Monthly Archives: March 2025

Review: Flow

Posted on March 13, 2025 by philipbrasor

As a film about four-legged creatures on a perilous long-distance sojourn, the Latvian film Flow, which recently won an Oscar, at first brings to mind the Disney classic The Incredible Journey, which used real trained animals as its protagonists. Flow … Continue reading →

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Review: Four Daughters

Posted on March 12, 2025 by philipbrasor

Because of its unconventional methodology, Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s movie about a family torn apart by religion, which won the best documentary prize at Cannes in 2023, doesn’t scan as a regular documentary, meaning one that’s chiefly invested in … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Does cancelled concert indicate Japan’s real intentions toward Kurdish refugees?

Posted on March 10, 2025 by philipbrasor

On Feb. 24, the Japan Kurdish Cultural Association (JKCA) was scheduled to hold a concert with a Kurdish singer at the Saitama Kaikan in Saitama Prefecture, but it was cancelled the day before. According to the Saitama Shimbun, the reason … Continue reading →

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Review: Wicked and Presence

Posted on March 7, 2025 by philipbrasor

In the end, any review of a movie adaptation of a popular Broadway musical must contend with diehard fans of the stage version, who will invariably love the film because it was most likely made with them in mind. Any … Continue reading →

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Review: Playground

Posted on March 6, 2025 by philipbrasor

Stories about bullying normally address the power dynamics that develop among children in a closed environment, with adults being out-of-the-loop because victimized children, by nature, resist exposing themselves as being seen as either weak or duplicitous toward their peers. In … Continue reading →

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Review: Devils and Because I Hate Korea

Posted on March 5, 2025 by philipbrasor

Oh Dae-hwan has attracted a huge fan base with his TV shows, in which he usually plays romantic leads. One especially popular historical drama presents him as a man masquerading convincingly as a woman. Given the protocols of Korean show … Continue reading →

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Review: Music for Black Pigeons and The Gesuidouz

Posted on March 1, 2025 by philipbrasor

The weird thing about a lot of documentaries about musicians is that they tend to short change the music itself in that, unless they are actual concert films, they rarely showcase full songs. Jazz documentaries tend to be different since … Continue reading →

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