Author Archives: kaist455

A War (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Inside and outside the war

Danish film “A War”, which was recently nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, observes difficult moral matters of action and consequence from inside and outside the war. While we come to understand an impossible circumstance its hero and others … Continue reading →

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Theeb (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A simple but haunting tale of a young desert boy

Desert is a harsh environment for any living creature. As watching those barren desert landscapes in Oscar-nominated Jordanian film “Theeb”, I wondered about how men came to live there many thousands years ago. This is a stark world where survival … Continue reading →

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What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): What happened in her life and career

Oscar-nominated documentary film “What Happened, Miss Simone?” gives us close, intimate glimpses into Nina Simone, a legendary American singer who was called “the High Priestess of Soul”. Even if you are unfamiliar with her career like me (full confession: I … Continue reading →

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Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): There will be more pandas

“Kung Fu Panda 3”, the third entry of the popular animated film franchise from Dreamwork, faithfully follows its plot formula which has been established through its two predecessors. Again, its bumbling hero must rise to the challenge when another big … Continue reading →

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Mustang (2015) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): Five sisters trapped inside their house

They are young and free when we see them at first, and then they suddenly find themselves trapped inside their house turned into a prison for them. “Mustang”, which was recently Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Award, often feels … Continue reading →

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Pawn Sacrifice (2014) ☆☆(2/4): An unstable pawn of his game

The life of Bobby Fischer was one of those typical examples of how genius can be both blessing and curse. While being one of the most brilliant chess players during the 20th history, Fischer was also a deeply troubled man … Continue reading →

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Anomalisa (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A quirky stop-motion animation a la Charlie Kaufman

“Anomalisa” is a stop-motion animated film from Charlie Kaufman, and this is certainly another odd, fascinating work from a talented writer/director who wrote the screenplays for “Being John Malkovich” (1999), “Adaptation.” (2002), “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004), and … Continue reading →

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Boy & the World (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4): Simple but Marvelous

Brazilian animated feature film “Boy & the World” looks quite simple at first, but its kaleidoscopic presentation of colors and lines and shapes on the screen is something to behold. I was involved in its numerous marvelous visual moments, and … Continue reading →

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When Marnie Was There (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4): The last Ghibli animation, probably

Watching Japanese animated feature film “When Marnie Was There” is a bittersweet experience because this may be the last work from Studio Ghibli, which has been in a ‘temporary’ hiatus period since “When Marnie Was There” was released in Japan … Continue reading →

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45 Years (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Sobering ruminations on their long relationship

They have known and lived with each other for many years, but now they start to feel anxious and uncertain about their relationship after a sudden news comes in from the old past. As its aging couple begin to ruminate … Continue reading →

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