A Seattle moviegoing lifestyle magazine
In 1909 a small band of Korean independence fighters including protagonist Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun Bin) plot to assassinate Japan’s first Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi. Their goal was to take a big step toward Korean independence and pull their country out from underneath Japan’s harsh rule. Hirobumi had just rejected Korea’s attempt at annexation, so in response a small group of Korean soldiers hatched a plan to eliminate this new threat.
As the year winds to a close, we’re sharing lists of our favorite films we’ve seen (so far).
Kim Namjoon, better know as RM and member of the musical supergroup BTS, released an album early in 2024 titled Right Place, Wrong Person (RPWP). Within the world of ARMY, BTS’ fanbase, it was beloved just as any release from any of the members always are. However, it didn’t end up being as much of a commercial success as his bandmate Jeon Jungkook’s Golden or Park Jimin’s Muse despite those two albums bookending his own release. That doesn’t diminish the quality of the songs contained within RPWP; as a matter of fact, it is a deep dive into the emotional state of RM as a man and an artist that doesn’t go for the easy listen or immediately relatable lyrics. It just gets better the more often you listen to it. That becomes even more evident with a viewing of the accompanying documentary he created as the album was produced.
Set in contemporary London we meet Pansy, a middle-aged black woman just trying to move forward in an increasingly stressful world. As we follow her accomplishing every day mundane tasks she seems to be set off by the most innocuous things from being bumped into walking down the street, to a cashier at the grocery rubbing her the wrong way. Her stress becomes our stress and it’s hard to understand just where all the hostility comes from.
Cat is languidly living in an urban wilderness. Surrounded by worn-down buildings and lush greenery, you sense both the familiar and the unknown. Without any warning he is faced with quickly rising water; he moves farther and farther up surrounding buildings and to the top of a sculpture identical to our small protagonist. Nothing but water as far as the eye can see, he’s unsure of where to go.
A Hungarian-Jewish man, László Toth (Adrien Brody), was separated from his wife and niece during WWII and sent to an internment camp. He somehow manages to survive and escapes to America.
Based closely on the events of Bob Dylan’s life, A Complete Unknown follows the man himself from stepping fresh-faced into NYC to the height of his popularity as he alienates almost everyone who cares about him. We’re introduced to a young Dylan(Timotheé Chalamet) freshly arrived in New York City by way of Minnesota.
Seattle Film Critics Society has been hard at work bringing attention to Pacific Northwest filmmakers and productions over the last several years. …
Moana 2 feels like a natural extension to the first. Better yet, the the storyline is even more focused on Moana because Maui is tied up again (literally and figuratively) in a trap keeping him from seeing his precious humans for the first half-ish of the film. While I love his personality, the charm and comedic timing he adds to the narrative, he should (and is) a supporting role to help our lead find her way.
Maria Callas, a world-renowned opera singer, had an incredible and enduring effect on anyone who witnessed her power and talent. She was also a force to be reckoned with off stage with very little patience for the inane.
