Robert Irwin: A Desert of Pure Feeling (2022)

I always think it’s essential or better to understand artist’s intention to appreciate their art. The documentary provided an ample amount of information and history about Robert Irwin, but ironically his art was about telling us that we don’t have to know art history to feel something from art. In this sense, it was interesting […]

Beau Travail (1999)

Claire Denis movies are quiet but explosive. The quietness of this movie in the first half almost feels deceptive and poetic. We see many scenes of the soldiers training at the camp in Djibouti without any urgency but because the movie does not say much about why they are there and what they are doing, […]

No Dogs or Italians Allowed (2022)

We don’t hear much about the stories of northern Italian immigrants in Southern France during early 20th century. Like people in many parts of the world these days, they were refugees who fled their country to avoid oppression. The (literally) tender touch of the creator on the clay dolls in the movie kept my heart […]

Alien (1979)

It’s always fun to watch a horror movie because inducing horror requires masterful skills. When I first watched it as a child, my horror peaked at the dining area scene where the baby alien hatched from a guy’s stomach. This time, I think I was able to see a bigger picture. The movie started slowly […]

All of Us Strangers (2023)

It’s a beautifully made movie packed with emotion. I got emotional at a couple of scenes but it didn’t make me cry at all because I was confused and trying to make sense of it. There were two main emotional arcs in the movie. Adam’s longing for reconnecting with his dead parents and romance with […]

Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)

It’s categorized as a horror movie but it is more of a hyper-realistic drama mixed with magical realism. There isn’t enough explanation for fantasy but the striking contrast between the dangerous and dire situations of the street orphans and the fantasy horror elements was enough to enjoy the movie. Similarly, the movie runs through a […]

Everybody Loves Jeanne (2022)

It’s funny but poignant. Jeanne’s inner self described as a cartoon character in the movie, occasionally reveals her true thoughts to audience, which is hilarious. But sometimes this revelation shows something much darker in her like suicidal thoughts or depression. Later we learn that Jeanne is experiencing several losses in her life (career, financial, and […]

I May Destroy You (2020)

I remember intentionally postponing watching this show because I heard that it was about sexual assault, a difficult subject to experience across a dozen episodes. Now that I have finished the show, I now realize that how shortsighted I was on this masterpiece. It is based on the show creator, Michaela Cole’s actual experience of […]

Monster (2023)

Many directors tell stories of children. In this movie, Kore-eda tells a story of Minato and Yori from three different perspectives. He slowly reveals the true nature of the story by moving from the parent’s, the teacher’s, and finally to Minato’s perspective. This hopping of perspectives makes us realize how much patience and sensitivity is […]

5 Centimeters per Second (2007)

I found from Sunwoo’s Instagram account that my Eglooos blog server would be shutting down soon. It’s been almost ten years since I stopped writing there but I used to write there a lot, especially in my 20s and 30s, including movie reviews. According to my blog, I apparently watched “She and Her Cat” by […]