Tag Archives: Comedy

Stars in the Ordinary Universe (2023) ☆☆(2/4): Three plain acts

Posted on May 16, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean film “Stars in the Ordinary Universe” attempts to be absurd and funny, but the result is mediocre and middling in my humble opinion. Consisting of three individual acts connected with each other to some degree, the movie reaches … Continue reading →

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Novocaine (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Numb and painless, shall we say

Posted on May 9, 2025 by kaist455

“Novocaine” is a one-joke comedy action film which goes too long and violent in my humble opinion. While it generates some funny moments from its exaggerated comic story premise, the movie is also often blatantly violent as its hero endures … Continue reading →

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Problemista (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): A quirky surreal immigration comedy

Posted on May 7, 2025 by kaist455

I must confess that “Problemista”, which is currently available on Netflix in South Korea, was an acquired taste for me. At first, I was baffled a lot by its colorfully quirky comic style coupled with a heap of surrealistic absurdity, … Continue reading →

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Gondola (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): A romance on gondola

Posted on April 28, 2025 by kaist455

“Gondola” is a simple but charming romantic comedy film to be cherished. While it often feels more like an extended short film especially during its second half, the movie thankfully has enough wit, style, and personality to fill its 82-minute … Continue reading →

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The Other Way Around (2024) ☆☆☆(3/4): A separation comedy

Posted on April 28, 2025 by kaist455

Spanish film “The Other Way Around” is a lightweight comedy about one young couple who suddenly decides to have a “happy” separation for no apparent reason. As they prepare for their separation step by step, the movie provides a series … Continue reading →

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The Book of Clarence (2023) ☆☆(2/4): A middling biblical satire

Posted on April 15, 2025 by kaist455

Jeymes Samuel’s latest film “The Book of Clarence”, which is currently available on Netflix in South Korea, is a middling biblical satire disappointing us in more than one aspect. While its story setup and premise are fairly amusing on the … Continue reading →

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Cookie’s Fortune (1999) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A little Southern comedy by Altman

Posted on April 9, 2025 by kaist455

Roger Ebert once observed on Robert Altman: “There may not have been a director who liked actors more.” Altman’s 1999 film “Cookie’s Fortune” exemplifies that, and it is often fun to watch how its main cast members willingly embody the … Continue reading →

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It’s Okay! (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): You will like this girl in the end

Posted on March 8, 2025 by kaist455

South Korean film “It’s Okay!” amused and then touched me with its plucky young heroine. You may wince from time to time as watching how irrepressibly spirited and optimistic she really is, but you will come to root for her … Continue reading →

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The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Anderson’s early dollhouse play

Posted on March 4, 2025 by kaist455

Revisiting Wes Anderson’s 2001 film “The Royal Tenenbaums”, I was reminded again of how consistent Anderson has been during last several decades. While this movie and many subsequent works of his are basically his own little dollhouse plays, they are … Continue reading →

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Mickey 17 (2025) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): More than one Pattinson presented by Bong Joon-ho

Posted on February 27, 2025 by kaist455

Bong Joo-ho’s films always have his own offbeat sensibility to be cherished. Even his phenomenal Oscar-winning film “Parasite” (2019), which is incidentally the most mainstream work in his career, shows that odd and interesting quality at times behind its almost … Continue reading →

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