Tag Archives: Mystery

Motherless Brooklyn (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): An offbeat neo-noir film from Edward Norton

Posted on February 1, 2020 by kaist455

“Motherless Brooklyn” often frustrated me but engaged me enough at least. Although I sometimes struggled to gather what is exactly going on around its inherently flawed detective hero throughout most of its running time, I enjoyed a number of offbeat … Continue reading →

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

Knives Out (2019) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A deliciously entertaining whodunnit

Posted on December 5, 2019 by kaist455

Rian Johnson’s latest film “Knives Out” is a deliciously entertaining whodunnit which will delight any devoted fan of mystery novels like me. While I could see through its wily, dexterous handling of plot elements at time, I was really caught … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Knife+Heart (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Who’s killing her gay porn actors?

Posted on October 7, 2019 by kaist455

French film “Knife+Heart” is a cheerfully gaudy and goofy mix of cheap gay porn flicks and campy giallo horror movies of the 1970s. Although it is a bit shame that the movie does not try to be something more than … Continue reading →

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

Strange But True (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): When she comes into their life

Posted on October 1, 2019 by kaist455

“Strange But True” starts with an absurd but interesting mystery but then it is turned into something less engaging as eventually arriving at a resolution too easy and contrived to say the least. While I am still reluctant to recommend … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Under the Silver Lake (2018) ☆☆(2/4): A messy and insipid neo-noir piece

Posted on September 25, 2019 by kaist455

David Robert Mitchell’s second feature film “Under the Silver Lake” bored me a lot. While I surely understand that it tries be a quirky neo-noir film as juggling so many different things together during its 139-minute running time, this messy … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Crooked House (2017) ☆☆(2/4): A pedestrian Agatha Christie mystery flick

Posted on September 20, 2019 by kaist455

Watching “Crooked House” is one of the most joyless movie experiences I have ever had during recent years. Thoroughly flat and tedious in terms of storytelling and characterization, the movie bored me from the beginning to the end, so I … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): Confusion amid dreams and memories

Posted on July 17, 2019 by kaist455

Chinese film “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”, which is not associated at all with Eugene O’Neill’s classic play of the same name (Its original title is “Last Day on Earth”, by the way), is often frustrating and confusing for good … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Dilili in Paris (2018) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A little mystery in Paris the Belle Époque

Posted on June 15, 2019 by kaist455

I was ready to enjoy French animation feature film “Dilili in Paris”, but it did not satisfy me enough. Sure, the film provides a number of lovely visual moments to be appreciated, and I was amused by the frequent appearance … Continue reading →

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

Idol (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A tense but murky South Korean noir thriller

Posted on March 20, 2019 by kaist455

I am still not that sure whether I understand everything presented in South Korean noir thriller film “Idol”, which sometimes seems to signify nothing but confusion and frustration. While that probably does not matter much considering how adamantly murky the … Continue reading →

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

A Simple Favor (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A witty suburban comic thriller

Posted on December 15, 2018 by kaist455

“A Simple Favor” is a witty suburban comic thriller gliding with enough charm and spirit to engage and entertain you. While it will probably not surprise you much if you are familiar with its genre clichés and conventions, the movie … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment