Author Archives: kaist455

The Berlin File (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A Cold War espionage in the 21th century

Posted on February 1, 2013 by kaist455

“The Berlin File”, a gritty action film from South Korea, is a respectful homage to those cold, gray espionage films made during the 1960-70s. With its melancholic mood reminiscent of John le Carré’s novels(one of his books briefly appears in … Continue reading →

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Miracle in Cell No.7 (2013) ☆☆(2/4) : I am Yong-goo

Posted on February 1, 2013 by kaist455

After 20 minutes it began, I concluded that I was not a good target audience for South Korean comedy film “Miracle in Cell No.7”. I understood what it intended to be, but I kept annoyed by its blatant comic/melodramatic approach … Continue reading →

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The Hunt (2012) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : An unjust ordeal caused by an innocent lie

Posted on January 26, 2013 by kaist455

 It was just one small innocent lie, but, once people start to believe it, it topples one man’s life upside down, and his life becomes a living purgatory as a result. Through the unjust ordeal of its ordinary hero, Danish … Continue reading →

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Mama (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : It’s a tough supernatural custody battle

Posted on January 25, 2013 by kaist455

 “Mama” is a little scary horror movie ready to scare you and then shock you from the very beginning, and it does its job well even when we can instantly see through its shock and awe tactics. There are many … Continue reading →

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ParaNorman (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4) : He can see dead people…

Posted on January 24, 2013 by kaist455

 “ParaNorman” is a moody but cheerful stop-motion animation film nicely packed with the familiar elements from horror movies. As a horror/comedy involving ghosts and zombies, it has good spooky moments coupled with its dark but lightweight humor, and I enjoyed … Continue reading →

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Silver Linings Playbook (2012) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A conventional but offbeat rom-com

Posted on January 18, 2013 by kaist455

 I have heard from many people that “Silver Linings Playbook” is a conventional romantic comedy. They are right about that, but, as they also pointed out in their praises, the movie is a conventional romantic comedy stuffed with offbeat charms … Continue reading →

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The Impossible (2012) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A devastating and hurtful disaster drama

Posted on January 18, 2013 by kaist455

I have seen many disaster films, but few ones were as devastating and hurtful as “The Impossible”. Inspired by a real-life story inside the most disastrous Tsunami incident in the human history, the movie reminded me of how little I … Continue reading →

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Jack Reacher (2012) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : Don’t find him – He’ll find you

Posted on January 17, 2013 by kaist455

While watching “Jack Reacher”, I thought of one tagline very suitable for the movie: “Don’t find him – He’ll find you.” This one is so conventional that it can be used in any other action thriller films featuring tough guy … Continue reading →

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Zero Dark Thirty (2012) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Terror, Torture, Soldier, Spy

Posted on January 13, 2013 by kaist455

 As far as we know, Osama(or Usama) bin Laden was officially dead in May 2011. That is a major ‘spoiler’ to Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty”, but the movie is a gripping espionage thriller about a long, exhausting journey its … Continue reading →

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Django Unchained (2012) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Another big trashy fun from Tarantino

Posted on January 12, 2013 by kaist455

Before sorting out my thoughts on Quentin Trantino’s new film “Django Unchained”, I checked my four-star Korean review on his previous work “Inglourious Basterds”(2009), and I was a bit amused by what I wrote at the beginning: “Asking Tarantino to … Continue reading →

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