Tag Archives: Husband and Wife

Force Majeure (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : Trouble in family vacation

Posted on March 16, 2015 by kaist455

Swedish film “Force Majeure”, which is probably the funniest and smartest film I have seen during this month, handles its intimate but edgy drama with wits and elegance to savor and admire. Like many good stories, it presents fully established … Continue reading →

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

Leviathan (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : A moody, fatalistic social drama from Russia

Posted on March 16, 2015 by kaist455

Reticent and foreboding right from during its first scene, Russian film “Leviathan”, which was recently Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film early in this year, is shrouded in a moody, fatalistic aura of ill fortune. Even when things seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Most Violent Year (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A gloomy, fateful pastiche of crime movies

Posted on February 15, 2015 by kaist455

 In “The Godfather” (1972), crime comes to look more like business at the end of its story. In case of “A Most Violent Year”, a dark, tense drama about an ambitious New York business man trying not to lose everything … Continue reading →

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

Winter Sleep (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : Dormant in his own hypocrisy

Posted on February 14, 2015 by kaist455

 The first thing to draw my attention in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s new film “Winter Sleep” is the rocky, mountainous landscape of Cappadocia, Turkey. While making wonderful sights for tourism in their weathered appearances, those soft rocks, which were formed from … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Selma (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A March to Equality

Posted on February 11, 2015 by kaist455

Focusing on one of the monumental moments during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, “Selma” instantly takes us to that turbulent era viewed from Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists. While being a complex portrayal of its hero, … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Skeleton Twins (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Estranged Twins’ reunion

Posted on February 10, 2015 by kaist455

While not flinching from the dark, gloomy side of its story, “The Skeleton Twin” works as an intimate and humorous story about the rocky relationship between two estranged siblings who respectively struggle with each own personal problems. As observing their … Continue reading →

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

Cheap Thrills (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : They will be ready for anything….

Posted on February 7, 2015 by kaist455

“Cheap Thrills” is a mean, vicious black comedy with recognizable human traits as its major driving factor. Some of the uncomfortable behaviors presented in the film are so cringe-inducing that we cannot help but roll our eyes with more horror … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Big Eyes (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Behind those big eyes

Posted on January 31, 2015 by kaist455

 What is the standard of good art? Or is there really such a standard like that? Mostly shying away from these interesting questions evoked by its fascinating real-life story, Tim Burton’s new film “Big Eyes” takes a rather plain, earnest … Continue reading →

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

Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (2015) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : The matter of Blood and Family

Posted on January 20, 2015 by kaist455

 South Korean film “Chronicle of a Blood Merchant” is funny and lightweight at first, and I enjoyed its comic moments with smile and amusement. Unfortunately, its plot becomes clunky after taking a sudden melodramatic turn around its third act, and … Continue reading →

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

American Sniper (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A Sniper’s Story

Posted on January 15, 2015 by kaist455

  As a war film, “American Sniper” is gritty and thought-provoking as steadily maintaining its unadorned and respectful attitude to its subject. While it is uncomfortable to watch at times due to its hero’s narrow viewpoint, the story feels direct … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment