Monthly Archives: February 2025

The Brutalist (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An ambitious piece to behold and admire

Brady Corbet’s latest film “The Brutalist” is an ambitious piece to behold and admire. While often boldly trying to emulate the style and form of those Hollywood classic epic drama films of the 1950-60s, it also brings a considerable amount … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

September 5 (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): The Munich Massacre of 1972 via live TV 

It is always interesting to watch professionals doing their best, and “September 5” is one of such prime examples. Here are a bunch of professionals simply trying to do their job well under one extraordinary circumstance which drew the attention … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

I.S.S. (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A thriller inside the International Space Station

“I.S.S.”, which is currently available on Netflix in South Korea, is a modest space thriller film about several astronauts suddenly finding themselves under a rather tricky circumstance. While it is often hampered by plot contrivance and superficial characterization, the movie … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Inside (2023) ☆☆(2/4): A man who gets trapped

I guess any good performer is bound to go for the challenging task of carrying a movie alone by his or her sheer talent and presence. While Ryan Reynolds pushed his acting ability as much as possible while being the … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Mulholland Drive (2001) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): An ultimate David Lynch film

Somebody must be sad, regretful, and fading away. That is a lingering impression I get whenever I visit David Lynch’s 2001 film “Mulholland Drive”, which happens to be re-released here in South Korean theaters not long after Lynch’s death in … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Black Box Diary (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): As she steps forward as a survivor

Documentary film “Black Box Diary”, which received an Oscar nomination a few weeks ago, is a personal chronicle of one young female journalist who courageously stepped forward in public as the survivor of a high-profile case in Japan several years … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A Cold War plot behind jazz

Documentary film “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”, which was recently nominated for Best Documentary Oscar, is a superb presentation of the hidden aspects of a political turmoil in Africa during the early 1960s. While it is simply a collage of … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Caravaggio’s Shadow (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): An artist between the holy and the secular

“Caravaggio’s Shadow”, which incidentally came to South Korean theaters in last month, is fascinated with what inspired Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571 ~ 1610), who was one of the best artists in Italy around the early 17th century. Although he … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment