Category Archives: Movies

Varda by Agnès (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Her last words

Posted on June 9, 2019 by kaist455

I wish I had encountered the works of Agnès Varda earlier. During that wild period when I relentlessly devoured many works of various great filmmakers as your average young cinephile, I somehow missed many of her notable films except “Cléo … Continue reading →

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Gloria Bell (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): As she reaches for more love and happiness

Posted on June 8, 2019 by kaist455

They say you should not try to fix it if it is not broken, and that saying is applied well to Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio’s new film “Gloria Bell”, which is the American version of his previous film “Gloria” (2013). … Continue reading →

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Girl (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A transgender girl trying hard to be a ballerina

Posted on June 7, 2019 by kaist455

Belgian film “Girl”, which was selected as the official submission of Belgium to Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in last year, often made me nervous for good reasons. As calmly and closely looking into the ongoing daily struggle of its … Continue reading →

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Rocketman (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A typical but flamboyant biographical jukebox musical film

Posted on June 6, 2019 by kaist455

“Rocketman” is a typical but flamboyant biographical jukebox musical film based on the life and career of a man who has been one of the most successful musicians in our time. While it is often generic and predictable in terms … Continue reading →

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Dark Phoenix (2019) ☆☆(2/4): A lackluster finale for the 19-year-old franchise

Posted on June 6, 2019 by kaist455

“Dark Phoenix”, the last chapter for what was begun with “X-Men: First Class” (2011) and then continued with “X-Men: Days of Future Fast” (2014) and “X-Men Apocalypse” (2016), is messy and tedious to say the least. While merely trudging from … Continue reading →

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Apollo 11 (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A vivid, riveting time capsule

Posted on June 3, 2019 by kaist455

Documentary film “Apollo 11” takes us right into that monumental space mission in 1969, and it did a pretty awesome job through its remarkable assembly of archival footage clips and recordings which do not look that old at all even … Continue reading →

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Greta (2018) ☆☆(2/4): She won’t be ignored…

Posted on June 2, 2019 by kaist455

As your average seasoned moviegoer, I know well that some bad thriller films like “Basic Instinct 2” (2006) can be categorized as ‘so-bad-so-good’, but Neil Jordan’s latest film “Greta” is not even that bad enough to amuse or tickle me. … Continue reading →

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The Wandering Earth (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A goofy but ambitious SF spectacle from China

Posted on June 2, 2019 by kaist455

Chinese film “The Wandering Earth” is a goofy but ambitious SF movie which deserves some kudos for trying to reach to the level of your typical Hollywood blockbuster SF film. Although it is sometimes a little too cheesy and corny … Continue reading →

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Shadow (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): The tale of a shadow

Posted on June 2, 2019 by kaist455

Zhang Yimou’s latest film “Shadow” is a moody but compelling period drama packed with distinctive style and atmosphere to be savored. When it was quietly released in South Korea around the end of last year, I and many other audiences … Continue reading →

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Damsel (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): An offbeat western comedy with some surprise

Posted on June 2, 2019 by kaist455

At first, “Damsel” looks like your typical western tale. A guy comes into the Wild West for getting back a woman he loves, and we are accordingly served with several episodic moments which remind us of how difficult it is … Continue reading →

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