Category Archives: Movies

Che: Part One (2008) ☆☆☆(3/4): Che at the right place and time

Steven Soderbergh’s “Che”, which happened to be released in South Korea in last weekend, is probably his most ambitious work during last two decades. While it is often a bit too dry and austere for some of you, this still … Continue reading →

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The Edge of Democracy (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): The unraveling of democracy in Brazil

Brazilian documentary film “The Edge of Democracy”, which was released on Netflix yesterday, is often uncomfortable and depressing to watch especially if, like me, you have been disturbed by the rise of extreme right-wing political factions around the world during … Continue reading →

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Hotel Mumbai (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A brutal docudrama on the 2008 Mumbai Attacks

“Hotel Mumbai” intends to be a vivid, intense, and disturbing presentation of the 2008 Mumbai Attacks, and it succeeds to some degree although I feel rather ambivalent about its overall result. While it is often gripping and chilling as depicting … Continue reading →

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Birds of Passage (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A criminal family drama set in Colombia

“Birds of Passage”, which was selected as Colombia’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in last year, is a compelling mix of crime drama and anthropological interest. While it is another drug crime story set in a South American … Continue reading →

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Aniara (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Space voyage of the Damned

Swedish SF film “Aniara” is akin to watching a slow but inexorable progress toward utter despair and sheer hopelessness. Although it is often too clinical for us to care about what is going on in the story, the movie works … Continue reading →

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Little Woods (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A tale of two desperate sisters

“Little Woods” is a melancholic tale of two women struggling with their increasingly desperate circumstance. While this is essentially your typical American independent film intended as a cold slice of life, the movie is a competent piece of work equipped … Continue reading →

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Ask Dr. Ruth (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): America’s most famous sex therapist

I like good documentary films about interesting human lives, and “Ask Dr. Ruth” is one of such cases. Here is a remarkable old German lady who moved to US after surviving the World War II and then became an unlikely … Continue reading →

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Dilili in Paris (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A little mystery in Paris the Belle Époque

I was ready to enjoy French animation feature film “Dilili in Paris”, but it did not satisfy me enough. Sure, the film provides a number of lovely visual moments to be appreciated, and I was amused by the frequent appearance … Continue reading →

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Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A rambling Bob Dylan documentary from Scorsese

Bob Dylan has always been an iconic but distant figure to us. Sure, he has given us numerous memorable songs such as “Blowin in the Wind” or “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” for more than 50 years, but he has also … Continue reading →

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I Am Mother (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A slow but tense SF thriller on AI and motherhood

To be frank with you, I did not have much expectation while watching the trailer of Netflix film “I Am Mother”. Right from the first shot in the trailer, I had a pretty good idea about what it is about … Continue reading →

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