Category Archives: Movies

DongJu: The Portrait of A Poet (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): The short life of a Korean poet

Wishing not to have so much as a speck of shame toward heaven until the day I die, I suffered, even when the wind stirred the leaves. With my heart singing to the stars, I shall love all things that … Continue reading

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Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Behind the belief

As far as I can remember, the first time I heard about the Church of Scientology was when I read a review on “Battlefield Earth” (2000), an infamous Hollywood turkey which was based on the SF novel of the same … Continue reading

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Deadpool (2016) ☆☆(2/4) : Isn’t he nasty? Isn’t he raunchy? Isn’t he funny?

“Deadpool”, the latest superhero film based on Marvel Comics character, is a one-joke stretched too long and too thin. It is amusing during its few early scenes, but then it ultimately follows those usual conventions of many other superhero movies … Continue reading

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Cartel Land (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): The drug war viewed through vigilantes

“Cartel Land”, which was recently Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film, is sobering and disturbing to say the least. If you are already familiar with its subject through other movies and documentary films such as “Narco Cultra” (2013) and “Sicario” … Continue reading

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Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): That turbulent winter

Oscar-nominated documentary film “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” presents a close look into the Euromaidan protest in Ukraine, which was ignited in 2013 November and then blazed for 93 days until President Viktor Yanukovych left the country in … Continue reading

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The Dressmaker (2015) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): She’s back in the town – with a sewing machine

Australian film “The Dressmaker” is mildly entertaining as it tries to stitch different patches together for dressing up its comic revenge story. The overall result is not that satisfying, but it is not wholly without fun and charm thanks to … Continue reading

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Affliction (1997) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A cold but harrowing mediation on domestic violence

The hero of “Affliction” knows how messy his life has been, but he tragically lacks the perspective of what has made him so miserable and pathetic throughout his meager life. He wants to believes that he is a good man … Continue reading

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A War (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Inside and outside the war

Danish film “A War”, which was recently nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, observes difficult moral matters of action and consequence from inside and outside the war. While we come to understand an impossible circumstance its hero and others … Continue reading

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Theeb (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A simple but haunting tale of a young desert boy

Desert is a harsh environment for any living creature. As watching those barren desert landscapes in Oscar-nominated Jordanian film “Theeb”, I wondered about how men came to live there many thousands years ago. This is a stark world where survival … Continue reading

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What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): What happened in her life and career

Oscar-nominated documentary film “What Happened, Miss Simone?” gives us close, intimate glimpses into Nina Simone, a legendary American singer who was called “the High Priestess of Soul”. Even if you are unfamiliar with her career like me (full confession: I … Continue reading

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