Tag Archives: Mental Illness

Nightingale (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Isolated in loneliness and madness

Posted on September 18, 2015 by kaist455

HBO TV film “Nightingale” begins with its troubled hero rambling alone at his home. It looks like a bad thing has just happened, and we feel uneasy as sensing the disturbing tone of his words. Still shaken by what happened, … Continue reading →

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Love & Mercy (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Going down – and going up again

Posted on August 4, 2015 by kaist455

Brian Wilson has lived an interesting life which is sometimes too dramatic to be believed. After ascending to the top with his legendary band at young age, he tried to move forward with his new ideas, but then he slowly … Continue reading →

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The Voices (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A whimsical comedy about madness and murder

Posted on June 7, 2015 by kaist455

Alternating between whimsical comedy and disturbing horror, “The Voices” is an uneven but amusing black comedy about one very nice guy who simply cannot himself as driven by his murderous compulsion. Even when he is well aware of how problematic … Continue reading →

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Alive (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : Alive in despair and desperation

Posted on May 24, 2015 by kaist455

Life is hard and difficult for the desperate hero of South Korean independent film “Alive”, a gloomy social drama about the endless struggle and frustration in the gray harsh world where people are bound to find themselves against the wall … Continue reading →

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The Humbling (2014) ☆☆1/2 (2.5/4): A ‘romance’ before his last act

Posted on February 8, 2015 by kaist455

Like King Lear, the aging hero of “The Humbling” is a character to be played with age and experience. He feels getting old and tired more than ever as he faces the last act of his remaining life, and he … Continue reading →

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The Homesman (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4): It was hard for men – and harder for women

Posted on November 13, 2014 by kaist455

 Wide, endless plains are usual sights in the Western movie, and “The Homesman” instantly drew my attention with the beauty of its vast, barren landscapes which usually have nothing but plain and sky above it. This is a severe world … Continue reading →

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Frank (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Did he ever wash his face or hair?

Posted on September 21, 2014 by kaist455

 When I saw its trailer several months ago, I wondered whether “Frank” could work, but it turns out to be better than I expected. While its distant, enigmatic title character and other oddball characters surely draw our attention, the movie … Continue reading →

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Camille Claudel 1915 (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Three days of an artist being suffocated

Posted on November 17, 2013 by kaist455

It does not look that bad to us at first, but, as following her imprisoned daily life, we slowly realize how terrible it is for her to live there for the rest of her life. Yes, she is still struggling … Continue reading →

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Blue Jasmine (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A Streetcar Named Delusion

Posted on September 26, 2013 by kaist455

Observing the unstable heroine of Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine” is akin to looking into a miserable mess beyond repair. While she had already been mired in self-delusion when her world suddenly collapsed, she still remains in that pathetic state even … Continue reading →

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Side Effects (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Something doesn’t feel right

Posted on June 8, 2013 by kaist455

 Something doesn’t feel right, and you wonder what it is as you are drawn to the ambiguous tone during the first half of “Side Effects”. Its story is one of those standard thriller plots frequently going beyond the realm of … Continue reading →

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