BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 11/07/2014

interstellar-2014-movie

INTERSTELLAR

“All of my quibbles aside, INTERSTELLAR is surely to be praised for its scope.” – Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices

“It’s the best science fiction movie you’re likely to see this year, and quite possibly one of the best films period.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“…INTERSTELLAR is big, bold and beautiful, but it’s more confounding than revelatory, and all the organ music in the world can’t save it from not tugging at the heartstrings. – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

“INTERSTELLAR is Christopher Nolan’s weakest film to date, but the fact that it’s not terrible says a lot about him and his abilities as a filmmaker.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“…overall, INTERSTELLAR is a reasonably enjoyable experience, even as it strains the edges of Nolan’s comfort zone.” – Kristofer Jenson, Dig Boston

“For a film that has so much going for it, the payoff should be blue-sky beyond most viewers’ imaginations. Instead, it plays like someone explaining how to complete a jigsaw puzzle. – Norm Schrager, Meet in the Lobby

“In place of the action the movie needs, Nolan hits us over the head with the simplistic message that love is the most powerful force in the universe. It’s a nice enough notion, but it doesn’t have a chance.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

“Ultimately, INTERSTELLAR shoots for the stars but barely gets us past the soundstage.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“Some space is best left unexplored.” –  Brett Michel, The Improper Bostonian

“You can sense Nolan bursting to match Kubrick’s eerie, effortless combination of the familiar and otherworldly, but there’s nothing doing.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“The movie is so pedestrian it needs to invent a Bad Guy for McConaughey to fist-fight.” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

 

Big Hero 6 (2)BIG HERO 6

“BIG HERO 6 works precisely because it seems so familiar, with just enough fresh spin so that it feels like something new rather than a rerun.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“BIG HERO 6 is not a film that’s going to change the way animated flicks are made, but there is a ton of fun to be had by just about everyone who chooses to watch it.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“Thrilling, well-crafted set pieces are only one aspect of what makes blockbusters like this tick. The bond between a boy and his android makes up the rest.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

 

MV5BMjEyNzE3Njc1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzg0ODY3MDE@._V1_SX640_SY720_LAGGIES

“LAGGIES explores with empathy and warmth the simultaneous feelings of panic and disbelief upon realizing in your late 20s or early 30s that everyone around you is getting married and having children.” – Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

“Man, this is a creepy film.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

 

 

prt_300x196_1353278673THE OVERNIGHTERS

“… an incredibly personal (if troubling at times) story that challenges its viewers to accept it.” – Monica Castillo, Movie Mezzanine

 

 

« DIPLOMATIE » Un film de Volker SCHLÖNDORFFDIPLOMACY

“As DIPLOMACY’s briskly paced duologue proceeds, there’s a growing sense that it would be just at home on stage as on camera.” – Andy Crump, Movie Mezzanine

“We all know that the Nazis didn’t blow up Paris, but that won’t stop audiences from biting their nails watching this brilliant film from director Volker Schlöndorff (THE TIN DRUM).” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

 

thumbnail_19246AWAKE: THE LIFE OF YOGANANDA

“The risk of any movie that tries so hard to promote claims of extraordinary or supernatural wisdom (which this film more or less does with its subject) is the likelihood that the claims will far exceed any reliable evidence.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

BOFCA REVIEW ROUND-UP: 10/10/2014

images (1)THE JUDGE

“As much as the film relies on the Hank/Downey charm, it retains a skepticism of its best asset, especially when it comes to women.” – Inkoo Kang, The Wrap

“If the Oscars were a third grade social studies class, The Judge would be the kid who always raises his hand fastest but consistently gets the answer wrong.” – Kristofer Jenson, Dig Boston

“Surrounded by a top-notch supporting cast, this is an acting duel between Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall. The result is a draw, which is another way of saying that the audience wins.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“The Daddy Issues run thick in this movie; none of the boys ever mention Mom again after she’s planted in the ground. They spend the evening of her funeral doing shots at the local bar and telling stories about their father — who apparently makes even his children address him as ‘The Judge.'” – Sean Burns, Spliced Personality

“Perhaps Downey the producer should have fired the editor, or at least let one of the other producers or director David Dobkin trim things a little.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

THE JUDGE is an okay movie that does some things well enough for me not to say that it’s average or below.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

 

alexALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY

“There are some solid laughs, a dearth of fart jokes, and Carell and Garner have enough energy to make everything passable, if not great. Again, ALEXANDER could be better, but it could also be a hell of a lot worse.” – David Riedel, Santa Fe Reporter

“This isn’t the sort of movie that really demands devoted scrutiny or requires any heavy lifting from critics or audiences; it’s there, and if you’re a ten-year-old (particularly if you’re a younger or middle child), the film’s combination of pee jokes, physical gags and parental comeuppance will probably steamroll you.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine

“For someone who is, say, nine or ten, this should be hilarious.” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

 

Dracula UntoldDRACULA UNTOLD

“…it suffers from the problems of all reboots that start with an origin story: since we know where it’s going, there’s got to be a lot of stuff to grab our attention. ” – Daniel M. Kimmel, North Shore Movies

“Like all big movies these days, DRACULA UNTOLD is set up to spawn sequels.” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

“It’s a PG-13 vampire movie. How good can it be?” – John Black, Boston Event Guide

 

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KILL THE MESSENGER

“KILL THE MESSENGER is a film that has the potential to move you in a multitude of ways as a viewer looking for amature film with something to say.” – Jaskee Hickman, The Movie Picture Show

“This is pungent stuff, but a similar case was portrayed far more vividly in Michael Mann’s THE INSIDER – a movie that Cuesta and company obviously watched more than once in their preparations.” – Sean Burns, North Shore Movies

 

13888-1THE OVERNIGHTERS

“…so sketchy is the material as it’s presented here that finally it’s hard to know whether Pastor Reinke is a modern saint throwing himself mightily against apathy and social neglectfulness, or a whack job in his own right…” – Kilian Melloy, Edge Boston

 

 

photo-main (1)ART AND CRAFT

“We just don’t learn how Landis creates his meticulous forgeries – although watching the process will leave you gobsmacked – but we spend a lot of time getting to know the man and the reasons he does what he does.” – John Black, Boston Event Guide