Monthly Archives: March 2014

Elegant Lies (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Tears within its cool restraint

  South Korean film “Elegant Lies” has a fair share of tears to shed inside its story, but it holds them with admirable restraint while rarely resorting to cheap melodrama overflowing with tears. This is a sad story about how … Continue reading

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Lebanon Emotion (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : An odd, somber mix of romance and thriller

 “Lebanon Emotion”, a South Korean independent film which was released in South Korea early in this month, quietly meanders around its background at first and then goes into an unexpected direction through its odd, somber mix of romance and thriller. … Continue reading

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What Maisie Knew (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4) : What she saw and heard

 Maisie is quite a little girl, considering that many children at her age cannot deal well with such a tough situation like hers. She probably does not entirely understand how her life is changing, but she remains rather calm and … Continue reading

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Campus animals in spring afternoon (03/23/14)

                                  While cats and a rabbit were having a rest, ruthless avian campus gangs engaged in a duel of fate…

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A fish in the new water

 While you may have to watch previous Marvel Comics movies before watching it, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is a surprisingly entertaining entry packed with fun, thrill, and a considerable dose of intrigue, and that was good enough for me … Continue reading

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The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Welcome to the Wes Anderson Hotel

 In last year, I purchased “The Wes Anderson Collection” written by my acquaintance Matt Zoller Seitz, the book which is still looking upon me in the bookcase above my laboratory desk. I have not delved into this big, lovely hardcover … Continue reading

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Noah (2014) ☆☆(2/4) : The Deluge reimagined by Darren Aronofsky

 While trying to sort out how I felt about Darren Aronofsky’s ambitious new film “Noah”, I came across one article from the Hollywood Reporter. At the world premiere held in Mexico City on last Monday evening, Darren Aronofsky forthrightly warned … Continue reading

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Owning Mahowny (2003) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : His eyes are fixed on his next gamble

  If I have to choose one definite moment in “Owning Mahowny”(2003), it is the one which shows its hero’s face in a close-up shot when he is going through his another gambling. His face looks blank on the surface, … Continue reading

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Manshin (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A shaman with ten thousands spirits

 South Korean documentary “Manshin” vividly presents the cultural value in Korean shamanic rituals through its haunting images which lingered on my mind for a long time after watching it. Looking around the long, dramatic life story of a woman who … Continue reading

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Non-Stop (2014) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : You don’t mess with Liam Nisson

 One thing I miss about Roger Ebert is his witty amusement with action thriller movies which are full of preposterous plot holes big enough for a Boeing 777 plane to fly through. He did not point them out just for … Continue reading

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