Monthly Archives: December 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): The Force is brought back in action

Posted on December 21, 2015 by

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” attempts to bring the Force back in action, and it did a mostly successful job with its entertaining mix of old and good things. While it does not reach to the groundbreaking level of the … Continue reading →

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Another Woman (1988) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): And then she listens to the voice…

Posted on December 19, 2015 by

Among a bunch of books on movies I have kept at my family home for years, there is an old movie guidebook I bought in 1996. Some of its contents later turned out to be inaccurate or questionable, but that … Continue reading →

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The Tiger: An Old Hunter’s Tale (2015) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): One last hunt

Posted on December 17, 2015 by

While some of its parts are good enough to interest us, South Korean film “The Tiger: An Old Hunter’s Tale” is ultimately hampered by its incoherent and disjointed plot. At first, it seems to focus on its weary hero and … Continue reading →

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Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4): Eight different styles inside one package

Posted on December 15, 2015 by

“Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet” is a lovely animation feature film decorated with eight different styles in one package. Supervised by Roger Allers, the co-director of “The Lion King” (1994), eight different animation artists freely wield each own cell animation style … Continue reading →

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The End of the Tour (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4) : An Interview between two Davids

Posted on December 15, 2015 by

First, I have to admit in advance that I am not very familiar with two real-life authors whose meeting inspired “The End of the Tour”. Although his second novel “Infinite Jest” was cited by Times as one of the 100 … Continue reading →

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99 Homes (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Daily horrors of foreclosure and eviction

Posted on December 14, 2015 by

Ramin Bahrani’s “99 Homes” chilled me during its several key scenes which reflect the gloomy reality of many American people after the global economy crisis in 2008. They were evicted from their homes just because they could not make their … Continue reading →

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Trainwreck (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): Please welcome Ms. Amy Schumer

Posted on December 13, 2015 by

I heard about Amy Schumer for the first time through an online article on her TV show “Inside Amy Schumer”. At that time, she was merely another new comedy actress to notice, but I have kept hearing about her since … Continue reading →

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Mississippi Grind (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Two gamblers on the road

Posted on December 12, 2015 by

“Mississippi Grind” is a rare thing: a movie driven by characters rather than conventional plot. Free of conventions usually expected from its familiar premise, the movie freely rolls its dices along with its two genuine human characters. While they are … Continue reading →

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Black Mass (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): An Unholy Alliance in Boston Underworld

Posted on December 12, 2015 by

“Black Mass” is a chilly crime drama which is also weirdly disjointed at times. While it feels uttermost solemn and serious as a dark, insidious crime tale revolving around one of the notorious real-life criminal figures in Boston, it is … Continue reading →

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Man Up (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): Predictable but lovable

Posted on December 11, 2015 by

“Man Up” is so predictable that you will probably guess at least half of what will happen next after its Meet Cute scene. Yes, they meet each other by accident as total strangers. Yes, they will see how much they … Continue reading →

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