Monthly Archives: November 2018

Cold War (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Scenes from a Cold War romance

“Cold War”, which was recently selected as the Polish entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 2019 Academy Awards, is a somber but mesmerizing film about two different people pushing and pulling each other in their sporadic but … Continue reading

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Dogman (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A grim and gritty tale of a criminal underdog

The hero of “Dogman”, which was recently selected as the Italian entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 2019 Academy Awards, is probably one of the most pathetic criminal underdogs I have ever seen from movies. Petite, timid … Continue reading

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Cam (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little creepy cyber thriller film from Nexflix

Netflix film “Cam” is a little cyber thriller film which is not only creepy and disturbing but also engaging and thought-provoking. As gradually pushing its heroine into one nightmarish situation which may be quite possible someday, the movie generates a … Continue reading

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Juliet, Naked (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): With her boyfriend’s idol

“Juliet, Naked” is too mild for me. While there are some good elements to be appreciated, these moments do not click well together without much comic synergy, and I was left with empty feeling even though I was amused to … Continue reading

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Stella’s Last Weekend (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Two Brothers and a Girl

“Stella’s Last Weekend” is a modest but enjoyable mix between family comedy and romance drama. While sometimes predictable and contrived, the movie is funny and engaging mainly thanks to the unaffected chemistry among its main cast members, and I had … Continue reading

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McQueen (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): On his bold, striking artistry

Documentary film “McQueen” gives us some striking moments to remember as looking around the life and career of Alexander McQueen, who was one of the most renowned fashion designers during recent years. I must confess that I do not know … Continue reading

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Galveston (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A familiar crime drama better than expected

“Galveston” is a crime drama which is quite familiar but turns out to be better than expected. While being bleak and seedy as demanded, the movie generates some genuinely poignant moments as rolling its two main characters along its leisurely … Continue reading

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Madeline’s Madeline (2018) ☆☆(2/4): Seriously committed and disturbed

Watching “Madeline’s Madeline” was quite annoying and frustrating for me. Attempting to present a disturbing drama of mental illness and artistic exploitation, the movie is deliberately disorienting and jarring from the beginning to the end, and I sort of understand … Continue reading

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A Long Farewell (2017) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): Farewell to one old apartment complex area

Apartment complexes were an important part of my childhood life during the 1980-90s. As I and my family often moved from one apartment complex to another one, I always looked at those big buildings with wonder and curiosity, and I … Continue reading

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Ode to the Goose (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Ode to Gunsan

The works of Zhang Lü, who drew my attention for the first time with “Dooman River” (2011), always have a palpable sense of people and locations. While “Dooman River” immersed us into the realistic daily life of Korean Chinese characters … Continue reading

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