Author Archives: kaist455

Force Majeure (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : Trouble in family vacation

Swedish film “Force Majeure”, which is probably the funniest and smartest film I have seen during this month, handles its intimate but edgy drama with wits and elegance to savor and admire. Like many good stories, it presents fully established … Continue reading →

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Leviathan (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : A moody, fatalistic social drama from Russia

Reticent and foreboding right from during its first scene, Russian film “Leviathan”, which was recently Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film early in this year, is shrouded in a moody, fatalistic aura of ill fortune. Even when things seem to … Continue reading →

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Sunshine on Lieth (2013) ☆☆☆ (3/4) : Love, music, and Edinburgh

Although it has usual weaknesses as a musical film mainly depending on individual moments of music and choreography more than plot and characters, “Sunshine on Lieth” is not without charm and energy to entertain us. Its plot revolving around several … Continue reading →

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The Well-Digger’s Daughter (2011) ☆☆☆ (3/4) : A relaxed rural tale in Provence

French film “The Well-Digger’s Daughter” gives us a likable case of how good storytelling can engage, surprise, and touch us. While its main characters may be broad and simple, they are presented as people filled with life and personality, and … Continue reading →

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The Salvation (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Western Revenge

“The Salvation” looks and feels like an authentic American western film, and you will probably be surprised to know that it was actually made by a Danish director in South Africa. Drive by its terse storytelling coupled with harsh, remorseless … Continue reading →

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Wyrmwood (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Road of the Dead

Australian movie “Wyrmwood”, a.k.a “Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead”, is a little horror film mainly consisting of familiar spare parts borrowed from other zombie movies. As you have probably guessed right from my first sentence, the movie has your average … Continue reading →

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Kill the Messenger (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : The devastating price of reporting a truth

The tragedy of Gary Webb, the ill-fated journalist hero of “Kill the Messenger”, was that he was not exactly in a good position when he happened to get a big chance for the scoop of his lifetime which ultimately shattered … Continue reading →

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Focus (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Romance or Con game?

As a comedy movie about con artists, “Focus” is entertaining enough to overlook its several weak points. Mainly because there is always a possibility that its main characters are holding something behind their back, we come to look at them … Continue reading →

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Citizenfour (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : A close, gripping look into one big expose

 Thanks to the rapid development of communication and information technologies, we can freely exchange or share information and opinions with many other people around the world, but then there are also dark possibilities in this technological advance. Through its close … Continue reading →

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My prediction on the 87th Annual Academy Awards

 We used to complain that the Oscar season became too predictable, but now we are grouching about how the Oscar season in this year has become the most unpredictable one compared to previous seasons. In the beginning, Richard Linklater’s masterpiece … Continue reading →

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