Tag Archives: Real-life story

American Symphony (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): A slice of his art and life

Netflix documentary film “American Symphony”, which came out a few days ago, simply presents a slice of life and art from John Batiste, who has been one of the most prominent American musicians during last several years. Although the documentary … Continue reading

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A Man Who Heals the City (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): One decent old man

South Korean documentary film “A Man Who Heal the City” intrigues us as observing one decent old man from the distance for a good reason. Although he helped and supported many different people for several decades as a respected local … Continue reading

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12.12: The Day (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): That infamous night in Seoul, 1979

South Korean film “12.12: The Day” is an intense fictionalized version of what happened at one terrible night of December 1979 in Seoul. Although I and many other South Korean audiences are well aware of how the story eventually ends, … Continue reading

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Rustin (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A gay organizer behind the March on Washington in 1963

Netflix film “Rustin”, which came out in last week, wants to be two different things at once, but I do not think it succeeds as much as intended. On one hand, it wants to present a monumental historical event of … Continue reading

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Nyad (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): As she tries again and again

Netflix film “Nyad”, which was released on last Friday, is a standard biopic based on one extraordinary real-life story. While it is often fascinating to observe how persistently its real-life heroine tries again and again, the movie later becomes rather … Continue reading

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Promise (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): A boy missing his departed mother

South Korean documentary film “Promise” is a seemingly simple but undeniably poignant personal diary from a filmmaker father and his sensitive 9-year-old boy still missing his departed mother a lot. While wisely avoiding any cheap sentimentalism via its calm and … Continue reading

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Sly (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Sly on Stallone

Netflix documentary film “Sly”, which is released on this Friday, sometimes shows a bunch of fancy stuffs inside Sylvester Stallone’s house, and that tells a lot about how it is about his life and career. While Stallone, who is often … Continue reading

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Yellow Door: ’90s Lo-fi Film Club (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): When they were young cinephiles

Netflix documentary film “Yellow Door: ‘90s Lo-fi Film Club”, which was released a few days ago, looks into the memories of a little club of young South Korea cinephiles in the early 90s. Although they did not know that much … Continue reading

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A Table for Two (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): Their honest conversation on anorexia

South Korean documentary film “A Table for Two” plainly focuses on one complicated mother and daughter relationship exacerbated further by an unfortunate case of mental disorder. As its two main figures reflect more on how things went wrong between them … Continue reading

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The Pigeon Tunnel (2023) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): The last words from John le Carré

Errol Morris’ latest documentary “The Pigeon Tunnel”, which is currently available on Apple TV+, focuses on the life and the works of John le Carré via le Carré himself, who incidentally passed away in 2020 not long after interviewed by … Continue reading

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