Tag Archives: Art

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A painter and her challenging model

Posted on January 19, 2020 by

French film “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is almost pure and perfect in its haunting romantic period drama with complex thoughts and emotions churning and swirling below its seemingly plain surface. Although the movie is quite more restrained than … Continue reading →

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Manifesto (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): 13 Manifestos delivered by Cate Blanchett

Posted on July 14, 2019 by

You should know in advance what you are going to get from “Manifesto”, a challenging but thought-provoking arthouse film presenting a bunch of many different ideas and messages via a series of manifestos. While it goes without saying that you … Continue reading →

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A Bread Factory, Part Two (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Art and Community (Continued)

Posted on May 5, 2019 by

When I was about to watch “A Bread Factory, Part Two”, which luckily happens to be shown at the 20th Jeonju International Film Festival along with “A Bread Factory, Part One”, I had considerable expectation as reflecting on what I … Continue reading →

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A Bread Factory, Part One (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Art and Community

Posted on May 5, 2019 by

“A Bread Factory, Part One”, which fortunately happens to be shown at the 20th Jeonju International Film Festival along with “A Bread Factory, Part Two”, is a rich, colorful slice of life which is full of wonderful individual moments to … Continue reading →

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Ruben Brandt, Collector (2018) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An animation film about therapeutic heist

Posted on May 4, 2019 by

Hungarian animation feature film “Ruben Brandt, Collector” is a visual joy to behold. Freely and joyfully wielding its wacky, distinctive style across the screen, the film constantly dazzles us with numerous fantastic sights apparently inspired by many different artworks from … Continue reading →

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Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): An uneven mix of art, satire, and horror

Posted on February 2, 2019 by

Netflix film “Velvet Buzzsaw” consists of two different parts which do not fit well with each other. While it begins as a broad satire on the world of contemporary art business, the movie eventually becomes a creepy supernatural horror tale … Continue reading →

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Faces Places (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Agnès Varda and JR on the road

Posted on February 19, 2018 by

To be frank with you, Agnès Varda was not a familiar name to me even when I watched tons of movies during the 2000s. Although I managed to watch her second feature film “Cléo from 5 to 7” (1962), her … Continue reading →

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The Square (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Challenging, baffling, and annoying

Posted on January 26, 2018 by

Swedish comedy film “The Square” challenged me, baffled me, and annoyed me. I sort of understood its points as occasionally amused by some of its satiric moments, and I actually admire its several challenging moments, but I also felt impatient … Continue reading →

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Antiporno (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): Another perverted exercise in style from Sion Sono

Posted on June 18, 2017 by

You cannot possibly expect anything normal from Sion Sono, who is surely one of the most interesting filmmakers working in Japan at present. “Cold Fish” (2010) was a bleak, disturbing psychological thriller about an ordinary family man gradually influenced by … Continue reading →

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National Gallery (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Another super work from Frederick Wiseman

Posted on September 4, 2016 by

“National Gallery” is as slow and austere as you can expect from a documentary film by Frederick Wiseman, a legendary American documentary director who has established his long, illustrious filmmaking career for nearly 50 years since his first work “Titicut … Continue reading →

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