Author Archives: kaist455

First Man (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Inside Neil Armstrong

Posted on October 19, 2018 by kaist455

“First Man” is an ambitious but curiously detached drama about an elusive man who took one small step which was also a giant leap for mankind. While there are superlative moments vividly showing what he went through during his long … Continue reading →

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Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): More than books

Posted on October 15, 2018 by kaist455

Frederick Wiseman’s documentary film “Ex Libris: the New York Public Library” is an experience both challenging and engaging. Like many of Wiseman’s notable works, the documentary simply observes without providing any background information to us during its long running time … Continue reading →

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Apostle (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A tense, brutal period drama thriller

Posted on October 14, 2018 by kaist455

Right from its very first shot, “Apostle”, which was recently released on Nexflix, announces to us that it is going to be pretty grim and intense. This is a tense, brutal period drama thriller packaged with several striking moments of … Continue reading →

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Miss Baek (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): She just wants to save this desperate girl…

Posted on October 13, 2018 by kaist455

South Korean film “Miss Baek” is a glum tale of a woman who simply wants to help a young little girl who is not so different from who she once was. While it is often uncomfortable to watch due to … Continue reading →

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22 July (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A sobering docudrama on the 2011 Norway attacks

Posted on October 11, 2018 by kaist455

Paul Greengrass’s new film “22 July”, which was released on Netflix yesterday, is a sobering docudrama on the 2011 Norway attacks. While it is often very uncomfortable to watch especially during its first part which shows us what happened on … Continue reading →

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A Star Is Born (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): It’s old-fashioned indeed – but it still works

Posted on October 9, 2018 by kaist455

“A Star Is Born” is your typical old-fashioned show business melodrama which is quite familiar to the bone. A successful male star entertainer comes across an unknown girl with talent and potential, and then they fall in love each other … Continue reading →

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Mandy (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A crazy, violent exercise in style and mood

Posted on October 8, 2018 by kaist455

Before watching “Mandy”, you should know what you are going to get from it. As a crazy, violent exercise in style and mood, the movie intends to strike you hard by any means necessary and some of you may not … Continue reading →

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Leave No Trace (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Father and daughter in the wood

Posted on October 8, 2018 by kaist455

Understated but undeniably powerful, “Leave No Trace” drew my attention right from its very first moment and then engaged me more through its intimate depiction of the strong relationship between its two main characters. As closely living with each other … Continue reading →

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Eighth Grade (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Before high school

Posted on October 8, 2018 by kaist455

I like movies making me emphasize with people different from me, and “Eighth Grade” is one of such good films. Although its teenage heroine’s tumultuous emotional journey feels rather alien to me because my adolescent years were less eventful in … Continue reading →

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Three Identical Strangers (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Far stranger than fiction

Posted on October 7, 2018 by kaist455

Documentary film “Three Identical Strangers” starts with an incredible real-life story and then reveals a far more unbelievable thing which remains shrouded in questions even at present. I will try not to reveal too much here in this review, but, … Continue reading →

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