Category Archives: Movies

The Talent Show (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Performing for their lost children

Posted on April 9, 2023 by kaist455

South Korean documentary film “The Talent Show” follows the story of several mothers who happen to try a bit on acting as a part of their personal process of dealing with immense loss and heartbreak. While that shocking tragedy involved … Continue reading →

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Rebound (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Rebounding from the bottom

Posted on April 9, 2023 by kaist455

South Korean film “Rebound” follows its conventional genre playbook fairly well while making some unexpected moves at times. As your average underdog sports drama incidentally inspired by a dramatic real-life story, it will not surprise you that much if you … Continue reading →

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John Wick: Chapter 4 (2022) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): John Wick Vs. the World (Continued)

Posted on April 8, 2023 by kaist455

“John Wick: Chapter 4” aims for being bigger, faster, and louder with more style, vision, and excitement than its predecessors, and I appreciate and enjoy that a lot. Sure, the movie is mostly all about style and entertainment without much … Continue reading →

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Air (2023) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Betting all on Michael Jordan

Posted on April 6, 2023 by kaist455

Ben Affleck’s new film “Air” jumps high from one spot to another for our amusement and entertainment, and I am happy to report to you here that it succeeds magnificently. Inspired by a real-life story about how one notable sportswear … Continue reading →

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I Still Miss You, Roger

Posted on April 4, 2023 by kaist455

Dear Roger Hello, Roger. I cannot believe it has been no less than 10 years since you passed on April 4th, 2013, and I am rather amazed by that. I thought I might stop writing about films around the end … Continue reading →

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The Conversation (2021) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A series of conversations

Posted on April 4, 2023 by kaist455

My mind struggled to follow the rather confusing narrative flow of South Korean independent film “The Conversation”. Mainly because my condition happened to be not that good during the first viewing, I did not feel like understanding everything in the … Continue reading →

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The Layover (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Their one accidental night in Busan

Posted on April 3, 2023 by kaist455

South Korean independent film “The Layover” gives us three different two-handers unfolded within a limited background at one accidental night. Although it is rather plain and simple in terms of story and character, the movie is engaging mainly thanks to … Continue reading →

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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): All substance but no style

Posted on March 31, 2023 by kaist455

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” does not have much of a sense of awe and wonder to distinguish itself enough. While it has more humor and spirit than expected, my mind kept comparing the movie with countless fantasy adventure … Continue reading →

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A Man Called Otto (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): A solid American remake starring Tom Hanks

Posted on March 26, 2023 by kaist455

In his 2009 review on “Everybody’s Fine” (2009), my late friend/mentor Roger Ebert pointed out that its lead actor, Robert De Niro, is better than many other actors in many things but playing nice is not one of them. While … Continue reading →

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Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A Girl Escaped

Posted on March 26, 2023 by kaist455

Ana Lily Amirpour’s third feature film “Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon” is a saucy genre flick which intrigued me via its distinctive mood and style. While it is pretty simple in terms of story and characters, the movie tries … Continue reading →

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