Tag Archives: Adolescence

Better Days (2019) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): Her bodyguard

Chinese film “Better Days” is a familiar but compelling mixture of brutal school drama, sensitive coming-of-age tale, and unabashedly old-fashioned romance. Right from the beginning, you can clearly discern what you are going to get, but then you will find … Continue reading

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Young Ahmed (2019) ☆☆1/2 (2.5/4): A young fanatic

The Dardenne brothers’ latest film “Young Ahmed”, which won the Best Director award when it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival early in last year, gives us a phlegmatic observation of a young adolescent boy who happens to be … Continue reading

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Water Lilies (2007) ☆☆☆(3/4): A tomboy’s first crush

Céline Sciamma’s first feature film “Water Lilies”, which is going to be released belatedly in South Korean theaters in next month, is a detached but compelling coming-of-age tale of sexuality and maturation. Mainly revolving around the viewpoint of its young … Continue reading

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Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Her urgent matter to deal with

Here is a little but extraordinary film you must watch right now. Phlegmatically observing a desperate and frustrating journey of two adolescent girls seeking abortion, Eliza Hittman’s latest film “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” will hit you hard with several restrained … Continue reading

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The Half of It (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A refreshing coming-of-age drama by Alice Wu

To be frank with you, I did not expect much when I watched the trailer of Netflix film “The Half of It”, which received the Founders Award at the Tribeca Film Festival before released on Netflix in last week. While … Continue reading

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Selah and The Spades (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A little distinctive debut work to notice

“Selah and the Spades”, which was released on Amazon Prime in last weekend, is a little distinctive debut work which may be regarded as the starting point of a major talent to watch. As a guy who did not have … Continue reading

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All the Bright Places (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): An earnest young adult romance drama

Netflix film “All the Bright Places” is an earnest young adult romance drama about two troubled adolescents with each own issue. While I appreciate its somber and sensitive approach to its dark subjects including grief and mental illness, the movie … Continue reading

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Start-Up (2019) ☆☆(2/4): A lame comedy packed with uninteresting caricatures

South Korean film “Start-Up”, which is based on the popular online graphic novel of the same name, mainly revolves around two different dudes who do not interest me much. As a matter of fact, I did not care much about … Continue reading

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Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Silly but entertaining nonetheless

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” is an unabashedly lively entertainment product which provides a fair share of silly fun for its target audiences. While it is as broad and goofy as you can expect from a live action … Continue reading

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Sub-Zero Wind (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Her bleak adolescent years

South Korean film “Sub-Zero Wind” is as bleak as its very title suggests. Like many of recent South Korean coming-of-age drama films, the movie is often shrouded in stark and gloomy realism, but its story and characters are thoughtfully handled … Continue reading

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