Tag Archives: Murder

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

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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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): When she goes further

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, the third feature film from director/writer Martin McDonagh, surprised me in many aspects. Although many of elements in the film often feel disparate or disjointed, the movie somehow works better than expected thanks to its … Continue reading

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1987: When the Day Comes (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): That eventful year in South Korea

1987 was quite an eventful year in South Korea. After the tragic death of a young college student/activist named Park Jong-chul on January 14th, 1987, the public demand for democratization in South Korea became bigger, wider, and fiercer than before … Continue reading

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A Brighter Summer Day (1991) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): A great movie never too long

Edward Yang’s “A Bright Summer Day”, which recently happened to be released in South Korea, is a singular masterpiece to be admired for numerous reasons. On one level, it is a tragic adolescent drama inspired by a notorious real-life incident … Continue reading

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The Third Murder (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A frustrating exercise in ambiguity

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s new film “The Third Murder” is a frustrating exercise in ambiguity. At first, everything seems pretty simple in a murder case at the center of the story, but then it turns out that the case may be a … Continue reading

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Murder on the Orient Express (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Slick but passable

I remember well when I read Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel “Murder on the Orient Express” for the first time. I was a 9-year-old boy who devoured many various mystery novels ranging from Sherlock Holmes to Philip Marlowe, and that … Continue reading

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Heart Blackened (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Flawed but not without entertainment

South Korean film “Heart Blackened” starts as a typical courtroom mystery tale but then later becomes something more serious than expected. As its plot often trudges around a number of predictable narrative turns, I frequently felt impatient during my viewing, … Continue reading

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1922 (2017) ☆☆(2/4): The year when he killed his wife

Since the considerable success of “Carrie” (1976), many of Stephen King’s novels and short stories were adapted into movies during last 41 years, but 2017 is quite an interesting year because we have no less than four feature films based … Continue reading

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Strong Island (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Remembering his brother – and how he was killed

Calmly examining one case of senseless killing and the resulting anger and grief, documentary film “Strong Island”, which is currently available on Netflix, makes its intention very clear to us right from the beginning. It wants us to see how … Continue reading

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Wind River (2017) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A bleak, chilly procedural on the wilds of Wyoming

While often quite stark in its gloomy tone, “Wind River” is a compelling procedural which gradually grabs our attention via its vivid atmosphere and deft storytelling. As it slowly builds up its story and characters, we become absorbed into its … Continue reading

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