As someone who navigated the complex immigration system in the US, this movie was an easy sell. Julio Torres’s whimsicalness and Tilda Swinton’s humorous character were plus. But I was pleasantly surprised that this movie was more than that. It was a story about Alejandro and Elisabeth, who appeared to be diametrically opposed, but in […]

People collectively start having dreams about Nick Cage’s character one day. Soon he becomes an internet start, but this fame soon becomes notoriety because his dreams become nightmares to people. He didn’t do any terrible thing in reality (well, other than being human and vain), and it is natural that he feels frustrated by this […]

If there’s one thing that is different about this one compared to other serial killer movies, it’s that the female victims are ignored and neglected by the police. Nobody tries hard enough to catch the killer even though he is not careful. The main emotional thread of the movie lies here. The general and widespread […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]