Monthly Archives: August 2025

An Officer and a Spy (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A solid historical drama by a problematic filmmaker

Posted on August 13, 2025 by kaist455

I must confess that it has been more than 10 years since the last time I watched and then reviewed a Roman Polanski film. At that time, I watched “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) for writing an essay to be posted on … Continue reading →

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Eyes Without a Face (1960) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): As she waits for another surgery

Posted on August 13, 2025 by kaist455

French filmmaker George Franju’s 1960 horror movie “Eyes Without a Face” is quite striking for its eerie qualities. While it initially feels merely bizarre and disturbing on the surface, the movie gradually draws us into the evil and madness at … Continue reading →

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High and Low (1963) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A top-notch police procedural from Kurosawa

Posted on August 12, 2025 by kaist455

On the surface, Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film “High and Low” simply follows one kidnapping case from the beginning to the end. While the overall result works as a dry but undeniably compelling police procedural, the movie also gives us some … Continue reading →

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Ballerina (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Brutally Redundant to say the least

Posted on August 10, 2025 by kaist455

“Ballerina”, a spin-off installment within the John Wick franchise, is brutally redundant to say the least. While surely serving us a heap of extremely brutal and violent action scenes as expected, this slick and competent genre piece does not bring … Continue reading →

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Materialists (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): A matchmaker between two choices

Posted on August 10, 2025 by kaist455

Celine Song’s second feature film “Materialists” is a calm romance film about one matchmaker who both calculates and cares a lot. While her practical mind seems interested in someone supposedly quite ideal for any woman out there, her heart cannot … Continue reading →

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The Friends (1994) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Three kids and an old man

Posted on August 7, 2025 by kaist455

Shinji Sômai’s 1994 film “The Friends”, whose 4K restoration version was released in South Korean theaters yesterday, is gentle, humorous, and poignant in its unadorned coming-of-tale to remember. Calmly and sensitively following its three little young heroes’ eventful summertime, the … Continue reading →

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Jaws (1975) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): Still on the top of the field

Posted on August 7, 2025 by kaist455

If there had not been any shark movie at all after Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film “Jaws” came out, we would not complain that much in my humble opinion. After all, this great film tried and then succeeded in nearly everything … Continue reading →

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Shall We Dance? (1996) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): His little lively hobby

Posted on August 5, 2025 by kaist455

1996 Japanese film “Shall We Dance?” humorously and touchingly reminds us that we human beings often need a bit more than merely going through our life day by day. Leisurely following its plain middle-class hero’s accidental venture on dancing, the … Continue reading →

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