Category Archives: Movies

The Spectacular Now (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : That spectacular freshness

A boy meets a girl, and then something begins. Yes, this is a cliché indeed, but “The Spectacular Now” brings fresh air into that cliché we have encountered in countless movies about young teenager couples, and it grows on us … Continue reading →

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Fruitvale Station (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : One day of his life

 “Fruitvale Station” presents us the last slice of one plain life which was ended too soon by a sudden incident. As shown in the movie, his life was rather unremarkable before his death drew the attention of the media in … Continue reading →

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The Attorney (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) :He just can’t stop once he opens his eyes

 South Korean movie “The Attorney” has its heart at the right place inside its generic mix of gentle comedy and angry courtroom drama, and its big heart sometimes beats powerfully to resonate with my own heart. The story is riddled … Continue reading →

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : So they go there…

 Many beloved fantasy worlds depend on small and big details to make us believe and accept them, and the Middle-Earth, that enchantingly bountiful world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, is no exception. While … Continue reading →

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The World’s End (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4): An ultimate drinking adventure of old buddies

 “The World’s End” walks and runs around many things to be appreciated and savored during its increasingly outrageous journey, and I was alternatively excited and amused by that during my viewing. Switching busily between several genres including comedy, horror, SF, … Continue reading →

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Way Back Home (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : It’ll take very long for her and her family

As a tear-jerking melodrama, South Korean movie “Way Back Home” is so transparent in its plot that I always knew every bright moment in the story would be soon followed by another punishing moment for its ill-fated heroine and her … Continue reading →

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The Russian Novel (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4): It’s good, but it needs more proofreading

 Everyone has at least one story to tell inside him, and the hero of “The Russian Novel”, a small but interesting South Korean movie about writing, has many stories to tell, and he is eager to get his stories read … Continue reading →

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The Butler (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : The modern American history seen through a butler

While not as bad as I feared, “The Butler” is not as good as I hoped. The movie attempts to mix its personal drama the modern American history for presenting an interesting perspective to us, but it feels too blatant … Continue reading →

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Fire gathering around her

While more or less than a bridge between the previous film and the next two films to come, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” goes into a more serious territory compared to the first film as its strong, independent, and distinctive … Continue reading →

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The Fake (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A dark, disturbing animation from South Korea

 South Korean animation “The Fake” is so bleak and hopeless from the beginning that I even found myself wondering during its first 30 minutes how further it would possibly go – and it did go further as I was horrified … Continue reading →

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