Tag Archives: South Korean Film

Elegant Lies (2014) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Tears within its cool restraint

Posted on March 31, 2014 by kaist455

  South Korean film “Elegant Lies” has a fair share of tears to shed inside its story, but it holds them with admirable restraint while rarely resorting to cheap melodrama overflowing with tears. This is a sad story about how … Continue reading →

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Lebanon Emotion (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : An odd, somber mix of romance and thriller

Posted on March 29, 2014 by kaist455

 “Lebanon Emotion”, a South Korean independent film which was released in South Korea early in this month, quietly meanders around its background at first and then goes into an unexpected direction through its odd, somber mix of romance and thriller. … Continue reading →

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Manshin (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A shaman with ten thousands spirits

Posted on March 9, 2014 by kaist455

 South Korean documentary “Manshin” vividly presents the cultural value in Korean shamanic rituals through its haunting images which lingered on my mind for a long time after watching it. Looking around the long, dramatic life story of a woman who … Continue reading →

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The Suspect (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : A taxi driver from the North

Posted on December 25, 2013 by kaist455

 “The Suspect” is a well-made action film which will remind you of many, many thriller films about a lone guy on the run. Its busy style represented by quick cuts and shaky handheld camera movement is certainly influenced by none … Continue reading →

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The Attorney (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) ：He just can’t stop once he opens his eyes

Posted on December 19, 2013 by kaist455

 South Korean movie “The Attorney” has its heart at the right place inside its generic mix of gentle comedy and angry courtroom drama, and its big heart sometimes beats powerfully to resonate with my own heart. The story is riddled … Continue reading →

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The Fake (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A dark, disturbing animation from South Korea

Posted on November 21, 2013 by kaist455

 South Korean animation “The Fake” is so bleak and hopeless from the beginning that I even found myself wondering during its first 30 minutes how further it would possibly go – and it did go further as I was horrified … Continue reading →

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Steel Cold Winter (2013) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A dark, bloody winter romance in the countryside

Posted on November 8, 2013 by kaist455

South Korean film “Steel Cold Winter”, which is released as “A Girl” at South Korean theaters in this weekend, is dripping with the moody atmosphere which will draw you to its dark secret hidden behind one mysterious girl and the … Continue reading →

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Rough Play (2013) ☆☆(2/4) : An actor’s rough rise and fall

Posted on October 24, 2013 by kaist455

As a story about the rise and fall in the heartless world of entertainment business, “Rough Play” is naturally an unpleasant film to watch, but it is not interesting enough to hold my attention. Although it becomes a little more … Continue reading →

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Hwayi (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A boy raised by his five criminal fathers

Posted on October 9, 2013 by kaist455

 They say every man has his own daddy issue to deal with, and the adolescent hero of darkly riveting South Korean thriller film “Hwayi” has a particularly overwhelming one. He has been raised, taught, and influenced by five men who … Continue reading →

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Our Sunhi (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : Three guys and one pretty girl

Posted on September 20, 2013 by kaist455

 I usually hesitate in case of giving advice to others because, besides being quite reluctant about that due to the subsequent responsibility, I am not sure about whether I am a guy who knows the best. I may be willing … Continue reading →

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