IFFBoston ’14 Review: Beneath the Harvest Sky

It’s always interesting when Documentary filmmakers shift to narrative film. The first example that comes to mind is Pontecorvo, known for his film “The Battle of Algiers.” There’s always something unique about the decisions they make as filmmakers. With “Algiers,” Pontecorvo used non-actors, individuals that were around or part of the uprising. With “Beneath the …

Film Review: Sabotoge

Most bad movies have some redeemable quality: sometimes it’s a single stand-out performance or character; sometimes it’s that the film embraces its own campiness. But occasionally a movie is so bad that all you can think about is everything they could have done to make it less terrible.

Film Review: Noah

Darren Aronofsky is a fascinating filmmaker. His films tend to be strong character pieces, and stories told with strong, sometimes disturbing, imagery. I remember being blown away the first time I saw his first feature, “Pi,” and have been fascinated by the choices he’s made since. When news broke about his new film “Noah,” some …

Film Review: Divergent

Divergent opens in theaters nationwide today, March 21. Check your local listings for showtimes. As a reviewer of film, there is no greater pleasure than someone excitedly telling you that you helped them find a film that would have otherwise gone unseen. It is the clearest representation of the potential universality of film. Unfortunately, those …

Film Review: 300: Rise of an Empire

300: Rise of an Empire opens in theaters everywhere today, March 7. Check your local listings for showtimes. Sequels have become standard fare in the multiplex. With franchises gaining establishment before their first installment even experiences its release date, to see the inevitable sequel set-up in the film’s final moments is closer to expectation than …