Tag Archives: Documentary

Seymour: An Introduction (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): On his duet of life and art

Posted on April 18, 2016 by kaist455

The first minutes of documentary film “Seymour: An Introduction” was more than enough for me to become interested in its remarkable human subject. As a man who has happily maintained his own balance between life and art for many years, … Continue reading →

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Twinsters (2015) ☆☆☆ (3/4): Twin sisters’ reunion after 25 years

Posted on March 5, 2016 by kaist455

Documentary film “Twinsters” starts its story with one unbelievable encounter which can happen only in our digital era. Two young women suddenly came to learn of each other’s presence through online communication, and they were naturally surprised by their uncanny … Continue reading →

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Meru (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): Reaching for a challenging peak in the Himalayas

Posted on February 27, 2016 by kaist455

Documentary film “Meru” works best when it functions as a vivid, extraordinary record of one arduous quest for conquering one of the most challenging mountains in the Himalayas. Yes, those three mountaineers in the documentary really climbed up there with … Continue reading →

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Best of Enemies (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Buckley Vs. Vidal

Posted on February 22, 2016 by kaist455

Focusing on the tense, dynamic progress of the infamous TV debates between two antagonizing American intellectuals, documentary film “Best of Enemies” observes their turbulent era which ironically mirrors the current sociopolitical status of the American society at present. Through their … Continue reading →

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Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Behind the belief

Posted on February 20, 2016 by kaist455

As far as I can remember, the first time I heard about the Church of Scientology was when I read a review on “Battlefield Earth” (2000), an infamous Hollywood turkey which was based on the SF novel of the same … Continue reading →

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Cartel Land (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): The drug war viewed through vigilantes

Posted on February 15, 2016 by kaist455

“Cartel Land”, which was recently Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film, is sobering and disturbing to say the least. If you are already familiar with its subject through other movies and documentary films such as “Narco Cultra” (2013) and “Sicario” … Continue reading →

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Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): That turbulent winter

Posted on February 14, 2016 by kaist455

Oscar-nominated documentary film “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” presents a close look into the Euromaidan protest in Ukraine, which was ignited in 2013 November and then blazed for 93 days until President Viktor Yanukovych left the country in … Continue reading →

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What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): What happened in her life and career

Posted on February 5, 2016 by kaist455

Oscar-nominated documentary film “What Happened, Miss Simone?” gives us close, intimate glimpses into Nina Simone, a legendary American singer who was called “the High Priestess of Soul”. Even if you are unfamiliar with her career like me (full confession: I … Continue reading →

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Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): He knew where he was going

Posted on November 28, 2015 by kaist455

Alex Gibney’s new documentary “Steve Jobs: the Man in the Machine” is both baffled and fascinated with many contradictions inside Steve Jobs, and so are we. While he will surely be remembered as one of the giants in the history … Continue reading →

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The Hunting Ground (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An alarming presentation on rape in campus

Posted on November 28, 2015 by kaist455

Documentary film “The Hunting Ground” cheerfully begins with the montage of video clips showing young girls excited to be accepted by the colleges they applied to for admission. They are all full of hope and pride as expecting what they … Continue reading →

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