Tag Archives: Review Round-Up

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/28/2016

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1-on6cCIOkcfnYz05NToe5iQINFERNO

“INFERNO isn’t bad and isn’t good, it just sits there, stagnant, waiting for something to propel it beyond the run of the mill.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“…the spectacle of watching supremely talented people put together something that more or less plays out like a big-budget network TV drama pilot is really quite a bit of fun, though none of them can chew the scenery with quite the same panache that Ian McKellen did in the first movie.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

“Watch INFERNO and every time there is a line of dialogue that is not just exposition to help you understand the hilariously overcomplicated plot, take a drink. By the end of the picture, you’ll be legally under the limit to drive home.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“INFERNO is not your typical movie filled with the usual qualities associated with excellent storytelling, but it uses its style to do what it needs to do in order to entertain and provide value.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“…a fast-paced timewaster for those viewers undemanding enough not to care about plot, character, or logic.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

thumbnail_24700THE HANDMAIDEN

“This is South Korean director, Park Chan-wook (OLDBOY, STOKER) at the very top of his game, crafting an illustrative and illustrious affair that singes the mind with striking images and enchanting storytelling.” – Greg Vellante, Edge Boston

“In our American cultural context, THE HANDMAIDEN open carnality feels like a hand grenade of provocation in our normal pop diet of stabbings and shootings.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“Even though I still see THE HANDMAIDEN as being effective and pleasant, it’s not as compelling or suspenseful as it could have been had they continued down the more obscure path it originally looked like it could head in.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/21/2016

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jackreacher2JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK

“… a conventional action film with some unconventional ideas and the star power of Tom Cruise.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“This movie would probably be offensively terrible if it bothered to try hard enough, but we aren’t even that lucky – and I’m not sure whether or not that’s actually preferable.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

” despite a committed cast, there’s virtually nothing that differentiates JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK from playing like a straight-to-DVD B movie mistakenly sent to multiplexes.” – Kristofer Jenson, C-Ville Weekly

“If you’ve been watching the action movies that have been released over the past decade or so, you’ve already seen JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“Sorry, but once you’ve seen Tom Cruise hanging from the Burj Khalifa watching him almost fall off a cheap set left over from an eighties cop show isn’t exactly wow material.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

 

ouija-origin-of-evilOUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL

“…even with the late missteps OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL is a strong horror film. It does not insult the audience’s intelligence and still manages to create some scares along the way. ” – Deirdre Crimmins, Film Thrills

 

certain-womenCERTAIN WOMEN

“Human situations are often difficult; does that excuse us for looking away as often as we do? Or is there something there worth seeing, if we can stand to stay with it? That’s a question you’ll have to answer for yourself.” – Killian Melloy, Edge Boston

“Reichardt is a filmmaker who enjoys standing apart from her subjects, content to meditate on the mundanities without ever belittling the idea of a simplistic life. ” – Allyson Johnson, Cambridge Day

“This is a film about behavior, with complicated emotions conveyed by actions and inferences that go tragically unnoticed. But look closely enough and you’ll see every one of these CERTAIN WOMEN (and some of their sad-sack men) reaching out, yearning to be heard.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

 

 

 

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/14/2016

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the_accountant-trailer-screen1THE ACCOUNTANT

“There are some entertaining things taking place in THE ACCOUNTANT, but it also clearly lacks in some areas.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“Save your receipts. Ben Affleck is THE ACCOUNTANT, and you don’t want to get on his bad side.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“…we’re left with a mess of a movie that could have used a little levity. It’s this lack of self-awareness that’s the real killer here.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“…adds ups to a terrific entertainment and is an asset in Affleck’s acting portfolio.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

“Maybe there’s a leaner version of THE ACCOUNTANT lurking in its slightly overlong structure, but you won’t mind all of its excess when all of its killin’ is so damn good.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“…while THE ACCOUNTANT is too long, silly and very predictable, if you need something to tide you over until JOHN WICK 2 later this year, you could do a lot worse.” – Kristofer Jenson, C-Ville Weekly

“…you’re largely confused for most of it and then once its all explained you’re likely to be left thinking: ‘Oh, okay. Well, that was alright… but I bet just a regular movie letting us watch this  interesting main character do his thing would’ve been better.'” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

 

e284020a-90b4-11e6-83ed-f5f4c84ea0bb-1020x680KEVIN HART: WHAT NOW?

“WHAT NOW? is consistently funny and worth taking a trip to your local theater.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“…stand-up comedy works best when it feels and sounds off the cuff and spontaneous, and the overt implication of how each beat and inflection must have been pre-determined spoils that illusion.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

 

 

A_Man_Called_Ove_-_2A MAN CALLED OVE

“At its heart is a sweet love story, but around the margins are stories of other sorts — funny, dramatic, tragic, but all of them human and uplifting. ” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

 

 

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/07/2016

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68fbb8f3-27e3-4a97-bda7-d9b8d2a05ee4THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

“THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN fails to impress on even the most basic level.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“From its patronizing title to its incoherent storytelling, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is one of the least satisfying thrillers in some time.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“For stories like this to work, one needs suspense and maybe an ounce or two of tension. Lugubrious acting and fancy coats are not enough.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

 

 

the-birth-of-a-nation-5THE BIRTH OF A NATION

“While it may be carrying some of the most personal and visceral subject matter of the year, Parker’s freshman film feels lost in between telling a story and striving to make a difference as its lead character did.” – Sam Cohen, Substream Magazine

“This new BIRTH is less of a landmark than Parker might have intended, but in its point of view and the story it tells, it is worthy addition to the list of movies spotlighting American history.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“I don’t know if this gamble will pay off for Parker, but THE BIRTH OF A NATION proves to be worth at least some of the risks that he chose to take on.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“To say that art is inseparable from the artist is not as one-dimensional as suggesting that one should never watch something made by bad people. ” – Kristofer Jenson, C-Ville Weekly

“The kind of one-dimensional human avatars that fit so well into heightened action-heavy folk-history lack the depth of character to be compelling at a regular human level.” – Bob Chipman, Geek.com

 

american-honey-2AMERICAN HONEY

“Don’t call it a movie about American counter-culture, call it a movie about the love for that same culture, however messy and erratic it may be.” – Sam Cohen, Substream Magazine

“… AMERICAN HONEY maintains a style and voice all its own which makes the movie, hands down, one of the best films of the year.” – Michael Cox, Edge Boston

“It’s a road movie that winds up driving in circles.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 09/30/2016

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deepwaterheaderDEEPWATER HORIZON

“Overall, the film offers a lesson about respecting the realities of the world while keeping tastefully away from mere exploitation.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“DEEPWATER HORIZON is a prime example of what’s bad about movies of its kind: Even with a smaller scope, they naturally end up favoring the few instead of the many, and in doing so they fail to fully articulate the consequences of their depicted destructions.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“As far as tasteless theme park rides go DEEPWATER HORIZON isn’t terrible, but it also takes a galling sort of myopia to turn this particular story into a star vehicle with a happy ending.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“More than just a thrilling action movie, the end result is a moving testament to the 11 souls who lost their lives.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“In spite of some of the flaws that it has, DEEPWATER HORIZON is something that’s easy to recommend.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“The directing and editing gives us no sense of the space. It’s never clear where characters are in relation to each other and, often, in relation to the action. ” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Berg’s direction is almost poetic as he orchestrates the percolating problem at the ocean floor, tiny bubbles rising from the crust, a crack mirroring the rising tension beneath the facade of congeniality up on the surface.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

“We got the outline of something superb when what we needed was a full picture.” – Allyson Johnson, The Young Folks

 

 

peregrins-gallery1-gallery-imageMISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

“Showing restraint is unusual for [Burton], and letting the inherent weirdness of the story do the work, he has turned out his best film since SWEENEY TODD.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies