BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/26/2015

TED 204

Ted 2 is the next stop on the road that MacFarlane has been traveling down since A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST, one starting with artistic integrity and ending with delusions of grandeur.” – Sam Cohen, Substream Magazine

“The pattern beginning to emerge with MacFarlane’s live-action work is that the “elaborate setpiece” gags either land soft or not at all, while the small observational material stands up a lot better.” – Bob Chipman, Moviebob

 

mxMAX

MAX manages to tell a coherent story in spite of the many subplots that are introduced and run side by side with the primary plot.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

 

 

A Little ChaosA LITTLE CHAOS

“…a beautifully filmed story about love, loss, pomp and passion brought to live by some terrific acting from the entire cast.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“…as schematic and preordained as the classical aesthetics it’s supposedly railing against.” – Jake Mulligan, Edge Boston

 

 

the-overnightTHE OVERNIGHT

“…a slender conceit stretched out about as far as it can go…” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“…the sort of film that lets you get to know four people better than you may know your own friends, and it never tries to be anything more than it is.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

“…rarely goes off into tangents where it would be difficult to reel everything back into the main narrative.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

“Turns out that kids really do ruin everything.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

 

big-game-movie-set-2BIG GAME

“If you’re going to drop a bomb, you might as well drop it with gusto.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“So much of today’s big-ticket filmmaking is designed to pummel you into submission that Helander’s scrappy chutzpah feels kinda soothing. ” – Sean Burns, Movie Mezzanine

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/12/2015

Jurassic World

JURASSIC WORLD

“Spectacularly silly, as though tweaking the noses of genre-fans who demand every last franchise tumble down into Gritty Realism Land was a Priority 1 note pinned to the screenwriter’s monitor.” – Bob Chipman, MOVIEBOB

“…harebrained but never boring, and unlike the last two sequels, it has a proper if overstated reverence for Steven Spielberg’s original classic. ” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“While it clearly (and predictably) fails to come close to JURASSIC PARK, JURASSIC WORLD does manage to provide a great deal of entertainment for those of us who are interested.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“The plotting and characterization is about an inch deep, but it does raise some interesting points along the way to its mega-dinosaur smackdown finale.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“If CGI creature fighting, close-call moments upended by heroic feats and spurts of nostalgia callbacks are your bag, then you might enjoy this scaleless attempt at carrying on a brand name instead of a unique film series.” – Sam Cohen, Substream Magazine

“As pure escapist popcorn spectacle, JURASSIC WORLD hits its intended mark of throwing lots of action onto the screen; but beyond the chaos, there’s little meat on the bone for this story.” – Tim Estiloz, El Mundo Boston

“Fleeting glimpses of joy are the strongest segments of JURASSIC WORLD, a theme park and movie that is about filling seats and crunching numbers.” – Max Covill, Impassioned Cinema

“There’s a high level of craft going on here but also a cynical shrug.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“…predictability stunts the narrative from becoming anything that would inspire Spielberg-esque awe.” – Monica Castillo, International Business Times

“The plot is as fossilized as the bones that paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) was digging up in the desert at the beginning of JURASSIC PARK way back in 1993, but so what?” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

 

The-Connection-reviewTHE CONNECTION

“Jimenez hasn’t exactly broken the period-crime/thriller mold, but he’s built a solid entertainment, with techniques well absorbed from the American movie tradition.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

 

heaven-knows-whatHEAVEN KNOWS WHAT

“Cinema lets us engage with difficult subject matter through a veneer of security. But something like HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT pierces that veil. By its very nature, it pushes the boundaries of our personal comfort.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT may not be a pleasant viewing experience, but it is an enormously compelling one, and with exceptional artistry forced me to look at and consider people from whom on the street I too often look away.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“This is a movie made up of the places, the actions, and the people that we look away from.” – Jake Mulligan, Dig Boston

 

LIVE FROM NEW YORK!

LIVE FROM NEW YORK!

“…there is a story to be told here about how these rebels became the establishment, but it’s not one Nguyen nor any of the (surprisingly few) participants have any interest in telling.” – Sean Burns, Movie Mezzanine

“There are murmurs here of SNL having lost its edge, and it’s true that there have been periods of stagnation in that long four-decade run, but that essential, transgressive aura remains bright and intact.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

 

farewellTHE FAREWELL PARTY

“Don’t think about THE FAREWELL PARTY as a movie about anything in terms of your own personal stand – pro or con – about assisted suicide; think of it, instead, as a beautifully rendered tale about friendship and the lengths friends will go to for each other.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 06/05/2015

maxresdefault (15)ENTOURAGE

“If you think missing ENTOURAGE means you’ll miss out on chance of seeing an insightful inside look at the workings of a Hollywood studio, then watch the 1992 Robert Altman classic THE PLAYER. It’s a much better movie in every respect.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“As a satire of the movie industry, ENTOURAGE is Hollywood Lite.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“…this pack of bratty wolves crying to moon about their rich white male problems is just annoying enough to call to animal control.” – Monica Castillo, International Business Times

“…so celebratory of its wickedness that it feels like the cinematic equivalent of partying within the nine consecutive circles of Hell.” – Charlie Nash, Cinematic Essential

 

melissa-mccarthy-spy-movie-trailer-poster6SPY

“Thank goodness for SPY, which is funny, empowering, and avoids the slippery slope of mean comedy.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

“With the release of SPY, it seems that McCarthy has finally found a role that fits her like a glove.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“Melissa McCarthy is at the top of her game here, doling out one-liners at the same rate James Bond beds women.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

“As perfect a star-vehicle as has been conceived for a comedian since Adam Sandler pulled on his blue suit for THE WEDDING SINGER.” – Bob Chipman, MovieBob

“Excruciatingly funny.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

 


insidious-chapter-3INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 does deliver some quality scares for people who aren’t completely turned off by horror films that welcome people under the age of eighteen.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“Fits together well enough, but there’s a sameness setting in that’s more pronounced now that you can’t blame it on other returning actors of plot details.” – Bob Chipman, MovieBob

 

 

e917e70cLOVE & MERCY

“LOVE & MERCY doesn’t give us perfection, but it is a powerful, sensorially rich experience all the same.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“In the current context, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to read LOVE & MERCY as some gentle rebuke to blockbuster-season excess.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

results
RESULTS

“…what makes RESULTS so special is that it delivers all the conventional rom-com satisfactions while also stubbornly being it’s own unique thing. [Bujalski] has respect for the genre, yet brings an experimental filmmaker’s curiosity to the table.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“[Bujalski’s] replaced the hallmarks of the genre with the verbal awkwardness and spiritual messiness of real life.” – Jake Mulligan, Dig Boston

“Naivety is fun to poke fun at, sure. To grow up with these main players, at least make them interesting to watch being dynamic.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

 

 

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 04/24/2015

(Note: Time film critic Richard Corliss passed away this Thursday. The Boston Online Film Critics Association extends its condolences toward Richard’s friends and family.)

THE AGE OF ADALINEBlake-467

“What does it feel like to live a hundred years? Just ask anyone who has sat through THE AGE OF ADALINE.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“… the film is shadowed by a kind of wistfulness and restraint that draws us into what might have seemed melodramatic or sentimental.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

 

 

The-Water-Diviner-Gallery-01THE WATER DIVINER

“…what the movie lacks in discipline and polish, it more than makes up for in sheer sincerity.” – Sean Burns, Movie Mezzanine

“…when a mixed-bag movie is also this mixed up, you either throw up your hands, turn off your brain, and hope for the best, or seek solace in your soda and popcorn.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“In the end [Russell Crowe’s] performance is one of the least problematic aspects of the film, but perhaps it shows that he should stick to acting.” – Deirdre Crimmins, Cinematic Essential

 

5to7-Movie5 TO 7

“…5 TO 7 is too damn winsome for its own good. Worse than that, it’s disingenuous.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“5 TO 7 starts so wonderfully that its left turn into bologna is all the more disheartening.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

“While she certainly has the ability to wrap the audience around her little finger, Marlohoe is far less convincing when the role causes her to be more than charming.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“The set up is fascinating, the humor is rich and the camera work is as stylish as the French new wave; there are so many places this movie could go. But where it takes us is unbelievably facile and sentimental.” – Michael Cox, Edge Boston

 

download (12)ADULT BEGINNERS

“From a comedic standpoint, you’ll find something to laugh about at certain points during ADULT BEGINNERS, but there isn’t anything to love when looking at the film as a whole.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“This isn’t an actor’s movie, nor much of a screen comedy; it’s a sitcom showcase.” – Jake Mulligan, Edge Boston

“The comedy fares better, but that’s probably because the drama itself is pat, predictable and underdeveloped.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

 

Little Boy FilmLITTLE BOY

“You’re certain to find better movies to see other than LITTLE BOY, but if you want to see this for some reason, it wouldn’t kill you.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

 

 

the-forger-toronto-film-festival-3THE FORGER

“Travolta mopes his way through the title role as Ray Cutter, a brilliant jailbird art forger from those mythical movie-land mean streets of Boston – where everyone talks in outlandish accents and they never seem to have trouble finding a parking space.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 04/17/2015

UNFRIENDED06

“Do u like scary movies? Lol. Coz OMFG! This 1 is about ppl dying on Skype. Srsly! Like, WTF?!?! #Yolo” – Charlie Nash, Cinematic Essential

“Like the cast, we’re trapped in a browser with no means of escape. Even Ctrl+Alt+Del can’t save us.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

 

EX MACHINAExMachina_Alicia-Vikander

“What starts out as a smart psychological thriller with an edge of speculative fiction proves to be a clockwork amusement built from standard parts and not wound sufficiently to get it through its full running time.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“…there’s an underlying ickiness to the entire film, and not just the inherent “OMG, THE ROBOTS ARE LIKE PEOPLE” ickiness. There’s an undercurrent of sexism that’s unpalatable.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

“With all of the complaining that I do in this review, you might think that I hate EX MACHINA, but that’s not true.” – Jaskee Hickman, Cinematic Essential

“As a film that utilizes misdirection and provokes users to seek through layers of subtext, EX MACHINA proves to be intellectually appealing without materializing into a thesis on one’s own ideas.” – Sam Cohen, Under the Gun Review

 

True Story 0213.NEFTRUE STORY

“That [Hill and Franco] are pals gives TRUE STORY an existential stink, but they, and the movie, acquit themselves well.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

“The film wants to feel important, and it flirts with being a procedural — but it would have done better to stick with celebrating the slippery interface between facts and the human truths we construct from them.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“The laughably telegraphed revelations wouldn’t cut it as CBS prime-time fodder.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

 

Clouds-of-Sils-Maria-still-3CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

“It’s a movie you’ll find yourself turning over in your mind for quite some time after the closing credits roll, marinating in the heady swirl of ideas and defiantly unresolved resolutions.” – Sean Burns, The Artery

 


the_mafia_only_kills_in_summer_a_lTHE MAFIA ONLY KILLS IN SUMMER

“Diliberto doesn’t hand-hold in the slightest. He does, however, deploy background carefully. Attentive viewers should have no trouble keeping pace with his brio.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

 

029af367d7c17488b27b1f9611d605b5da461df1MONKEY KINGDOM

“The subtle, empowering themes at the core of this latest Disneynature film are heartening and certainly something to share with our children (much more politically correct than stories of princesses).” – Michael Cox, Edge Boston