Category Archives: Movies

Review: His Lost Name

Posted on January 18, 2019 by philipbrasor

The cautious tone and austere aesthetic of Nanako Hirose’s debut feature was what most likely got it placed in the New Currents section of the most recent Busan International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere. New Currents is … Continue reading →

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Review: Creed II

Posted on January 11, 2019 by philipbrasor

As a gambit to legitimize the reboot of a franchise that should have been put to rest years ago, this sequel to the potently effective Creed works surprisingly well, but probably for the wrong reasons. Though it continues the story … Continue reading →

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Review: The Looming Storm

Posted on January 7, 2019 by philipbrasor

Film noir is defined as much by atmosphere as by any other visual or narrative attribute. The first film by director Dong Yue, a noted cinematographer, is drenched in heavy weather per the title. Ostensibly a murder mystery, The Looming … Continue reading →

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Review: My Generation

Posted on January 5, 2019 by philipbrasor

There’s nothing like a cleverly made documentary to bring up the obvious and somehow make you believe you’re hearing it for the first time. The general purport of David Batty’s nostalgic romp through 1960s Swinging London is that the milieu … Continue reading →

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Best Movies 2018

Posted on December 29, 2018 by philipbrasor

I lost my last paying gig as a movie reviewer this year, which means I now watch movies for free, in every sense of the term. I still get invited to press screenings, and attend one or two a week, … Continue reading →

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Review: A Star Is Born

Posted on December 23, 2018 by philipbrasor

It didn’t take much to make the latest iteration of A Star Is Born better than its immediate precedent, the Streisand-Kristofferson vehicle, which has become something of a camp classic while retaining its critical rep as a dog. Nevertheless, there … Continue reading →

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Review: Ralph Breaks the Internet

Posted on December 20, 2018 by philipbrasor

I’m probably not the first person to think that Ralph Wrecks the Internet would have been a better title for this sequel to the Disney hit Wreck-It Ralph, since it would have taken better advantage of familiarity with the original. … Continue reading →

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Review: The Grinch

Posted on December 14, 2018 by philipbrasor

It seems, well, almost Grinch-like to complain about a new Christmas movie while we’re smack dab in the middle of the Christmas season, but, then again, The Grinch isn’t new. This is the third film iteration of the beloved Dr. … Continue reading →

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Review: Our Departures

Posted on December 7, 2018 by philipbrasor

As a Canadian film acquaintance put it, Our Departures is a classic Shochiku release: sentimental, not too dramatic, and warmly funny in spots. It’s also about the importance of family, even if the family in question is unconventional, but, then, … Continue reading →

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Interview with Im Sang-soo

Posted on December 3, 2018 by philipbrasor

The following interview was conducted at the Pusan International Film Festival in October 2006. It originally appeared in The Japan Times. The interview with Im Sang-soo takes place in a karaoke room in the basement of the Paradise Hotel. Though … Continue reading →

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