Tag Archives: Religion

Silence (2016) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): That deepening silence on human suffering

Posted on February 13, 2017 by kaist455

At the beginning of Martin Scorsese’s “Silence”, we hear the sound of insects on the soundtrack. Recurring throughout the film, that plain sound of nature becomes more chilling as accentuating the deepening silence on human suffering in the film, and … Continue reading →

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Almost Holy (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): A gritty, tough shepherd in Ukraine

Posted on November 15, 2016 by kaist455

Documentary film “Almost Holy”, currently available on Netflix, gives us a darkly complex portrayal of a man of the cloth determined to fight against evil in his own unorthodox way. As the documentary shows more of the gritty, uncomfortable sides … Continue reading →

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Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Behind the belief

Posted on February 20, 2016 by kaist455

As far as I can remember, the first time I heard about the Church of Scientology was when I read a review on “Battlefield Earth” (2000), an infamous Hollywood turkey which was based on the SF novel of the same … Continue reading →

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Spotlight (2015) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): All the Church’s Men

Posted on January 8, 2016 by kaist455

It is always interesting to watch professionals doing their best together. “Spotlight” gives us such an experience like that, and this top-notch journalism drama is calm, concise, comprehensive, and straightforward just like any good investigative article you read from newspapers. … Continue reading →

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The Brand New Testament (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4): God lives in Brussels

Posted on December 26, 2015 by kaist455

What if God really exists somewhere? What if he is merely a mean cranky guy with the absolute power on our world? And what if things can be changed for us? Belgian comedy film “The Brand New Testament” is cheerfully … Continue reading →

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The Priests (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Two South Korean priests against a force of evil

Posted on November 8, 2015 by kaist455

Since the big success of “The Exorcist” (1973), there have been lots of horror movies about exorcism, but, like those zombie movies, many of them were not particularly scary to me. Although “The Exorcist” may be not that shocking any … Continue reading →

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Timbuktu (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4): A sad, graceful tale of nature, people, and religion

Posted on July 1, 2015 by kaist455

Serenely beautiful and heartbreakingly tragic, “Timbuktu” gives us a somber but ultimately compassionate look into the world most of us are not very familiar with. As our eyes are drawn to its vast, beautiful desert landscapes to behold, we come … Continue reading →

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Leviathan (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : A moody, fatalistic social drama from Russia

Posted on March 16, 2015 by kaist455

Reticent and foreboding right from during its first scene, Russian film “Leviathan”, which was recently Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film early in this year, is shrouded in a moody, fatalistic aura of ill fortune. Even when things seem to … Continue reading →

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Exodus: Kings and Gods (2014) ☆☆(2/4) : It happens as we saw before

Posted on December 6, 2014 by kaist455

  Despite some interesting touches to muse on, “Exodus: Kings and Gods” feels bland while bringing very little to a story familiar to many of us. Like Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” (2014), the movie attempts a modern reinterpretation of its biblical … Continue reading →

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Ida (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A nun’s journey

Posted on August 27, 2014 by kaist455

 Polish film “Ida” looks so simple and concise that describing its plot will not be enough to explain why it is one of the most memorable experiences of this year. I initially observed the movie with admiration toward its impressive … Continue reading →

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