Author Archives: kaist455

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : So they go there…

Posted on December 17, 2013 by kaist455

 Many beloved fantasy worlds depend on small and big details to make us believe and accept them, and the Middle-Earth, that enchantingly bountiful world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, is no exception. While … Continue reading →

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The World’s End (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4): An ultimate drinking adventure of old buddies

Posted on December 14, 2013 by kaist455

 “The World’s End” walks and runs around many things to be appreciated and savored during its increasingly outrageous journey, and I was alternatively excited and amused by that during my viewing. Switching busily between several genres including comedy, horror, SF, … Continue reading →

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Way Back Home (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : It’ll take very long for her and her family

Posted on December 13, 2013 by kaist455

As a tear-jerking melodrama, South Korean movie “Way Back Home” is so transparent in its plot that I always knew every bright moment in the story would be soon followed by another punishing moment for its ill-fated heroine and her … Continue reading →

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The Russian Novel (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4): It’s good, but it needs more proofreading

Posted on December 7, 2013 by kaist455

 Everyone has at least one story to tell inside him, and the hero of “The Russian Novel”, a small but interesting South Korean movie about writing, has many stories to tell, and he is eager to get his stories read … Continue reading →

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The Butler (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : The modern American history seen through a butler

Posted on November 28, 2013 by kaist455

While not as bad as I feared, “The Butler” is not as good as I hoped. The movie attempts to mix its personal drama the modern American history for presenting an interesting perspective to us, but it feels too blatant … Continue reading →

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Fire gathering around her

Posted on November 23, 2013 by kaist455

While more or less than a bridge between the previous film and the next two films to come, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” goes into a more serious territory compared to the first film as its strong, independent, and distinctive … Continue reading →

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The Fake (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A dark, disturbing animation from South Korea

Posted on November 21, 2013 by kaist455

 South Korean animation “The Fake” is so bleak and hopeless from the beginning that I even found myself wondering during its first 30 minutes how further it would possibly go – and it did go further as I was horrified … Continue reading →

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The Great Beauty (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An old man still strolling in La Dolce Vita

Posted on November 18, 2013 by kaist455

 “The Great Beauty” is a grand visual tapestry from Paolo Sorrentino, who has established his status as one of the most interesting directors from Italy. As an apparent homage to Federico Fellini’s great film “La Dolce Vita”(1960), the movie serves … Continue reading →

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Camille Claudel 1915 (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Three days of an artist being suffocated

Posted on November 17, 2013 by kaist455

It does not look that bad to us at first, but, as following her imprisoned daily life, we slowly realize how terrible it is for her to live there for the rest of her life. Yes, she is still struggling … Continue reading →

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The Counselor (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : A descent into the hell a la Cormac McCarthy

Posted on November 15, 2013 by kaist455

 Around four years ago, I was temporarily banished from my lab after another disastrous academic failure of mine. So disappointed with myself, I retreated into the campus library, and I read several books I previously bought but had never touched, … Continue reading →

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