Category Archives: Movies

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): The trouble with her letters

Posted on August 19, 2018 by kaist455

Netflix film “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is a conventional coming-of-age comedy drama, but it distinguishes itself with several good things to notice. First, it is rather refreshing to see a major American teenager film featuring an Asian … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Where Is Kyra? (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Her slow descent to another bottom

Posted on August 19, 2018 by kaist455

Watching “Where Is Kyra?” is akin to observing a slow, irreversible descent. No matter how much its heroine tries, it is quite clear that she is destined to hit another bottom in one way or another, and the movie is … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Love After Love (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Love after death

Posted on August 19, 2018 by kaist455

“Love After Love” calmly observes how life goes on for its ordinary characters after their sad, painful loss. While it may be a little too dry or somber for you, the movie is engaging on the whole thanks to its … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

No Country for Old Men (2007) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A great thriller from the Coen Brothers

Posted on August 16, 2018 by kaist455

It is always exhilarating to recognize a great film right from when it comes out, and the Coen Brothers’ “No Country for Old Men” was my first experience of encountering a new great film to cherish and admire. When I … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Spy Gone North (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Spy Who Came into North Korea

Posted on August 14, 2018 by kaist455

South Korean film “The Spy Gone North” did not show me anything particularly new. Inspired by the remarkable real-life story of a South Korean secret agent who successfully approached to high-ranking North Korean officials and then even went inside North … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jupiter’s Moon (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A boy who can levitate

Posted on August 12, 2018 by kaist455

Sometimes I come across films which are commendable in technical aspects but unsatisfying in terms of story and characters, and Hungarian film “Jupiter’s Moon” is one of such disappointing examples. I was impressed by a number of technically superlative moments … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): One phantasmagoric night

Posted on August 9, 2018 by kaist455

Japanese animation feature film “The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl” is a phantasmagoric fantasy which literally goes wild with its style and imagination. Although I must point out that it could not wholly engage me as I became more … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Thelma (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Her power awakens

Posted on August 8, 2018 by kaist455

“Thelma”, which was chosen as Norway’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in last year, is a calm but unsettling experience. Firmly sticking to its young heroine’s increasingly agitated state of mind, the movie constantly unnerves us throughout … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Our Kind of Traitor (2016) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A middling adaptation of John le Carré novel

Posted on August 6, 2018 by kaist455

“Our Kind of Traitor”, which is based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré, engaged me to some degrees but then eventually disappointed me. Although this is a fairly watchable espionage thriller film with some good … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Maborosi (1995) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The remarkable debut work from Hirokazu Kore-eda

Posted on August 4, 2018 by kaist455

“Maborosi”, the first feature film of Hirokazu Kore-eda, is a haunting work of serene beauty and aching sadness. Phlegmatically observing how its heroine keeps going on with her life which is irreversibly changed by one devastating incident, the movie intimately … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | 1 Comment