Author Archives: kaist455

Our Souls at Night (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Redford and Fonda in a twilight romance tale

Posted on October 8, 2017 by kaist455

“Our Souls at Night” is your typical twilight romance tale with a touch of class. While its drama is predictable to the core, the movie is filled with enough warmth and sensitivity to engage us, and it surely helps that … Continue reading →

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The End of April (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): As she prepares for her examination…

Posted on October 6, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “The End of April” is a stark, gloomy psychological horror thriller which often unnerves and confounds us with a number of darkly nervous moments. While some of you may be confused about what exactly happens in the … Continue reading →

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The Poet and the Boy (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Poetry and sexual confusion

Posted on October 5, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “The Poet and the Boy” is a familiar story to the bone. Here is an artist struggling with his lack of inspiration, but then there comes an unexpected possibility of romance, and he is both confused and … Continue reading →

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The Fortress (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): The impossible situation in a fortress under siege

Posted on October 3, 2017 by kaist455

There is the accumulating sense of despair hovering over the main characters in South Korean film “The Fortress”. As their stronghold is besieged by their powerful opponent, it is pretty clear to them that there are only two options left … Continue reading →

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James White (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): He is a mess – and his mother is sick

Posted on October 2, 2017 by kaist455

Patiently following and observing its flawed young hero, “James White” shows us a painful but inevitable process of late maturation. He has looked away from what he does not want to deal with for years, but then something happens to … Continue reading →

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Columbus (2017) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): Of Architecture and Romance

Posted on October 1, 2017 by kaist455

During the two weeks of April 2010, I went around here and there in Chicago for getting to know more of the city, and one particular thing I still vividly remember is the various architectural styles observed from numerous buildings … Continue reading →

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First They Killed My Father (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A girl in the Cambodian Genocide

Posted on September 30, 2017 by kaist455

“First They Killed My Father”, which is currently available on Netflix, is a dark, harrowing tale of survival filled with quiet but powerful moments of horror and sadness. Based on the memoir of the same name by Loung Ung, the … Continue reading →

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Kedi (2016) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Cats in Istanbul

Posted on September 28, 2017 by kaist455

If you adore cats like me, you will find that documentary film “Kedi” is a sheer delight right from its first scene. Looking here and there around the streets and alleys of Istanbul, the documentary presents a vivid glimpse into … Continue reading →

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David Lynch: The Art Life (2016) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Lynch on his early art life

Posted on September 27, 2017 by kaist455

As one of the most fascinating filmmakers in our time, David Lynch has dazzled and confounded us with his odd surreal style during last 40 years. Since he made a striking impression on the audiences with his first feature film … Continue reading →

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Strong Island (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Remembering his brother – and how he was killed

Posted on September 25, 2017 by kaist455

Calmly examining one case of senseless killing and the resulting anger and grief, documentary film “Strong Island”, which is currently available on Netflix, makes its intention very clear to us right from the beginning. It wants us to see how … Continue reading →

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