April 20, 2010

3:10 To Yuma (James Mangold, 2007)

In 3:10 To Yuma, a down-on-his-luck farmer volunteers to escort an outlaw (Russell Crowe) to the 3:10 train out of Yuma which will lead him to jail.
November 24, 2010

The Naked Kitchen (Ji-yeong Hong, 2009)

The Naked Kitchen is disappointing, even with the presence of Ji-hun Ju (Kim from last year’s Antique) and its appealing premise. It does everything wrong.
March 4, 2011

The Clone Returns Home (Kanji Nakajima, 2008)

Although the premise seems ripe for the movie becoming a welcome addition to the minimalist cerebral sci-fi genre, The Clone Returns Home disappoints.
October 17, 2013

Shield of Straw (Takashi Miike, 2013) | Lesson of the Evil (Takashi Miike, 2012)

Shield of Straw My first film at Fantasia in 2013 was Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw, one of the director’s contribution to the festival. Miike is a known workhorse, directing sometimes three films per year, in a myriad of genres and styles. Yet, there seems to be a connecting thread through his films, which feels harder to ascertain for me […]
March 11, 2013

Punch (Han Lee, 2011)

Punch, a Korean drama, will more likely be remembered for the way it adds to the Korean conversation on immigration than for its other story elements.