SNOWDEN * * *
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans, Scott Eastwood and Nicolas Cage. Screenplay by Kieran Fitzgerald and Oliver Stone. Directed by Oliver Stone.
70MM AT THE SOMERVILLE
“In my experience, seeing a film you love in 70mm is akin to discovering it anew. So crisp and beautiful was the image in The Hateful Eight that I found it difficult to sit through other current movies with their sludgy digital distortions for weeks afterwards. It was like listening to a compressed MP3 on earbuds after attending a symphony orchestra.” – Boston Reel, 09/15/2016
SULLY
SULLY * * * 1 / 2
Starring Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Anna Gunn and Michael Rapaport. Screenplay by Todd Komarnicki. Directed by Clint Eastwood.
CONTESTING HISTORY: MATT ZOLLER SEITZ AND THE OLIVER STONE EXPERIENCE
“There is a lot of stuff in Stone’s films that didn’t actually happen. And you know what? That’s okay. Many of Shakespeare’s tragedies drew on history and a lot of that stuff is flat out made-up. If you’re not willing to go with Oliver Stone and treat history not just in terms of fact, but also metaphor, then there’s really no point going to his movies.” – WBUR’s The ARTery, 09/09/2016
YOGA HOSERS
“Eventually Depp and the Colleens wind up fighting an army of white supremacist, foot-long sausages dressed as Mounties and played by the director himself. These Brat-zis, as they’re called, kill people by climbing into their rectums. But Yoga Hosers makes it abundantly clear that the only rear end Kevin Smith has crawled up inside is his own.” – Metro, 08/30/2016
ADULTS ARE MORE NEEDY THAN CHILDREN: LITTLE MEN’S IRA SACHS
Earlier this year, writer-director Ira Sachs brought the terrific Little Men to IFFBoston. After a screening at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, one of our most eloquent filmmakers discussed his intimate approach to storytelling, an unused ending and the remarkable performances from young stars Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri. Here are some edited highlights from the Q&A:
BOFCA REPERTORY PODCAST: SEPTEMBER 2016
Talking with fellow Boston Online Film Critics Assocaiation members Bob Chipman and Steve Head about this month’s repertory offerings. Topics include the Somerville Theatre’s 70mm & Widescreen Festival, a visit from Oliver Stone at the Harvard Film Archive and the MFA’s Reagan in Hollywood: The Origins Of A Conservative Icon. – BOFCA, 08/30/2016
A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS
“Less common to discover in a first feature is a story that’s been thought out in terms of images instead of just words. Natalie Portman’s directorial debut is not always a successful movie but it’s a movie through and through. She makes bold visual choices and sticks to a personal, if at times trying, aesthetic strategy. She’s a real filmmaker.” – WBUR’s The ARTery, 08/26/2016
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE
“The production is hyper-sexualized in an incredibly creepy way, with leering butt-shots of countless cartoon hookers and lingering, appreciative views of Barbara in her underwear. These adolescent power fantasies have grown toxic, and their treatment of women reveals a pathological, deep-seated fear and loathing on the part of fans and creators.” – North Shore Movies, 08/19/2016
PETE’S DRAGON
PETE’S DRAGON * * * 1 / 2
Starring Oakes Fegley, Bryce Dallas Howard, Oona Laurence, Karl Urban and Robert Redford. Screenplay by Toby Halbrooks and David Lowery. Directed by David Lowery.
