Author Archives: kaist455

MLK/FBI (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A close look into the FBI surveillance on MLK

Posted on February 6, 2022 by kaist455

Documentary film “MLK/FBI” is often compelling in its calm but sobering presentation of what happened between one great American figure and a very powerful government agency quite willing to suppress him by any means necessary. While it will not probably … Continue reading →

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Nightmare Alley (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A fatalistic neo-noir film by Guillermo del Toro

Posted on February 4, 2022 by kaist455

Guillermo’s del Toro’s latest film “Nightmare Alley” is an admirable genre piece whose strength mainly lies in mood and details rather than the story itself. There are several weak parts in the story which could be improved more in my … Continue reading →

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Kingmaker (2022) ☆☆(2/4): A strategist behind one candidate

Posted on February 4, 2022 by kaist455

South Korean film “Kingmaker” fails to enlighten or surprise or excite me as a fictional tale loosely inspired by the real-life story of a number of South Korean political figures in the 1960-70s. I guess the movie changes their names … Continue reading →

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Cliff Walkers (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Agents on the cliff

Posted on February 3, 2022 by kaist455

Zhang Yimou’s latest film “Cliff Walkers” is a taut and melancholic period drama thriller which is a bit better than I expected. Although it is familiar to the core in terms of story and characters, the movie is still a … Continue reading →

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The Pregnant Tree and the Goblin (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A haunting invocation between documentary and fiction

Posted on February 2, 2022 by kaist455

It is not so easy to categorize South Korean documentary film “The Pregnant Tree and the Goblin”, which was finally released in South Korean theaters in last week despite having its local premiere in 2019. At first, it simply seems … Continue reading →

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Belle (2021) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Dragon and the Freckled Princess

Posted on February 1, 2022 by kaist455

Isn’t it pretty and beautiful to watch? That is what I grudgingly said to myself more than once with growing dissatisfaction while I watched Japanese animation filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s latest work “Belle”. On the surface, there is nothing particularly bad … Continue reading →

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Sewing Sisters (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): When they were young and defiant laborers

Posted on January 30, 2022 by kaist455

South Korean documentary “Sewing Sisters” illuminates real-life stories which deserve to be told more and more as the hidden parts of the South Korean labor union history. As simply listening to the seemingly ordinary heroines of these real-life tales, the … Continue reading →

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One Second (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A movie screening in the middle of desert

Posted on January 29, 2022 by kaist455

Chinese film “One Second” works best whenever it focuses on that fascinating power of movie. Although it is a bit too broad and simple in terms of story and characters in my humble opinion, I could not help but amused … Continue reading →

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The Climb (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Scenes from a friendship

Posted on January 29, 2022 by kaist455

“The Climb” is a small but hilarious comedy film about the bumpy friendship between its two ordinary main characters. As they alternatively push and pull each other over the story, the movie gives us a number of wonderful comic moments … Continue reading →

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Memoria (2021) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Searching for one particular sound

Posted on January 27, 2022 by kaist455

To be frank with you, it took some time for me to get accustomed to the works of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, a Thai filmmaker who has been more notable to me and many other moviegoers since he won the Palme d’Or … Continue reading →

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