2016

Posted on April 8, 2016 by bofca

HARDCORE HENRY

“…the film is pure fun enlivened by — rather than dominated by — inventive chaos.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“Luckily though, the movie is committed to its own crazed insanity that it actually becomes kind of admirable.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

“The most interesting part of HARDCORE HENRY is the level of violence that’s being displayed.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“HARDCORE HENRY just wants to dazzle us with conceit, and your mileage will vary based on your capacity for tolerating Naishuller’s gimmickry.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

THE BOSS

“…an atonal mess, with a few respectable laughs mixed in.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

THE INVITATION

“THE INVITATION’s constructed world is as constricting as its closed-door setting. Maybe that’s why nobody thought to leave.” – Jake Mulligan, Dig Boston

“We feel like we’re intruding on the melancholic privacies of Kusama’s characters, and yet she locks the doors and keeps us trapped inside with them.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD

“The true magic to APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD is that it has an endgame worthy of its ambition.” – Norm Schrager, Film Racket

“…a beautiful film that reminds us of the aesthetic value of traditional animation and the necessity of human ingenuity, all without treating its audience like idiots. ” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 04/01/2016

Posted on April 1, 2016 by bofca

EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!

“… a hangout movie with a high blood alcohol concentration—a descendant of National Lampoon’s most famous off-campus romp, and all the guy-gang comedies that followed it.” – Jake Mulligan, Dig Boston

“EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! is a fun-loving feature that paints a positive picture about being yourself and understanding the importance of building relationships.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“…the film’s flimsiness is made frustrating by the fact that we know [Linklater] can do so much better.” – Andy Crump, A Constant Visual Feast

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

“Unfortunately, just as he did in TAKE SHELTER, Nichols pushes too far into an ending that may have been best left offscreen, unvisualized.” – Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“The film is a symphony of theme and mood that grows and grows, much like the excellent score which evolves from the backbone of a simple piano motif to booming bass synths only to arrive at orchestral culmination in the final act. ” – Greg Vellante, Sound & Picture

“Writer/director Jeff Nichols has grand ideas, but they lack hard edges.” – Killian Melloy, Edge Boston

“Sometimes we’re asked to do things that are beyond us. Too bad for Nichols that glorifying his own influences proves beyond him.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“This is a glum bit of business, with a few more nods to the original TERMINATOR movie than were perhaps necessary. What’s also missing is a sense of wonder.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

THE CLAN

“There’s a GOODFELLAS vibe here, as horrific violence and criminal incompetence combine. In the end, however, the film — which is based on true events and the crimes of a real family — is more a tragedy than either a comedy or a caper.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 03/25/2016

Posted on March 25, 2016 by bofca

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

“Zack Snyder has now made two Superman films and if I can glean anything coherent from this path he is taking, he absolutely hates Superman.” – Derek Deskins, LonelyReviewer

“BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE turned out to be a failure when it’s clear that didn’t have to be one.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“… a bit like going to a funeral except without the laughs.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“…the climactic battle(s) go on a bit long, although Cavill has grown comfortable since “Man of Steel” and Affleck successfully takes over from Christian Bale.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“BATMAN V SUPERMAN will no doubt please many eager to see two of their comic book heroes make stuff “blow up real good”. However, this DAWN OF JUSTICE may prove far too dark and convoluted a beginning for many others.” – Tim Estiloz, El Mundo Boston

“If the primary sources for the film are too incongruous to fit into a single story, the film’s erratic tone doesn’t help.” – Kilian Melloy, Kal’s Movie Blog

“…I’m perversely fascinated to know what happens next now that one of the biggest studios on the planet has built multiple Summers worth of release slates around follow-ups to what’s turned out to be a Hindenbergian catastrophe.” – Bob Chipman, MOVIEBob

“…BATMAN V SUPERMAN is a misfire of massive proportions and doesn’t just start the JUSTICE LEAGUE off on the wrong foot. They aren’t even in the right galaxy.” – Max Covill, Impassioned Cinema

“BATMAN V SUPERMAN is all about cheats and shortcuts. It is Wile E. Coyote, running off a cliff onto nothing and staying suspended mid-air as long as it doesn’t look down.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2

“Consider it a visit to the old neighborhood and discovering that not only have things not changed, but you’re welcomed back with open arms and a piece of baklava.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“For anyone who adored the first film, they will likely get a kick out of another visit with old friends.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 03/18/2016

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

Boston Online Film Critics Association

The Boston Online Film Critics Association was established in May of 2012 to foster a community of web-based film critics.

Tag Archives: Review Round-Up

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 04/08/2016

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BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 03/18/2016

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 03/11/2016