Tag Archives: Romance

Manglehorn (2014) ☆☆(2/4) : Pacino stuck in an uneventful dud

“Manglehorn” is an uneventful dud which is all the more disappointing when you consider the talents behind it. The movie is intended as a low-key character drama driven by small moments, but it is hopelessly uneven and tedious in its … Continue reading

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10,000 km (2014) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Separated by long distance

Spanish film “10,000 km” is about one relationship put under a difficult situation. They believe they can love each other enough for sacrifice and compromise demanded to them, but they only come to realize that their relationship is not as … Continue reading

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Top Five (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : An interview during one day in New York

“Top Five” works best when it is driven by a good chemistry between its two engaging lead performers. Whenever we see their characters walking together along the streets of New York, we can sense that they really enjoy each other’s … Continue reading

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The Duke of Burgundy (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : Sex, fetish, and insects

Sometimes I watch movies with my mother, and she had to endure many challenging films thanks to my insatiable interest in various kinds of movies. During one late winter night of 2012, I happened to revisit David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” … Continue reading

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Love & Mercy (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Going down – and going up again

Brian Wilson has lived an interesting life which is sometimes too dramatic to be believed. After ascending to the top with his legendary band at young age, he tried to move forward with his new ideas, but then he slowly … Continue reading

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Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A woman and three men around her

“Far from the Madding Crowd”, based on Thomas Hardy’s 1874 novel of the same name, is a solid adaptation to admire and appreciate. As a period drama, it looks both natural and gorgeous in its realistic presentation of a peaceful … Continue reading

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Blackhat (2015) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Style over keyboarding

At some point during my viewing of “Blackhat”, I began to focus on how it looks rather than what it is about. As a ‘cyber-thriller’, it surely has an interesting topic which has been more relevant along with those frequent … Continue reading

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A Midsummer’s Fantasia (2014) ☆☆☆1/2 (3.5/4) : Two soothing summer tales in Gojo

In its calm, delicate pace, “A Midsummer’s Fantasia” slowly and subtly draws us into the sunny and soothing summer days in a rural Japanese city. During its first part, it leisurely looks around the city with meditative curiosity, and we … Continue reading

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A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4): The Vampire Wears Chador

While injecting some fresh blood into its genre conventions, “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” wanders around its strange and familiar world filled with bleak beauty and ominous aura. As an eerie and melancholic vampire tale set in some … Continue reading

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The Voices (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A whimsical comedy about madness and murder

Alternating between whimsical comedy and disturbing horror, “The Voices” is an uneven but amusing black comedy about one very nice guy who simply cannot himself as driven by his murderous compulsion. Even when he is well aware of how problematic … Continue reading

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