The Yellow Sea is a 2010 South Korean movie written and directed by Na Hong-jin, the one who made his debut in 2008 with a gruesome feature named The Chaser. Not that this one is less gruesome, or maybe it is. Bloody or not, it's watchable, you are prepared somehow in advance for the upcoming violence, so this is not a horror movie. As I already mentioned in a previous post, this is a surprise first review in this category. I should have started with a more classical piece like Chan-wook Park's … [Read more...]
2666 by Roberto Bolaño Is a Limitless Masterpiece
I don't attempt for an original review when writing about the magnificent novel 2666 by the Chilean writer, Roberto Bolaño. Even so, I don't think that this exquisite novelistic marathon got enough praise from the critics. Amongst them, the following, by the Spanish Rodrigo Fresán is by far, my favorite: "2666 is one of those strange, exquisite, and astonishing experiences that literature offers us only once in a long time. The crucial and amazing thing is not that it's unfinished, but that it … [Read more...]
Killing Floor, a Debut Novel in a Very Successful Series
First Lee Child novel, Killing Floor, was unexpectedly gory, not to mention the one in a million coincidences that took place. Very catchy, captivating, you find in the first two pages that Jack Reacher is no academic, he is a tough mix. After finishing my lecture, I wasn't pushed to read the next one though, but I understand what may appeal to millions of his fans. Jack Reacher as a major series character The main character in this pretty huge novel series, is Jack Reacher, a … [Read more...]
English Vinglish – An Exceptionally Entertaining Indian Drama/Comedy
English Vinglish is an amazing Indian movie (the second presented here) released in 2012. It has now a 7.9 imdb rate out of ten with over 25k votes, which made the movie virtually accountable for the famous imdb Top 250. When I was still navigating in the nineties, I made some Indian friends who told me a lot about Bollywood and the stars of that moment. So, I learned about Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Darmeendra and others. I knew Raj Kapoor since I was a kid and I have … [Read more...]
The Circle by Dave Eggers, a Book About Unity
Dave Eggers is my new hero. I enjoy his writing more than a lot of other things, lately, more than any Dan Brown, for sample. I'm going to speak my mind about Inferno, last Brown's ultra best selling novel, in a future post on this category. Here, I'm gonna praise Mr. Eggers, for his recent The Circle. I have started his 2012 published novel, A Hologram for the King, which determined me to post immediately. Actually I have finished it in the same day, so I have only one word to say about, it: … [Read more...]
James Clavell’s Noble House
I have recently re-read this huge novel, in an edition spread on over fourteen hundred pages and I liked it a little bit less than the first two readings. I found it entertaining but dull and less credible, more like a South American telenovella, where rarely a character is other than black or white, never shady, nor mixed. The good is very good, the bad is bad. [source - imdb] The action takes place in Hong Kong, and flashily evolves during a week, starting with a pair of newly rich … [Read more...]