Tag Archives: Adolescence

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): An enjoyable adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic middle-grade novel

Posted on October 24, 2023 by kaist455

“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”, the adaptation of the iconic middle-grade novel of the same name by Judy Blume, has enough sincerity and sensitivity besides being a witty coming-of-age dramedy film to enjoy. While it may look relatively … Continue reading →

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You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): A mildly pleasant product from the Sandler family

Posted on September 2, 2023 by kaist455

Probably because I am a South Korean nerd who was mostly occupied with getting good grades except when reading a book or watching a movie, many of American coming-of-age drama or comedy films feel like alien stories from very different … Continue reading →

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Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The tale of a Kraken girl

Posted on July 29, 2023 by kaist455

Animation feature film “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kragen” might have felt a bit more refreshing if it came out a few years earlier at least. During my viewing, I was reminded of several other recent animation films including “Luca” (2020) and … Continue reading →

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Anything’s Possible (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): The conventional romance of a transgender girl

Posted on July 25, 2022 by kaist455

Billy Porter’s debut feature film “Anything’s Possible”, which was released on Amazon Prime in last week, is a conventional coming-of-age romantic comedy revolving around one transgender high school girl. While it is pretty safe and predictable in terms of story … Continue reading →

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Crush (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): A likable high school queer comedy film

Posted on May 3, 2022 by kaist455

“Crush” reminds me of how things seem to have changed these days. As a mainstream American high school queer comedy film, it proudly and cheerfully depicts its main characters’ sexuality without any shame or hesitation, and I appreciate that a … Continue reading →

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Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little Christian family birthday party

Posted on January 4, 2022 by kaist455

“Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party” is a modest but engaging drama mainly revolving around the family birthday party for its sexually repressed adolescent hero. While simply hanging around him and a bunch of Christian characters around him during one long day, … Continue reading →

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Dumplin’ (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): This Is Her

Posted on December 18, 2021 by kaist455

Netflix movie “Dumplin’” is your average feel-good comedy drama flick which actually handles its genre clichés and conventions better than you may think. Sure, this is another familiar story of an adolescent heroine going all the way for more self-esteem … Continue reading →

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The Hand of God (2021) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Naples, Family, Maradona…. and Movie

Posted on December 2, 2021 by kaist455

I often felt impatient during my viewing of Paolo Sorrentino’s new film “The Hand of God”, which was released in South Korean yesterday before being available on Netflix two weeks later. While it is Sorrentino’s another distinctive work which also … Continue reading →

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Short Vacation (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Their little summer journey

Posted on September 26, 2021 by kaist455

During my childhood years in Seoul, I was always fascinated with the intricate network of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. During that time, believe me or not, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway had no more than 4 lines, so it was pretty … Continue reading →

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Snowball (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): They try their best – and they also do their worst

Posted on September 4, 2021 by kaist455

I often wanted to shake my head as watching South Korean film “Snowball”, which mainly revolves around three different adolescent girls who try their best but end up doing their worst. Although it phlegmatically observes their worsening circumstance from the … Continue reading →

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