Tag Archives: Crime

Galveston (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A familiar crime drama better than expected

Posted on November 12, 2018 by kaist455

“Galveston” is a crime drama which is quite familiar but turns out to be better than expected. While being bleak and seedy as demanded, the movie generates some genuinely poignant moments as rolling its two main characters along its leisurely … Continue reading →

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In the Fade (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): After her terrible loss

Posted on October 21, 2018 by kaist455

The first two acts of German film “In the Fade”, which won the Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language Film early in this year but did not get nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar despite being included in … Continue reading →

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

Posted on October 6, 2018 by kaist455

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 →

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

Posted on August 16, 2018 by kaist455

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 →

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

Posted on August 6, 2018 by kaist455

“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 →

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

Posted on July 28, 2018 by kaist455

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 →

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

Posted on June 14, 2018 by kaist455

“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 →

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

Posted on June 10, 2018 by kaist455

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 →

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

Posted on May 6, 2018 by kaist455

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 →

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You Were Never Really Here (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Brutal and feverish

Posted on April 10, 2018 by kaist455

Often brutal and feverish, Lynne Ramsay’s new film “You Were Never Really Here” grabs our attention right from the very beginning with its vivid, striking mix of unnerving character study and grim noir thriller. Firmly sticking itself to its deeply … Continue reading →

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