Movies Graded

Director: Lee Isaac Chung Stars: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim Runtime: 115  minutes Synopsis: A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas. Verdict:  Fuelled by a quest for a better life and the pursuit of the American dream, a couple leaves their home country of South Korea to settle in California, where they make a modest living sexing chicks. A decade and two kids later, Jacob’s had enough of his dull job and decides to move with his family to a remote trailer in Arkansas, where he hopes to build his own business from scratch by starting a farm. Worried about the consequences of such a gamble on her family, his wife, Monica, does not share the same enthusiasm he does in regards to his newest project, leading to tensions between a couple who very clearly have different priorities. The son of South Korean immigrants himself and having lived his childhood on a farm in Arkansas, the film evidently serves as a semi-autobiography of writer/director Lee Isaac Chung. And not ...

Director: Paul Greengrass Stars: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Tom Astor Runtime: 118  minutes Synopsis:  A Civil War veteran agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will. They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home. Verdict:  When a veteran stumbles across a little girl who doesn’t speak a word of English, he makes it his mission to deliver her to a safe place, even if that means traveling hundreds of miles to reach his destination. No, it’s not the plot of “Logan” I’m describing to you, but Paul Greengrass’ latest western “News of the World”. But while it is very clear that the two share many similarities, there is no denying that Hugh Jackman’s last hoorah as Wolverine is the superior road trip set in a western background. Starring Tom Hanks as Tom Hanks with a southern accent and the young Helena Zengel, whose on-screen presence was an impressive one to ...

Director: Agnieszka Holland Stars: Ivan Trojan, Josef Trojan, Juraj Loj Runtime: 118  minutes Synopsis:  The breathtaking story of a man gifted with exceptional abilities set against the background of the events of the totalitarian fifties. Verdict:  Czech Republic’s official submission for the 93rd Academy Awards, which made the February shortlist, is a biopic of a rather obscure historical figure. “Charlatan” tells the story of Jan Mikolásek, a famous Czech healer who treated his patients by eyeballing a sample of their urine and then prescribing them plant-based medication. His unorthodox methods ultimately irritated the totalitarian Communist Party that was, at the time, ruling the country, and it didn’t take long for them to seize an opportunity to go after him and his assistant. Agnieszka Holland’s feature does a half-decent job at educating viewers about a character I’m certain most haven’t heard of. It doesn’t offer anything too fancy aside from a realistic depict...

Director: Chloé Zhao Stars: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May Runtime: 108  minutes Synopsis:  After losing everything in the Great Recession, a woman embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad. Verdict:  Tattooed on the arm of a co-worker of Frances McDormand’s Fern are lyrics from the song “Home Is a Question Mark” by Morrissey that say: “Home, is it just a word? Or is it something you carry within you?”. This double query sums up perfectly what Chloé Zhao’s third feature “Nomadland” is about. Taking place right after the Great Recession of 2009, it follows a woman as she abandons the capitalistic definition of the term “house”, opting instead to hit the open road in an RV to live her life to the fullest. Considered by many to be one of the best movies of 2020, I’ll be honest and admit that I had my reservations about the dramatic feature. As much as I respect Zhao as a filmmaker and love watching her talk abou...

Director: Rob Reiner Stars: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher Runtime: 95  minutes Synopsis:  Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship. Verdict:  “When Harry Met Sally” is a pillar in the romantic-comedy genre that is still beloved by many over three decades after its release, and for good reason. It’s the quintessential boy-meets-girl story, spawned from the singular question asked to every couple in existence: “How did you two meet?”. As this query is rapidly answered by a multitude of elderly couples, we focus on the evolution of the titular characters’ relationship. Respectively played by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan (of whom this is surprisingly my introduction), we witness Harry and Sally as they go through every step of a relationship that was organically developed over the course of several years. We see them mature together, learning to bring up the best in one another by providing ...

Director: Harry Macqueen Stars: Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci, Pippa Haywood Runtime: 95  minutes Synopsis:  Sam and Tusker are traveling across England in their old RV to visit friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have. Verdict:  I can't think of many situations that are more tragic than being conscious of the burden your illness causes on your loved ones. Harry Macqueen's "Supernova" deals with that very topic as it is centered on a couple's attempt to renew their love after being told that one of them suffers from irreparable dementia. Sounds like a recipe for tears, right? So why did it struggle so much to get its emotions across? I greatly admire the acting chops of both Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, but a clear lack of chemistry between the couple made the watch a much less impactful one than it should've been. It's certainly not their be...

Director: Derek Tsang Stars: Dongyu Zhou, Jackson Yee, Fang Yin Runtime: 135   minutes Synopsis:  A bullied teenage girl forms an unlikely friendship with a mysterious young man who protects her from her assailants, all while she copes with the pressures of her final examinations. Verdict:  Whenever the topic of bullying is brought up in a feature film, I get nervous. It’s certainly an issue that needs to be addressed, especially in the current digital age, but I can’t think of many filmmakers who succeeded in tackling it in an organic way simply due to the fact that they haven’t experienced it themselves recently. Most of them end up taking the issue to an exaggerated extreme that mainly serves the plot more than the actual social-commentary at hand, and that was unfortunately also the case with Hong Kong’s official submission to this year’s Academy Awards. “Better Days” opens with a tragic incident that sees a high schooler take her own life as her classmates’ appalling...