Author Archives: kaist455

Ready or Not (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A deadly game with her in-laws

Posted on December 2, 2019 by kaist455

The heroine of “Ready or Not” faces a lot more risks and troubles than she ever imagined, and that is the main source of naughty pleasure in this morbid black comedy film. Poor girl, she only wants to present herself … Continue reading →

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Atlantics (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A calm but powerful debut work to remember

Posted on December 1, 2019 by kaist455

“Atlantics”, which was recently selected as the Senegalese entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards, reminds me of that famous quote from Gabriel García Márquez: “If you say that there are elephants flying in … Continue reading →

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Klaus (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A likable Santa Claus origin story

Posted on December 1, 2019 by kaist455

Netflix animation feature film “Klaus”, which was released on Netflix early in this November, is more entertaining than I expected. Although it is surely your average Christmas tale associated with the origin of Santa Claus, the film distinguishes itself to … Continue reading →

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Marriage Story (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Scenes from a divorce

Posted on November 30, 2019 by kaist455

Noah Baumbach’s latest film “Marriage Story”, which is released in South Korean theaters this week and will be available on Netflix on next Friday, is a sharp and intimate story about one difficult process of divorce. When its two main … Continue reading →

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I Lost My Body (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A hand looking for its body

Posted on November 30, 2019 by kaist455

French animation feature film “I Lost My Body”, which won the Nespresso Grand Prize when it was shown in the International Critics’ Week section at the Cannes Film Festival early in this year (It is incidentally the first animation film … Continue reading →

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Official Secrets (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A whistleblower charged with treason

Posted on November 29, 2019 by kaist455

“Official Secrets” is a well-intentioned but ultimately mild drama based on the true story of Katharine Gun, a British woman who was an employee of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) around the time when she decided to leak a secret memo … Continue reading →

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Bring Me Home (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Desperately looking for her missing son

Posted on November 28, 2019 by kaist455

Watching South Korean film “Bring Me Home” is an experience not only unpleasant but also stressful in many aspects. Relentlessly pushing the story and its increasingly desperate heroine into sheer cruelty and brutality from the beginning to the end, the … Continue reading →

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Hustlers (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): The Vixens of Wall Street

Posted on November 27, 2019 by kaist455

“Hustlers” is a sexy and engaging crime drama film to be savored and appreciated for good reasons. While wisely avoiding pitfalls of sensationalism and exploitation, the movie is buoyed by a bunch of colorful performances to admire, and it is … Continue reading →

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Crawl (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Against a hurricane – and alligators

Posted on November 27, 2019 by kaist455

“Crawl”, which belatedly arrives in South Korean theaters at the end of this autumn, is a modest but effective genre piece which handles its rather preposterous premise better than expected. Although I could instantly see from the beginning how it … Continue reading →

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Burning Cane (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Southern lives stuck in anger and despair

Posted on November 25, 2019 by kaist455

“Burning Cane”, which won two awards including the Founders Prize when it was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival early in this year, is a small but remarkable work to be appreciated. Although this is the first feature film of … Continue reading →

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