Tag Archives: Real-life figure

The Infiltrators (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): Their risky fight against ICE

“The Infiltrators”, which won the Audience award and the NEXT Innovator award when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival early in this year, is an uneven but engaging mix of fiction and documentary. Although the overall result is … Continue reading

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RKO 281 (1999) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A terrific TV movie to complement “Mank”

To be frank with you, it took some time for me to appreciate the greatness of Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” (1941), which has been regarded as one of the greatest works in the history of cinema during last several decades. … Continue reading

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Ammonite (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A somber Victorian lesbian romance on the beach

Francis Lee’s new film “Ammonite” is a somber fictional romance drama between two different real-life figures in the 19th Victorian era. While it is a bit too dry, slow, and detached at times, the movie subtly and sensitively depicts the … Continue reading

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The Way I See It (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): The way he photographed the Obama Presidency

Dawn Porter’s documentary film “The Way I See It” looks deep into those memorable still photographs shot during the Obama Presidency via one ordinary professional responsible for them. Yes, he was simply doing his job as required during that time, … Continue reading

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Radioactive (2019) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A scattershot biopic on Marie Curie’s life and career

I remember well when I came to learn about the life and career of Marie Curie from a little biography book for children around 30 years ago. Although life was pretty hard and difficult for her because of a number … Continue reading

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Mank (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): As he writes “Citizen Kane”

David Fincher’s new film “Mank”, which is released here in South Korea today and will be available on Netflix early in December, presents a personal perspective from the writer who co-wrote the screenplay for Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” (1941), which … Continue reading

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Bad Education (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): When all begin to fall down for him and his school

HBO TV movie “Bad Education”, which won an Emmy for Outstanding TV Movie a few months ago, is a compelling true crime drama about the largest public school embezzlement in American history. Believe or not, it happened at a school … Continue reading

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The Final Year (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): The final year of the Obama administration

It is hard for me not to become nostalgic while watching Greg Barker’s documentary film “The Final Year”, which closely looks into the inner workings of the Obama administration during its final year. At that time, many of us were … Continue reading

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Funan (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): A poignant animation film about the Cambodian genocide

Denis Do’s animation feature film “Funan” tells us a dark but ultimately poignant tale of human cruelty and resilience. Loosely inspired by Do’s family history associated with the Khmer Rouge revolution in Cambodia during the late 1970s, the movie often … Continue reading

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David Byrne’s American Utopia (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): An exuberant concert film presented by Byrne and Lee

“David Byrne’s American Utopia”, which was released on HBO in last month, gave me one of the most exuberant experiences I ever had during this year. Although I must tell you first that I am not that familiar with the … Continue reading

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