Category Archives: Movies

Respect (2021) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A conventional biopic starring Jennifer Hudson

Posted on September 14, 2021 by kaist455

“Respect” is a thoroughly conventional musician biopic whose glaring flaws are occasionally compensated by the strong performance from its lead actress. Whenever the movie lets us down during its rather long running time (145 minutes), she always lifts it up … Continue reading →

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In the Same Breath (2021) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Another important documentary of the COVID-19 pandemic era

Posted on September 13, 2021 by kaist455

HBO documentary film “In the Same Breath” is another important record of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic era. Mostly sticking to personal stories to show and tell, the documentary calmly and harrowingly observes how things went wrong in China and then … Continue reading →

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Dreaming Cat (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Save those stray cats

Posted on September 12, 2021 by kaist455

To be frank with you, I cannot possibly be objective about South Korean documentary film “Dreaming Cats”, which is about many different cats living in abandoned neighborhoods to be demolished sooner or later. As a guy who does not have … Continue reading →

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Good Person (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A teacher oscillating between faith and doubt

Posted on September 11, 2021 by kaist455

South Korean film “Good Person” is a calm but tense drama mainly revolving around the gloomy plight of one man oscillating between faith and doubt after one devastating incident. Struggling with the resulting grief and anger, he simply tries to … Continue reading →

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Beyond You (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Beyond Him

Posted on September 11, 2021 by kaist455

To be frank with you, I was rather bored during the first 30 minutes of South Korean independent film “Beyond You” because I did not know much about what and how it was going to be about. On the surface, … Continue reading →

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Snowball (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): They try their best – and they also do their worst

Posted on September 4, 2021 by kaist455

I often wanted to shake my head as watching South Korean film “Snowball”, which mainly revolves around three different adolescent girls who try their best but end up doing their worst. Although it phlegmatically observes their worsening circumstance from the … Continue reading →

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Hail to Tony Leung

Posted on September 2, 2021 by kaist455

Superhero movie can only be as good as its villain character, and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, the latest product from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is often elevated by the very compelling presence of its villain … Continue reading →

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Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A decent painter betrayed by his greedy partners

Posted on August 29, 2021 by kaist455

As far as I can see from Netflix documentary “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed”, which was released a few days ago, Bob Ross was not only a decent painter but also a good man to admire. He simply … Continue reading →

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CODA (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A bit better remake on the whole

Posted on August 25, 2021 by kaist455

“CODA” is a solid crowd-pleaser which has its big heart in the right place. Based on French film “La Famille Bélier” (2014), the movie gives us a sensitive and heartwarming tale of one musically talented girl and her culturally deaf … Continue reading →

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Annette (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Leos Carax back in action

Posted on August 25, 2021 by kaist455

Leos Carax’s latest film “Annette” may be another case of style-over-substance, but what a wild and ambitious genre exercise it is. Exultantly gliding from one solid musical number to another as your typical sung-through musical film, the movie confidently reaches … Continue reading →

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