Tag Archives: South Korean Film

The Seeds of Violence (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): A soldier’s hard day

Posted on November 12, 2017 by kaist455

Unlike many South Korean lads, I did not have to go through two years of mandatory military service. Because I was a graduate student studying in Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), all I had to do during … Continue reading →

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Heart Blackened (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Flawed but not without entertainment

Posted on November 4, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “Heart Blackened” starts as a typical courtroom mystery tale but then later becomes something more serious than expected. As its plot often trudges around a number of predictable narrative turns, I frequently felt impatient during my viewing, … Continue reading →

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Lost to Shame (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): His ‘truthful’ performance

Posted on October 8, 2017 by kaist455

There is an ironic edgy fun in South Korean film “Lost to Shame”, a dark, biting story about one contradictory juxtaposition of art and hypocrisy. As its actor hero struggles with his pretension as well as his artistic job, the … Continue reading →

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The End of April (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): As she prepares for her examination…

Posted on October 6, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “The End of April” is a stark, gloomy psychological horror thriller which often unnerves and confounds us with a number of darkly nervous moments. While some of you may be confused about what exactly happens in the … Continue reading →

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The Poet and the Boy (2017) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Poetry and sexual confusion

Posted on October 5, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “The Poet and the Boy” is a familiar story to the bone. Here is an artist struggling with his lack of inspiration, but then there comes an unexpected possibility of romance, and he is both confused and … Continue reading →

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The Fortress (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): The impossible situation in a fortress under siege

Posted on October 3, 2017 by kaist455

There is the accumulating sense of despair hovering over the main characters in South Korean film “The Fortress”. As their stronghold is besieged by their powerful opponent, it is pretty clear to them that there are only two options left … Continue reading →

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I Can Speak (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): She wants to speak…

Posted on September 23, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “I Can Speak” is more serious than its trailer suggests. When I watched the trailer, I thought it was merely another silly comedy film, but then I heard that it is about a certain serious historical subject … Continue reading →

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The Running Actress (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): It’s hard out here for an actress…

Posted on September 17, 2017 by kaist455

First, let me talk a bit about Moon So-ri, who has been one of the most prominent movie actresses in South Korea during last two decades. After drawing the attention of South Korean audiences in Lee Chang-dong’s “Peppermint Candy” (2000), … Continue reading →

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Criminal Conspiracy (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): How South Korean media has been ruined

Posted on August 27, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean documentary film “Criminal Conspiracy” made me sad and angry for good reasons. During last 10 years, several major broadcasting companies in South Korean have been seriously damaged and corrupted by South Korean politicians and their cronies, and the … Continue reading →

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The Table (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): One same table, four different conversations

Posted on August 26, 2017 by kaist455

South Korean film “The Table” consists of four different conversation scenes unfolded on one table. During each scene, we meet two characters, and then we listen to their conversation as observing the mood and nuances surrounding them. While this is … Continue reading →

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