Author Archives: kaist455

Untold (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A war of memories

Posted on August 29, 2020 by kaist455

South Korean documentary film “Untold”, which was released in local theaters as “A War of Memories” early in this year, simply listens and observes. Even without any particular comment, this small but haunting documentary calmly but palpably conveys to us … Continue reading →

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You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): David Arquette rises

Posted on August 29, 2020 by kaist455

I did not know whether I could be merely amused or had to wince a lot as watching documentary film “You Cannot Kill David Arquette”. The documentary often feels so ridiculous and outrageous that I often had serious doubts on … Continue reading →

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An American Pickle (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Mildly pickled, so to say

Posted on August 29, 2020 by kaist455

“An American Pickle” is a mildly pickled product which gives some nice laughs occasionally but never fully develops its supposedly rich comic promise. While it is not a total bore at all thanks to its lead actor’s amusing dual performance, … Continue reading →

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Tesla (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): An unorthodox failure

Posted on August 24, 2020 by kaist455

Nikola Tesla was indeed an inventor ahead of his time. Although many of numerous things envisioned by him were not realized during his life and he eventually died alone in poverty in 1943, he was surely one of the pioneering … Continue reading →

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The Current War (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): AC vs. DC

Posted on August 24, 2020 by kaist455

“The Current War”, which was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in late 2017 but only got released in US around two years later due to several reasons including Harvey Weinstein’s involvement in its production, does not have enough … Continue reading →

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Chemical Hearts (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): His new partner at his school newspaper

Posted on August 23, 2020 by kaist455

“Chemical Hearts”, which was recently released on Amazon Prime, looks plain and predictable at first but then comes to engage us more than expected. Yes, this is another case of troubled adolescent romance, but it distinguishes itself a bit via … Continue reading →

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Tenet (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): An ambitiously confusing misfire from Christopher Nolan

Posted on August 23, 2020 by kaist455

I often felt impatient and baffled as watching Christopher Nolan’s new film “Tenet”, whose theatrical release was delayed for a while due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic before it is eventually set to be released in several countries including UK … Continue reading →

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Moving On (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Summer days at their grandpa’s house

Posted on August 21, 2020 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “Moving On” often made me smile during my viewing, and that is quite an achievement considering what a grumpy guy I usually am. Slowly and tenderly doling out one precious human moment after another, the movie … Continue reading →

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An Old Lady (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): She is not silent anymore

Posted on August 21, 2020 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “An Old Lady” calmly observes and then gradually empathizes with its old heroine’s infuriating situation. While we do not know that much about her even in the end, we are also reminded of how she is … Continue reading →

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Mississippi Burning (1988) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Flawed but incendiary

Posted on August 20, 2020 by kaist455

One of my friends often mentions the last places he wants to visit in US, which are usually the ones reported on the media for infuriating cases of blatant racism. I felt same about Mississippi when I revisited Alan Parker’s … Continue reading →

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