Steve Head, Bob Chipman and Seans Burns break down the Boston area’s busy repertory scene for November 2016.
INFERNO
“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
THE 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
JACK 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 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 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
Deirdre Crimmins reviews BELIEF
Allyson Johnson reviews YOU’RE THE WORST,
Kristofer Jenson brings you Boston Reel’s Rep Roundup
Spoilerpiece Theatre talks THE ACCOUNTANT, THE DYBBUK and A MAN CALLED OVE
Andrew Crump reviews BROOKLYN NINE-NINE and THE HANDMAIDEN
Dan Kimmel talks his upcoming projects
Bob Chipman looks back at THE GUYVER
Jared Bowen updates the Open Studio Archive
Joyce Kulhawik reviews HAMLET and UNCANNEY VALLEY
THE 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
KEVIN 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
“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