhat surprising climax.” – Inkoo Kang, Los Angeles Times

 

DHOOM 3DHOOM3

“Judging by the boxoffice and media-attention, this will be a lot of U.S. audience’s first authentic “Bollywood” experience, so happily it’s overall a pretty good one.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

 

AUGUSTOSAGEAUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

“Streep is so big and so bad, you’ll wonder why they didn’t just cast Melissa Leo instead.” Sean Burns, The Improper Bostonian

“I stumbled out of this film in a daze of horrified relief.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

“A sensational cast stranded in a lead-footed drama about a dysfunctional family coming together and airing their dirty laundry. Haven’t we seen this many times before?” – Daniel Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Her Royal Hamness, Meryl Streep, cackles out mechanically-telegraphed cutting remarks on cue like a gattling gun loaded with Oscar clips.” – Bob Chipman, Escapist

 

EVANGELION: 3.0 YOU CAN (NOT) REDOEVANGELION30

“The most beautiful depiction of war ever rendered on film might be found in the first six minutes of EVANGELION: 3.0 YOU CAN (NOT) REDO. In the third installment of four films rebooting the anime series NEON GENESIS: EVANGELION, the fate of the universe depends on giant robots that blast across magenta-orange sunsets, shooting comets of turquoise, emerald and amethyst. It’s splendor on steroids.” – Inkoo Kang, Los Angeles Times

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP 11/15

THE BEST MAN HOLIDAYThe Best Man Holiday

“HOLIDAY is aiming to offer us a profound emotional experience alongside the humorous observations, and falls pretty short.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE

 

 

THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWNBROKENCIRCLE

“Structured like a more like a song than a conventional narrative, THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN loops through moments in time like verses returning to choruses in this ballad of a doomed couple in Ghent during the early 2000s – united by their love of music and torn apart by tragedy.” – Sean Burns, Technology Tell

“The intimacy of the connection we feel to this family is palpable; we are close to them like people we grew up with.” – Joyce Kulhawik

BOFCA REVIEW ROUNDUP: 1/18

THE LAST STANDThe Last Stand

“Catnip for action junkies. This is RIO BRAVO on steroids, with cars. What more could you ask for?” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE Boston

“A perfectly serviceable Schwarzenegger action film. There are car chases, shootouts, some character moments, a decent cast, a few laughs, and it clocks in at less than two hours.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

 

Broken CityBROKEN CITY

“A silly noir brought to polished heights by a most appropriate (if obvious) cast and crew. Nothing about it is extraordinary. But just about all of it is entertaining.” – Jake Mulligan, EDGE Boston

“That’s not to say BROKEN CITY is a particularly great film, but it’s a good one and almost novel by virtue of its own lack of novelty.” – Bob Chipman, The Escapist

“An imperfect enjoyment that I’ll probably never watch again, but I can think of far worse ways to spend a couple hours.” – Greg Vellante, The Eagle Tribune

 

AMOURAmour

“It’s an ordeal sitting through AMOUR, in which the hushed air of austerity is broken only by almost imperceptibly understated moments of tenderness.” – Sean Burns, The Improper Bostonian

“What’s more confining in a movie than to stay with two characters in two rooms while their world crumbles? It becomes as much torture for us as it does for them.” – Monica Castillo, DigBoston

 

MamaMAMA

“If you’re willing to go with the flow and not demand the jolts that pass for creativity in too many horror films, you may find yourself impressed.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, NorthShoreMovies.net

 

SUNDANCE SHORTSSundance Shorts

“Varying looks at coupling and unforeseen consequences, from the strains of being gay in a conservative Korean family, to, well, the dangers of donning a bear costume.” – Brett Michel, The Boston Phoenix