Author Archives: kaist455

Monos (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Young beasts of a war

Posted on January 21, 2020 by kaist455

There are a number of absolutely stunning moments in “Monos”, which won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival early in last year. While I often struggled to follow and understand … Continue reading →

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Little Women (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Another home run by Greta Gerwig

Posted on January 20, 2020 by kaist455

Greta Gerwig’s latest film “Little Women” is as witty, charming, and touching as expected. Based on the famous classic novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott, the movie constantly amuses and moves us as busily bouncing around its … Continue reading →

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For Sama (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A harrowing personal chronicle from Aleppo

Posted on January 19, 2020 by kaist455

Documentary film “For Sama”, which won the Golden Eye award when it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival early in last year and was also nominated for Best Documentary Oscar on last Monday, presents to us a harrowing personal … Continue reading →

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1917 (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): An intense epic genre exercise

Posted on January 19, 2020 by kaist455

Sam Mendes’s new film “1917” is an intense epic genre exercise which will surely impresses you a lot with its astounding technical achievement on the screen. As continuously following a long, perilous journey across the battlefields of World War I, … Continue reading →

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Richard Jewell (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A plight he didn’t deserve

Posted on January 19, 2020 by kaist455

I feel rather ambivalent about Clint Eastwood’s latest film “Richard Jewell”, which engaged me with some good things to be appreciated while also distracting me with a few bad things to be noticed. After discussing with myself for a while … Continue reading →

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A painter and her challenging model

Posted on January 19, 2020 by kaist455

French film “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is almost pure and perfect in its haunting romantic period drama with complex thoughts and emotions churning and swirling below its seemingly plain surface. Although the movie is quite more restrained than … Continue reading →

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By the Grace of God (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Against unjust silence

Posted on January 19, 2020 by kaist455

French film “By the Grace of God”, which won the Jury Grand Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival early in last year, shook me hard with its sobering and harrowing tale loosely based on a real-life sexual abuse scandal … Continue reading →

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Harriet (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Erivo dominates as Harriet Tubman

Posted on January 18, 2020 by kaist455

Kasi Lemmons’ new film “Harriet”, which is inspired by the dramatic life of Harriet Tubman (1822-1913), is a biographical film which is formulaic to the core but is not entirely without good elements to be appreciated. Although it frequently stumbles … Continue reading →

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The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Their one day

Posted on January 18, 2020 by kaist455

Canadian film “The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open” presents a series of continuous moments between two different female characters who happen to encounter each other on one day. As austerely but sensitively focusing on strained and tentative interactions … Continue reading →

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Secret Zoo (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): These ‘animals’ won’t hurt you…

Posted on January 16, 2020 by kaist455

When I watched the trailer of South Korean comedy film “Secret Zoo”, I seriously wondered whether its outrageous comic premise could work on the big screen. Several moments glimpsed from the trailer seemed so silly and unrealistic to me that … Continue reading →

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