Category Archives: Movies

Worlds Apart (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): As life goes on for her and her aunt

Posted on October 17, 2024 by kaist455

Japanese film “Worlds Apart” simply strolls along with its two very different main characters who somehow find a way to get along with each other as respecting each own boundary. While the movie itself is mostly mild and gentle on … Continue reading →

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Single8 (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): One little summer filmmaking

Posted on October 13, 2024 by kaist455

Japanese film “Single8” will bring a smile to anyone who has ever been fascinated with filmmaking. Like many similar films such as other recent Japanese film “It’s a Summer Film” (2020), the movie is brimming with the joy and excitement … Continue reading →

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The Notebook (2004) ☆☆☆(3/4): Sappy but still effective

Posted on October 13, 2024 by kaist455

“The Notebook”, which happened to be re-released in South Korean theaters in this week probably because of its 20th anniversary, is inherently sappy but undeniably effective as before. Yes, this is basically your average romance story, but it is still … Continue reading →

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Suzhou River (2000) ☆☆☆(3/4): A gritty and bitter urban tale of romantic obsession

Posted on October 13, 2024 by kaist455

Chinese film “Suzhou River”, whose 4k restoration version was somehow released in South Korean theaters a few days ago, is a gritty and bitter urban tale of romantic obsession. Like many of other contemporary Chinese arthouse films, the movie requires … Continue reading →

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Tokyo Story (1953) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A great family drama

Posted on October 13, 2024 by kaist455

As revisiting Yasujirō Ozu’s “Tokyo Story”, whose 4K restoration version is being shown in South Korean theaters now, I was reminded again how it is sublimely gentle and bittersweet in the intimate depiction of the human sadness and melancholy observed … Continue reading →

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How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Being with his grandma for money

Posted on October 13, 2024 by kaist455

Thai film “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies”, which was recently selected as the official submission of Thailand to Best International Film Oscar, is alternatively humorous and poignant in its gentle mix of human comedy and drama. While you … Continue reading →

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Rez Ball (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): The story of a Navajo basketball team

Posted on October 7, 2024 by kaist455

Netflix film “Rez Ball”, which was released on Netflix a few weeks ago, is a typical basketball movie with some specific elements to observe and appreciate. Needless to say, this is basically your average underdog sports film which will remind … Continue reading →

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It’s What’s Inside (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): A risky body-swapping game

Posted on October 7, 2024 by kaist455

Netflix film “It’s What’s Inside”, which was released on last Friday, is a cheerfully funny and confusing mix of comedy, horror, and thriller. I must confess that it was a bit too hard at times for me to follow whatever … Continue reading →

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Love in the Big City (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): Two Roommates in the city

Posted on October 4, 2024 by kaist455

South Korean film “Love in the Big City” looks and feels typical at first. Yes, the unlikely friendship between a gay man and a heterosexual woman is not exactly an unconventional story material these days, but the movie has its … Continue reading →

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Banel & Adama (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): Being dried and suffocated

Posted on October 4, 2024 by kaist455

“Banel & Adama”, which was chosen as the official submission to Best International Film Oscar by Senegal in last year, is a sad story about a young rural woman getting dried and suffocated by the harsh reality of her isolated … Continue reading →

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