Category Archives: Movies

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Her therapy begins…

Posted on April 20, 2014 by kaist455

 Ready to disturb, intrigue, provoke, and impress us with its penetrating presentation of a dark side of human nature, the first part of Lars von Trier’s controversial work “Nymphomaniac” is surprisingly cheerful and amusing at times while working as a … Continue reading →

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Han Gong-ju (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Posted on April 18, 2014 by kaist455

 She is the one who should be helped and protected, but she is left in pain and confusion instead, and she does not even know how to deal with her gloomy situation while not wholly understanding it in her helpless … Continue reading →

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Grand Piano (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A deadly comeback concert

Posted on April 16, 2014 by kaist455

 While many thriller movies try to play audiences like piano, “Grand Piano” tries to play not only its audiences but also a real piano at the center of its plot. Its premise is preposterous to say the least, but this … Continue reading →

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A Touch of Sin (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Anger and despair below rapid social change

Posted on April 15, 2014 by kaist455

 Through its sad, bleak stories, Jia Zhangke’s “A Touch of Sin” shows anger and despair below a rapid social change China has been going through. While their society is certainly changing, the main characters in the movie hardly receive any … Continue reading →

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The Lunchbox (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : An accidental romance through lunch delivery

Posted on April 15, 2014 by kaist455

 While it is a pretty familiar story we have encountered before, “The Lunchbox” is mixed with enough spices to give it a distinctive flavor to appreciate. Vividly bringing us into its local background, it comes to us as a heartfelt … Continue reading →

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In the Family (2011) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A simple story about one family matter

Posted on April 10, 2014 by kaist455

 Slowly and delicately drawing attention and care from the audiences, “In the Family”(2011) comes to us as a simple story about one family matter. Never disrupting its slow but steady pace throughout its long running time(169-minute), it gives us a … Continue reading →

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Dear Roger….

Posted on April 3, 2014 by kaist455

Dear Roger It is almost a year since I received the e-mail notifying me of your death, and I and others are still thinking of you while missing you a lot. At the end of last year, many people wondered … Continue reading →

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Elegant Lies (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Tears within its cool restraint

Posted on March 31, 2014 by kaist455

  South Korean film “Elegant Lies” has a fair share of tears to shed inside its story, but it holds them with admirable restraint while rarely resorting to cheap melodrama overflowing with tears. This is a sad story about how … Continue reading →

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Lebanon Emotion (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : An odd, somber mix of romance and thriller

Posted on March 29, 2014 by kaist455

 “Lebanon Emotion”, a South Korean independent film which was released in South Korea early in this month, quietly meanders around its background at first and then goes into an unexpected direction through its odd, somber mix of romance and thriller. … Continue reading →

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What Maisie Knew (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4) : What she saw and heard

Posted on March 29, 2014 by kaist455

 Maisie is quite a little girl, considering that many children at her age cannot deal well with such a tough situation like hers. She probably does not entirely understand how her life is changing, but she remains rather calm and … Continue reading →

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