Author Archives: kaist455

House of Gucci (2021) ☆☆(2/4): A brand to kill for

Posted on January 13, 2022 by kaist455

Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci”, which is another new film from Scott in last year after “The Last Duel” (2021), is neither classy nor pulpy to my disappointment. While it is too superficial to be a serious drama about ambition … Continue reading →

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France (2021) ☆☆(2/4): An inane satire on media and journalism

Posted on January 12, 2022 by kaist455

Bruno Dumont’s latest film “France” works best whenever the camera focuses on its leading actress’ undeniably beautiful face. I must point out that the movie itself is limp and hollow as a satire on media and journalism, but its leading … Continue reading →

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That Day, on the Beach (1983) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Edward Yang’s first feature film

Posted on January 9, 2022 by kaist455

During last several years, I and South Korean audiences were lucky to watch several works of Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang including “A Brighter Summer Day” (1991), which I belatedly watched in December 2017. Although I initially braced myself for the … Continue reading →

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Sing 2 (2021) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): They’re back with a bigger task…

Posted on January 9, 2022 by kaist455

Animation film “Sing 2”, which is incidentally released as “Sing 2gether” in South Korean theaters, is as effective as its predecessor, and that is all I could say in this review. Just like “Sing” (2016), the film is simply all … Continue reading →

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Sing (2016) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): It surely serves you lots of familiar songs

Posted on January 7, 2022 by kaist455

It is hard to be cranky about animation film “Sing”, which uses a bunch of various good songs like linoleum to cover up lots of its notable shortcomings on the floor. Sure, I could see through its many clichéd and … Continue reading →

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Mogul Mowgli (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A Pakistani British rapper in double crisis

Posted on January 6, 2022 by kaist455

“Mogul Mowgli” is a curious piece of work which alternatively baffled and intrigued me. While this is essentially a familiar tale of personal/artistic crisis, it dynamically swings around many different elements including professional integrity and cultural identity, and the result … Continue reading →

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The Policeman’s Lineage (2022) ☆☆(2/4): A tepidly murky police procedural

Posted on January 6, 2022 by kaist455

South Korean film “The Policeman’s Lineage” is probably one of the most tedious police procedurals I have ever encountered at movie theater during several recent years. While I did not care much about its main characters mainly defined by their … Continue reading →

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Red Rocket (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A porn actor returns to his hometown

Posted on January 5, 2022 by kaist455

Sean Baker’s new film “Red Rocket” is alternatively amusing and cringe-inducing for good reasons. Here is an incorrigibly sleazy and pathetic dude who is still driven by his hubris and selfishness even while his life is hitting another bottom, and … Continue reading →

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Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little Christian family birthday party

Posted on January 4, 2022 by kaist455

“Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party” is a modest but engaging drama mainly revolving around the family birthday party for its sexually repressed adolescent hero. While simply hanging around him and a bunch of Christian characters around him during one long day, … Continue reading →

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The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The Rise and Fall of the Black Panthers

Posted on January 4, 2022 by kaist455

Stanley Nelson’s documentary film “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” shows a lot more about the Black Panthers than you may expect. To be frank with you, I once regarded the Black Panthers as nothing but a pesky and … Continue reading →

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