Author Archives: kaist455

Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Two great filmmakers, one monumental book

Posted on May 1, 2016 by kaist455

When I was young and wild during the 1990s, I began to be more serious about movies, and it was fortunate for me to have two wonderful things to boost my growing interest on movies around that time. First, a … Continue reading →

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Captain America: Civil War (2016) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Avengers 2.5

Posted on April 30, 2016 by kaist455

I remember when I grumbled to myself while watching one certain action scene in “The Avengers” (2012). Watching its two superhero characters clashing with each other over something trivial, I felt the urge to say something to them: “Hey, guys, … Continue reading →

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Chinese Take-Away (2011) ☆☆☆(3/4): When things happen to him

Posted on April 24, 2016 by kaist455

The opening scene of Argentine film “Chinese Take-Away” looks so absurd that you will not believe that, as shown during the end credits, this darkly comic moment is actually inspired by a truly bizarre real-life incident. Yes, such incidents like … Continue reading →

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Chronic (2015) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : Living through his sick people

Posted on April 23, 2016 by kaist455

It is always interesting to observe human behaviors from movies. “Chronic”, which received the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival in last year, engaged me because of its calm observation of curious human behaviors, but I was also … Continue reading →

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Seymour: An Introduction (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): On his duet of life and art

Posted on April 18, 2016 by kaist455

The first minutes of documentary film “Seymour: An Introduction” was more than enough for me to become interested in its remarkable human subject. As a man who has happily maintained his own balance between life and art for many years, … Continue reading →

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Steel Flower (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): Working and living alone by herself

Posted on April 16, 2016 by kaist455

While it may often frustrate you because of its dry, clinical storytelling, South Korean independent film “Steel Flower” has several things good enough for recommendation. As it never goes that deep into its young desolate heroin, the movie occasionally feels … Continue reading →

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10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): Three below the ground

Posted on April 11, 2016 by kaist455

As the opening sequence of “10 Cloverfield Lane” is unfolded, we know that something bad will happen sooner or later. Everything looks mundane on the surface as its young heroine leaves her place, but the ominous score on the soundtrack … Continue reading →

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Grandma (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A day with her pregnant granddaughter

Posted on April 10, 2016 by kaist455

To be frank with you, it took some time for me to notice Lily Tomlin. I encountered her for the first time when I happened to watch “All of Me” (1984) on TV during the early 1990s, but they showed … Continue reading →

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Hail, Caesar! (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): There is no business like movie business

Posted on April 5, 2016 by kaist455

The Coen brothers have never been boring throughout their long, illustrious career. For instance, after a gripping cold-blooded neo-noir thriller in their terrific debut film “Blood Simple” (1985), they went all the way for cheerful wackiness in “Raising Arizona” (1987), … Continue reading →

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A Bronx Tale (1993) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A Bronx boy between two father figures

Posted on April 2, 2016 by kaist455

Any good coming-of-age tale is bound to be evaluated by two questions. What happens to our young lead character in the end besides looking older on the surface? And what happens to us as observing that inevitable process of maturation? … Continue reading →

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