Monthly Archives: January 2016

Anomalisa (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A quirky stop-motion animation a la Charlie Kaufman

“Anomalisa” is a stop-motion animated film from Charlie Kaufman, and this is certainly another odd, fascinating work from a talented writer/director who wrote the screenplays for “Being John Malkovich” (1999), “Adaptation.” (2002), “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004), and … Continue reading

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Boy & the World (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4): Simple but Marvelous

Brazilian animated feature film “Boy & the World” looks quite simple at first, but its kaleidoscopic presentation of colors and lines and shapes on the screen is something to behold. I was involved in its numerous marvelous visual moments, and … Continue reading

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When Marnie Was There (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4): The last Ghibli animation, probably

Watching Japanese animated feature film “When Marnie Was There” is a bittersweet experience because this may be the last work from Studio Ghibli, which has been in a ‘temporary’ hiatus period since “When Marnie Was There” was released in Japan … Continue reading

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45 Years (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Sobering ruminations on their long relationship

They have known and lived with each other for many years, but now they start to feel anxious and uncertain about their relationship after a sudden news comes in from the old past. As its aging couple begin to ruminate … Continue reading

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The Measure of a Man (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): A man’s quiet economic struggle

Calmly looking into its plain working class hero’s quiet economic struggle, French social drama film “The Measure of a Man” shares his desperation and frustration with us during the first half and then throws some hard moral questions during the … Continue reading

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Zero Motivation (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4): Israeli female solders stuck in office job

Through the droll observation on a bunch of female soldiers who have to cope with their drab, suffocating daily life at the base, Israeli comedy film “Zero Motivation” delights us with unexpected moments of amusement and laugh. I did not … Continue reading

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Goosebumps (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): You know what is going to scare you…

Around this Monday, I finished reading “Joyland”, one of Stephen King’s recent novels. While its story revolves around a dark murder mystery involved with one plain but special amusement park in North Carolina, I enjoyed its vivid, affectionate description of … Continue reading

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Steve Jobs (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Jobs viewed through a three-act backstage drama

Through its fictional narrative structure, “Steve Jobs” attempts to give us a complex portrayal of one fascinating real-life figure whose grand, ambitious visions have influenced our modern world – or our modern electronic industry and market at least. Although its … Continue reading

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The Big Short (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Big Bets against the market

Cheerfully bouncing around a number of traders who perceived an imminent financial disaster in advance, “The Big Short” gives us an absurd, biting account of how everything was virtually destined to be collapsed before the financial crisis of 2007-08 finally … Continue reading

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The Revenant (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Grim, Grisly, and Grueling

Grim, grisly, and grueling, “The Revenant” is determined to overpower you with its cold, stark beauty of vast wilderness as well as its gray, gloomy depiction of extreme human conditions. This brooding western tale of survival and revenge is a … Continue reading

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