Author Archives: kaist455

Woman in Gold (2015) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : A family history behind one famous painting

“Woman in Gold” tells us a story behind one of the most famous artworks from the 20th century. Painted by Gustav Klimt, “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I”, which is also known as “Woman in Gold”, was one of the most … Continue reading →

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Madonna (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : The Passion of Madonna

South Korean film “Madonna”, which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in this May and is now currently being shown at South Korean theaters, is a tough stuff packed with stark power and harrowing emotions. It is often very … Continue reading →

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Timbuktu (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): A sad, graceful tale of nature, people, and religion

Serenely beautiful and heartbreakingly tragic, “Timbuktu” gives us a somber but ultimately compassionate look into the world most of us are not very familiar with. As our eyes are drawn to its vast, beautiful desert landscapes to behold, we come … Continue reading →

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Minority Opinion (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : It’s a fiction indeed – but it reflects the reality

At the beginning, South Korean courtroom drama “Minority Opinion” emphasizes that it is entirely fictional, but I and others in the screening room knew well that its angry story reflects the reality we all are very familiar with. After all, … Continue reading →

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The Classified File (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): A police investigation assisted by fortunetelling

I remember when my parents asked a Buddhist monk to tell my fortunes in the future. I do not remember well what he told me and my parents after he checked some book and then did some sort of calculation … Continue reading →

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Tomboy (2011) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : Summer days of a tomboy

If you do not have any information about “Tomboy”, you may mistake its young main character for a boy during its opening scene. With short hair style and boyish attire, this young girl nearly at the end of her pre-adolescence … Continue reading →

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The Silenced (2015) ☆☆☆ (3/4) : A new girl comes to their school…

South Korean film “The Silenced”, which was released in South Korea as “Gyeongseong School: The Lost Girls” in last weekend, looks like a typical genre piece at first. Its main background is a girl’s dormitory school, its story revolves around … Continue reading →

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Miss Julie (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A class breakdown on Midsummer Night’s Eve

Although it feels stagy and stuffy at times, “Miss Julie” churns and then boils in its psychological conflict of sex and class. You know where it is going, and you will not be surprised by where it ultimately arrives, but … Continue reading →

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A Midsummer’s Fantasia (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : Two soothing summer tales in Gojo

In its calm, delicate pace, “A Midsummer’s Fantasia” slowly and subtly draws us into the sunny and soothing summer days in a rural Japanese city. During its first part, it leisurely looks around the city with meditative curiosity, and we … Continue reading →

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Jurassic World (2015) ☆☆1/2 (2.5/4): Dinosaurs are back again…..

Understandably lacking the awe and wonder of “Jurassic Park” (1993), “Jurassic World” is a well-made blockbuster ride with many dinosaurs to watch. While the advance of digital special effects during last 22 years makes the dinosaurs roaming on the screen … Continue reading →

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