Category Archives: Movies

The First Lap (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Anxious uncertainty in their life

Posted on December 9, 2017 by kaist455

Subtly sensitive and somberly observant, South Korean film “The First Lap” looks into the anxious uncertainty of a young ordinary couple. Like any other young happy couples, they simply want to continue their life as usual, but then they become … Continue reading →

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Murder on the Orient Express (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Slick but passable

Posted on December 7, 2017 by kaist455

I remember well when I read Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel “Murder on the Orient Express” for the first time. I was a 9-year-old boy who devoured many various mystery novels ranging from Sherlock Holmes to Philip Marlowe, and that … Continue reading →

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My Happy Family (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): When she walks away from her family

Posted on December 4, 2017 by kaist455

Georgian film “My Happy Family”, which is currently available on Netflix, is a small unexpected surprise which amused and touched me a lot. On one level, it is an intimate female drama about a woman who tries to reach for … Continue reading →

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Radiance (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Another gentle, meditative work from Naomi Kawase

Posted on December 3, 2017 by kaist455

To be frank with you, Naomi Kawase’s works have been an acquired taste to me. Although I admired the serene atmosphere of “The Mourning Forest” (2007), I felt impatient at times during my viewing, and I doubt whether I will … Continue reading →

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Romans 8:37 (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Inside a Christian community

Posted on December 3, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “Romans 8:37” is something we do not encounter everyday: a thought-provoking Christian film which does not give us any easy answer in its gloomy tale of faith and disillusionment. As an agnostic atheist who grew up in … Continue reading →

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On Body and Soul (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): An unusual romance tale from Hungary

Posted on December 2, 2017 by kaist455

While it is your average workplace romance tale, Hungarian film “On Body and Soul” draws our attention through its unusual setting at first. Here are two different people who happen to be connected with each other via a rather preposterous … Continue reading →

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The Lure (2015) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A Polish musical film with two man-eating mermaids

Posted on November 28, 2017 by kaist455

Deliberately weird and whimsical, Polish musical movie “The Lure” is destined to be a cult film. While it provides several lively musical sequences to delight you, it is also a dark horror melodrama about two beautiful but lethal mermaids, and … Continue reading →

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Dancesport Girls (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Dancing high school girls and their good teacher

Posted on November 27, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean documentary film “Dancesport Girls” is filled with genuine positive spirit. Here are a bunch of high school girls who simply enjoy themselves as preparing for their big moment to come, and it is really fun to watch them … Continue reading →

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A Quiet Passion (2016) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The life and poetry of Emily Dickinson

Posted on November 26, 2017 by kaist455

While she is now regarded as one of the great American poets during the 19th century, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) did not get much recognition during her lifetime. Although she wrote nearly 1,800 poems, only a few of them were published … Continue reading →

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The Sweet Hereafter (1997) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A cold but harrowing tale of loss and grief

Posted on November 26, 2017 by kaist455

There is one haunting monologue scene in Atom Egoyan’s “The Sweet Hereafter”, one of the saddest films I have ever seen. One of its main characters recollects one eventful summer day he experienced a long time ago, and he vividly … Continue reading →

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