Tag Archives: Crime

Hold the Dark (2018) ☆☆1/2 (2.5/4): A cold, brutal genre exercise in Alaska

Posted on October 6, 2018 by

I feel ambivalent about “Hold the Dark”, a cold, brutal genre exercise which is admirable in technical aspects but too distant to engage me on the emotional level. While I was entertained by its atmosphere and performance to some degrees, … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

No Country for Old Men (2007) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A great thriller from the Coen Brothers

Posted on August 16, 2018 by

It is always exhilarating to recognize a great film right from when it comes out, and the Coen Brothers’ “No Country for Old Men” was my first experience of encountering a new great film to cherish and admire. When I … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Our Kind of Traitor (2016) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A middling adaptation of John le Carré novel

Posted on August 6, 2018 by

“Our Kind of Traitor”, which is based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré, engaged me to some degrees but then eventually disappointed me. Although this is a fairly watchable espionage thriller film with some good … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Shoplifters (2018) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): As they live as a family

Posted on July 28, 2018 by

Gentle and sensitive in its thoughtful storytelling, Japanese film “Shoplifters” is another masterful work from Hirokazu Kore-eda, one of the most humane filmmakers in our time. Calmly observing its main characters’ shabby but happy daily life, the movie generates numerous … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Ocean’s 8 (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A fun with ladies going for a big heist

Posted on June 14, 2018 by

“Ocean’s 8”, which is a female spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s the Ocean’s trilogy, delights and entertains us with its own charm and class. Yes, this is your typical heist movie just like its male predecessors, but it engages us via … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): Inexorable descent into sheer brutality

Posted on June 10, 2018 by

While delivering a fair share of remorseless violence to shock you, “Brawl in Cell Block 99” patiently takes its time before delivering that, and I sort of appreciate its slow but inexorable descent into sheer brutality. While some of those … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Detroit (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Visceral but unfocused

Posted on May 6, 2018 by

Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film “Detroit” is a visceral but unfocused work which made me feel rather ambivalent about it after my viewing. While it is as vivid and tense as required during many of its key moments, it does not … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment