Author Archives: kaist455

The Nightingale (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A brutal revenge drama set in Tasmania, 1825

Posted on November 25, 2019 by kaist455

There are a number of brutally remorseless moments of physical violence in Jennifer Kent’s second feature film “The Nightingale”, which won the Special Jury Prize when it was shown at the Venice Film Festival in last year. As a matter … Continue reading →

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Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Running for her body, mind, and life

Posted on November 24, 2019 by kaist455

“Brittany Runs a Marathon”, which won the Audience award when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival early in this year, is a genuine crowd-pleaser packed with lots of wit and heart. While generating a number of sharply humorous … Continue reading →

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Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Silly but entertaining nonetheless

Posted on November 24, 2019 by kaist455

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” is an unabashedly lively entertainment product which provides a fair share of silly fun for its target audiences. While it is as broad and goofy as you can expect from a live action … Continue reading →

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The Irishman (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A dry, long gangster elegy presented by Martin Scorsese

Posted on November 24, 2019 by kaist455

Martin Scorsese’s latest film “The Irishman”, which was released in South Korea a few days ago and will be available on Netflix on next Wednesday, is a dry, long elegy to a cold, mean, and violent criminal world in the … Continue reading →

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Frozen 2 (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A watchable sequel with several good things

Posted on November 22, 2019 by kaist455

When Oscar-winning Disney animation film “Frozen” (2013) came out six years ago, I was not as enthusiastic as many other audiences and reviewers, but I did appreciate a number of good things in that unexpectedly popular animation film. Besides its … Continue reading →

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Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Two faces of a yoga guru

Posted on November 21, 2019 by kaist455

Netflix documentary film “Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator”, which was released on this Wednesday, presents a very disturbing case of sexual predation revolving around a yoga guru who was once quite popular for many years in US. While it is interesting … Continue reading →

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Moonlit Winter (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A letter from her first love

Posted on November 19, 2019 by kaist455

South Korean film “Moonlit Winter” reminds me that it is always more compelling to observe star-crossed lovers in agony and restraint. Here are two very unhappy women who have quietly yearned for each other since they were separated from each … Continue reading →

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Good Boys (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Kids say and do darndest things

Posted on November 18, 2019 by kaist455

As far as I can remember, I was a pretty mild child before I officially entered adolescence in 1996. Sure, I was a rather nerdy and quirky boy whose mind was usually occupied with books and movies, but I usually … Continue reading →

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Sub-Zero Wind (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Her bleak adolescent years

Posted on November 17, 2019 by kaist455

South Korean film “Sub-Zero Wind” is as bleak as its very title suggests. Like many of recent South Korean coming-of-age drama films, the movie is often shrouded in stark and gloomy realism, but its story and characters are thoughtfully handled … Continue reading →

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One Child Nation (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Memories of Policy

Posted on November 16, 2019 by kaist455

Documentary film “One Child Nation”, which won the Grand Jury Prize when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival early in this year, is often powerful and heart-wrenching in its sobering but intimate presentation of one brutal family policy … Continue reading →

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