Category Archives: Movies

Dunkirk (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A grueling but gripping war film from Christopher Nolan

Posted on July 22, 2017 by kaist455

“Dunkirk”, an ambitious World War II movie directed by Christopher Nolan, instantly grabs us right from its first moment and then never loses its grip on us till the end credits. Although looking rather modest compared to Nolan’s previous works, … Continue reading →

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Much Ado About Nothing (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little charming Shakespeare comedy

Posted on July 20, 2017 by kaist455

When I was young and wild, I vaguely knew about William Shakespeare. To me, he was just a famous British playwright who wrote several classic tragedies including “Hamlet”, and I only read the Korean translation version of “Hamlet” and his … Continue reading →

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Maudie (2016) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Her artistry and their life

Posted on July 16, 2017 by kaist455

Besides illuminating the undeniable artistry of its real-life artist heroine, “Maudie” focuses on small intimate moments from her plain, shabby life with a man she came to live with for many years. While it is interesting to get the occasional … Continue reading →

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Cars 3 (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Vehicles running on a clichéd route

Posted on July 15, 2017 by kaist455

“Cars 3” is a surprisingly conventional sequel from Pixar Animation Studios. While I chuckled several times along with a few audiences around me, it did not excite and amuse me enough during my viewing, and I walked out of the … Continue reading →

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Berlin Syndrome (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): A captive tourist girl in Berlin

Posted on July 11, 2017 by kaist455

Decidedly unnerving and uncomfortable, “Berlin Syndrome” calmly examines the disturbing relationship between its captive heroine and her twisted captor. Reminiscent of “The Collector” (1965) and many other similar thriller films, the movie is often very unpleasant to say the least, … Continue reading →

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Ash Flower (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): A tale of two girls

Posted on July 9, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “Ash Flower”, which is the last chapter of the Flower trilogy by director/co-writer Park Seok-yeong, is a simple but intimate character drama to admire for its sensitive and thoughtful storytelling. While it is mainly about two young … Continue reading →

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The Day After (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): A slight minor work from Hong Sang-soo

Posted on July 9, 2017 by kaist455

Besides being one of the most prominent filmmakers working in South Korea, Hong Sang-soo is one of the most prolific ones. Like Woody Allen, he has usually made one or two works every year, and watching his new film has … Continue reading →

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Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Spider-Man with a bit of Iron Man

Posted on July 7, 2017 by kaist455

After watching “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, I thought about how fast things come and go these days. We thought it was over when Sam Raimi completed his Spider-Man trilogy in 2007, but then there came “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012) and its 2014 … Continue reading →

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Okja (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Save her super pig

Posted on July 2, 2017 by kaist455

What an odd work “Okja” is. Besides being an offbeat hybrid between South Korean film and American Hollywood film, this is also a quirky cross of several different genres which are somehow juxtaposed together in one curious bundle, and I … Continue reading →

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Anarchist from Colony (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): An anarchist couple who stood by each other

Posted on July 1, 2017 by kaist455

Based on a dramatic real-life story from the Japanese Occupation era, South Korean film “Anarchist from Colony” is more amusing and entertaining than I expected. While being as serious as required by its historical subject, the movie is also quite … Continue reading →

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