Category Archives: Movies

Border (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Two of a kind

Swedish film “Border”, which won the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival early in last year, is an odd mix of character drama and supernatural horror. Although its attempt to mix these two different genres is not … Continue reading

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The Breaker Upperers (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A couple of break-up professionals

New Zealand comedy film “The Breaker Upperers”, which was recently released on Netflix, cheerfully bounces along with its two female main characters as generating many quirky and funny moments during its short running time (90 minutes). Although it drags a … Continue reading

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Mary Queen of Scots (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A tale of two queens

“Mary Queen of Scots” initially seems to have all the right ingredients for a compelling period drama. While it has two talented actresses at its center, it is also equipped with commendable technical aspects including authentic period atmosphere, so I … Continue reading

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Mary Poppins Returns (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Long time no see, Miss Poppins

“Mary Poppins Returns” is as delightful and exuberant as you can expect from a sequel to “Mary Poppins” (1964). Although it is often too familiar to surpass its beloved predecessor, the movie still has enough charm and spirit to engage … Continue reading

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Free Solo (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Climbing up a rock alone – without rope

Watching Oscar-nominated documentary film “Free Solo”, which also won the People’s Choice documentary award when it was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in last year, was a pretty terrifying experience to me due to my longtime fear of … Continue reading

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Innocent Witness (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Sincere but predictable

South Korean film “Innocent Witness” does not turn out to be worse than I feared. As a guy in the autistic spectrum, I was certainly concerned a lot about its depiction of autism before watching it, and I was relieved … Continue reading

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4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): One hard day in Romania, 1987

I still remember well how much I was chilled by one particular moment in Cristian Mungiu’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”, a stark, sobering drama film set in Romania during the final years of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s communist regime. … Continue reading

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High Flying Bird (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A slick and smart NBA drama

Steven Soderbergh’s latest film “High Flying Bird”, which is released on Netflix today, is a slick and smart drama which makes some clear points on how flawed a major American sports business system has been. While never preachy or didactic … Continue reading

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The Unicorn (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Searching for their threesome partner

“The Unicorn” is a little amusing sex comedy willing to go along with its two main characters who are eager to have more fun and excitement for their long relationship. As these two characters respectively try to figure about what … Continue reading

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February (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): As she struggles during cold winter days

South Korean independent film “February” is a melancholic drama about one young woman’s Sisyphean struggle with her cold, harsh reality. While calmly observing her plight without any judgment or excuse, the movie works as a haunting character study accompanied with … Continue reading

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