Author Archives: kaist455

Vertigo (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A woman on the edge

South Korean film “Vertigo” is a quietly harrowing melodrama about one woman on the edge. While this is not a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece, it is worthwhile to watch as a painful reflection on what many South Korean … Continue reading

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Okay Madam (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A woman with a particular set of skills

South Korean comedy action film “Okay Madam” flies all the way for our entertainment, and I appreciate that even while recognizing how silly and preposterous it actually is in many aspects. Sure, it is often a bit too goofy for … Continue reading

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Deliver Us From Evil (2019) ☆☆(2/4): Deliver Me From Mediocrity

South Korean film “Deliver Us From Evil” brings almost nothing to its genre territory without enough sense of fun or entertainment. Despite lots of efforts put into the screen, the overall result is so flat and pedestrian that I quickly … Continue reading

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True History of the Kelly Gang (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): An unconventional bushranger film

Justin Kurzel’s new film “True History of the Kelly Gang” is an unconventional bushranger film which tries some different things in its decidedly fictional account of the life of Ned Kelly, one of the most notorious Australian bushrangers in the … Continue reading

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Work It (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A mild underdog movie with predictable movements

Netflix film “Work It” is a mildly enjoyable underdog movie with predictable movements which will not surprise you much especially if you are familiar with its genre territory. As a high school comedy movie about dance competition, it is fairly … Continue reading

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Los Lobos (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Wolves Don’t Cry

Mexican film “Los Lobos”, which won Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury in addition to the Peace Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival early in last year, is a modest but undeniably extraordinary film mainly revolving … Continue reading

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Les Misérables (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Two days in Montfermeil

French film “Les Misérables”, which was nominated for Best International Film Oscar early in this year, is often quite compelling as a vivid examination on race and class in the commune of Montfermeil, a suburban ghetto area on the east … Continue reading

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Russian Penguins (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A risky sports business in Russia

Documentary film “Russian Penguins” is as absurd as its very title suggests. Although I really have no idea on how much of the testaments from the interviewees in the documentary is actually true, the documentary is still engaging as cheerfully … Continue reading

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The Fight (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): ACLU lawyers against the ongoing injustices

Documentary film “The Fight”, which deservedly won the US Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmkaing when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival early in this year, gives us the inspiring stories of several lawyers of the … Continue reading

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Blue Story (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Ghetto Gangs of London

“Blue Story” is a brutal British crime drama about two African British lads who happen to be driven into a series of violent and tragic happenings. To be frank with you, I really have no idea on how much the … Continue reading

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