Author Archives: kaist455

The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) ☆☆(2/4): She suffered and suffered….

Posted on April 10, 2021 by kaist455

Lee Daniels’ latest film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”, which was released on Hulu in this February, is utterly trite and disappointing in many aspects. While surely intended to be a sincere tribute to the life and career of … Continue reading →

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Nobody (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Bob Odenkirk with a particular set of skills

Posted on April 8, 2021 by kaist455

“Nobody” is exactly what I expected from its trailer, and it did its job well enough to satisfy and entertainment me despite not surprising me that much. Again, we are served with a shamelessly brutal and violent action flick about … Continue reading →

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Concrete Cowboy (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Into the world of urban riders

Posted on April 6, 2021 by kaist455

Netflix film “Concrete Cowboy”, which was released on last Friday, brings us into a small African American urban community quite unfamiliar to many of us. While the story itself is your average coming-of-age drama coupled with typical father and son … Continue reading →

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The Wife of a Spy (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A dry but compelling historical drama by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Posted on April 5, 2021 by kaist455

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest film “The Wife of a Spy”, which won the Silver Lion award at the Venice International Film Festival in last year, is a dry but compelling historical drama set in Japan during the World War II. While … Continue reading →

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Shades of the Heart (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A series of ambiguous episodes around one writer

Posted on April 5, 2021 by kaist455

It is a bit difficult for me to describe to you on South Korean independent film “Shades of the Heart”. When I saw this little modest film for the first time a few days ago, I was not so sure … Continue reading →

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The Book of Fish (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Book of Bromance

Posted on April 4, 2021 by kaist455

Maybe I should have expected less before watching South Korean film “The Book of Fish”, which, to my dissatisfaction, turns out to be more about its two main characters’ relationship instead of how that old but famous real-life marine biology … Continue reading →

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Bad Trip (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): You will wince – and then chuckle

Posted on March 31, 2021 by kaist455

“Bad Trip”, which was released on Netflix in last week, will make you wince and then laugh, and there are a number of outrageous moments mainly fueled by 1) the good comic timing of its few main cast members and … Continue reading →

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My Octopus Teacher (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): One year with an octopus

Posted on March 30, 2021 by kaist455

It took some time for me to get interested in watching Netflix documentary film “My Octopus Teacher”, which somehow eluded me when it was released on Netflix in last September. Although I have often heard words of recommendation from others … Continue reading →

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Over the Moon (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): An forgettable family animation film from Netflix

Posted on March 30, 2021 by kaist455

Animation film “Over the Moon”, which was released on Netflix in last October, is so familiar and predictable to the core that my mind often went somewhere outside the film throughout its 100-minute running time. Although it initially draws our … Continue reading →

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Collective (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A sobering Romanian documentary on massive systemic corruption

Posted on March 29, 2021 by kaist455

Romanian documentary film “Collective”, which was nominated for Best Documentary Oscar as well as Best International Film Oscar early in this month, is often sobering in its phlegmatic but angry chronicle of outrage and frustration toward alarming systemic corruption. It … Continue reading →

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