Author Archives: kaist455

The General (1926) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): Stone-faced and great as usual

Posted on April 26, 2026 by kaist455

1926 silent black and white film “The General” is simply a great comedy. Although it is 100 years old at this point, the movie is still capable of amusing and entertaining us a lot with many inspired comic moments to … Continue reading →

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My Name (2026) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): As her painful past returns

Posted on April 25, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “My Name” tries two different things together. On one hand, it is about an old woman who comes to face the repressed pain and sorrow from her hidden past. On the other hand, it is about … Continue reading →

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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) ☆☆☆(3/4): A Holocaust fable

Posted on April 24, 2026 by kaist455

Mark Herman’s 2008 film “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”, which happens to be released in South Korean theaters in this week, works as a fable rather than a realistic Holocaust drama. While its story premise is no more historically … Continue reading →

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Renoir (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): Detached and confused

Posted on April 23, 2026 by kaist455

Chie Hayakawa’s latest film “Renoir” takes some time for letting us grasp what and how it is about. At the beginning, you may often be baffled about where the story and its quirky young heroine are going, but you will … Continue reading →

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A Little Prayer (2023) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A little family issue of his and his family

Posted on April 21, 2026 by kaist455

“A Little Prayer” is a simple but intimate drama film which comes to show more much depth and complexity than expected. Via a series of little but revealing human moments among them, we get to know more and more about … Continue reading →

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Dust Bunny (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): So this little girl hires a hit man…

Posted on April 20, 2026 by kaist455

“Dust Bunny” is a whimsical fantasy adventure film about a young little girl who happens to hire a professional killer for taking care of a monster under her bad. Now this sounds pretty preposterous to you to say the least, … Continue reading →

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Silent Friend (2025) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Across the time of a gingko tree

Posted on April 19, 2026 by kaist455

W.G. Sebald once said: “Men and animals regard each other across a gulf of mutual incomprehension.” As watching Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi’s latest film “Silent Friend”, I wondered whether that can be also applied to our equally longtime relationship with … Continue reading →

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Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) ☆☆☆(3/4): This plucky delivery girl 

Posted on April 18, 2026 by kaist455

Hayao Miyazaki’s 1989 animation film “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, which is being shown at selected theaters in South Korea, flies on a substantial amount of charm and beauty to be savored. Although it is relatively less engaging compared to Miyazaki’s more … Continue reading →

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Dear Juhee (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Uneven but sincere anyway

Posted on April 18, 2026 by kaist455

South Korean independent documentary film “Dear Juhee” sincerely attempts to juggle a number of different subjects together, and I appreciate that to some degree. Although its result is a bit too uneven and unfocused at times, it has several genuinely … Continue reading →

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Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Miyazaki’s long return

Posted on April 16, 2026 by kaist455

Documentary film “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron” closely follows Miyazaki’s rather long process behind his recent Oscar-winning animation film “The Boy and the Heron” (2023). While I came to admire more of all those painstaking efforts behind that acclaimed comeback … Continue reading →

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