Alice in Wonderland is a film directed by Tim Burton and written by Linda Woolverton (from the novel by Lewis Carroll) for Walt Disney Pictures, with Johnny Depp. The film was released in the United States in 2010. After the adaptation in full-length animated Alice in the Wonderland dated 1951, the studio commissioned Tim Burton to direct a new adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s novels, entitled The Adventures of Alice in the Wonderland (1865) and On the other side of the mirror (1871). This is a fantastic animated film.

Alice Kingsley is a girl who is nineteen years old. She has a boundless imagintation which attracts her a lot of trouble. Her father’s death affected her so she became quite cold and sarcastic. An afternoon, Alice is sought in marriage by Hamish Ascot, an arrogant Lord and very little seductive. At this moment, Alice see a strange white rabbit that has a pocket watch. She follows him. Alice runs away. She said that this marriage arrives a little too quickly. She arrives in front of a curious dead trunk tree. Alice falls in a rabbit hole, in darkness. She arrives in a world opposite of his own : the Wonderland. She will meet a cast of strange characters (the famous White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the March Hare, the Dormouse, the twins Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee and in particular, the Mad Hatter whose real name is Tarrant Hightopp) and find themselves confronted the paradox, absurdity and strange… Alice doesn’t know what happened to Wonderland. She learns that the Red Queen with his Valet red, took power by releasing the Jabberwocky, a frightening monster. Alice will have to ally with the crazy Mad Hatter and the White Queen in order to get rid of the tyranny of the Red Queen and restore justice and peace.

In my opinion, this adaption is the better because of her special effetcs for example. This film directed by Tim Burton uses a combinaison of actual shooting and the animation technique. The result is surprising and amazing !

I’m sorry but if you like Tim Burton and if you think that he’s a genius of the cinema, you probably won’t like this article . The thing is I like less and less Burton’s movies. he has his own world and some interesting ideas but we often find  the same elements :the staging,  the music (often made by Danny Elfman),the characters (always alone, marginal and tortured). Johnny Deep is often present (in 8 films) as Helena Bonham Carter (in 7 films). The only movie that seems to be detached from this scheme is Ed Wood output in 1994 ( a black and white movie which chronicles the life of « the worst Hollywood’s directer »). It’s my favorit film of Mr Burton.

• I am much less admirative for Alice in wonderland ,output in 2010. Despite a quite well done comic, this movie is a perfect copy of his previous films ( except Ed Wood). We feel that Burton doesn’t try to innovate anymore and merely uses his usual visual and his favorits actors.
• Moreover, in this movie, the main character isn’t really Alice, but the Mad Hatter played by Johnny Deep again (to believe that Burton has a true « Depp-endance »).In fact ,he is the most accentuated character (always in my opinion), more than Alice. We can also find this in Charlie and the chocolate factory where the character of Willy Wonka (also played by Johnny Deep!) is much more important than Charlie.
• Burton takes some liberty with the original story of « Alice in wonderland », making it darker (representing « underland » rather than « wonderland »), to better match his world ( which is a good thing).

Even if the story is overrall well done and the visuals are remarkable (especially in 3D), I think this movie stay too little innovative and not equal Tim Burton’s first movies (like Edouard Scissorhands or Sleepy Hollow )

« 12 years a slave » is one of the movies who touched me the most in my life. That’s why it was impossible for me to not talk about it.

It’s the third film of Steve McQueen and the consecration’s one. After « Hunger » and « Shame » (which are really great movies), McQueen decided to adapt an autobiography written by Solomon Northup ( the movie’s main character) published in 1853. In his book, Solomon tells how he was captured to be sold as a slave while he was a rich free man from the north of the USA. We can follow his travels and his meetings until his release after 12 years of suffering and silence.

The actors are all wonderful especially Lupita Nyong’o which is incredibly upsetting in her role of a tortured young slave. Michael Fassbender ( i love him!!) incarnate perfectly the master which seems to ignore his slaves’ humanity. But The others plantation masters ( and their wives) are often much more complex, shared between their conscience and their desir of supremacy.

Thank’s to his editing , his sensational music ( made by Hans Zimmer who worked in Gladiator and many other success),and his amazing actors, « 12 years a slave » show to us a reality we would probably forget where freedom is never acquired. McQueen does’nt try to hide the truth, he expresses it explicitly and very violently.This film has already received numerous awards and he won the oscars for the best movie, the best adapted screenplay and for the best supporting actress for Lupita Nyong’o ( I’m so happy!)

If you have to watch a movie it’s this one. Made your own opinion!

« The vow » it’s a movie directed by Michael Sucsy. This movie resume a realy story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter. It is a drama romantique movie. The wife find her memory after a car’s accident. Her husband does evrything to help remember their history and their love. I love this movie, it’s very dolorous for the husband and inspired the compation. Their love makes us dreaming.

Edward Scissorhands is an American romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton in 1990. Edward (plays by Johnny Depp) is an artificial man who has received a heart to love and a brain to understand, but, because of his creator’s death, he has never received hands, and was obliged to live with scissors as hands.

This is the story of a young man named Edward, who has scissors for hands.One day, Peg Boggs (plays by Dianne Wiest), an cosmetics saleswoman, visits a Gothic manor which seems to be abandoned. But, when she enters in the garden, she sees that all bushes are graven. Intrigued, she comes into the manor and discovers Edward, completely alone. Upon realizing he is harmless, she decides to take him to her home. Edward becomes friend with Peg’s son, Kevin, and her husband Billy, and he falls in love with Peg’s daughter, Kim (plays by Winona Ryder), even she is afraid of him. The innocent and naive Edward discovers gradually the life, and even if he is not loved of all , he trys to make his best to be accepted.
But, Peg’s neighbors are really sincere and nice with the young Edward ? And life is for him a paradise ? What happen next with Kim ? I let you discover by seeing the film !

If you love Tim Burton universe, you will love Edward Scissorhands ! The film is full of emotion and poetry, with a little touch of fun ! Even if at that time, Depp was young, he played perfectly the shy, sweet, tortured and innocent Edward ! It is fun because this film was the first – of a long serie – collaboration of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton Also, the soundtrack made by Danny Elfman is really beautiful ! (Main Title music and Ice Dance music). Burton considers Edward Scissorhands his most personal and favorite work.

I think it is one of the best film directed by Tim Burton, maybe because I it the first Burton film I’ve seen. At the end, I always pour a tear because Edward is so touching and moving ..

Soundtrack of Edward Scissorhands

James Bond it’s a fiction character. Initialy it was a novel written by Ian Fleming (former secret agent). This novel it’s directed at the cinema for the first time in 1954 and the last it’s Skyfall. In the movie encountered James in a paradise island, he pretends to be dead. At th end he save M. His childhood home encountered, his name is Skyfall like this name of the movie. The song Skyfall it’s created by Adèle for this movie.

In the unit 3, we saw an extract of Easy Rider. It’s an american road movie directed by Dennis Hopper in 1969. the two main characters are Wyatt (Peter Fonda) et Billy (Dennis Hopper). this film show the evolution of mentality in the 70′

At the beginning, Wyatt and Billy sell a large amount of drug and buy their motorbikes, they decide to leave Los Angeles to go to New-Orleans at the carnival. Billy puncture his tire and they stop in the farm. Then they continue with a hippie hitchhiker who drive to an hippie town. they stay some days and wyatt helps to plant a cereal and  the hippie tell « a simple food for our simple taste », this crue show a lifestyle of these people.

Later the pair enter in a parade in a small town and they are arrest by racist policemen who send them to the jail. They meet Georges Hanson (Jack Nicholson) a drunk lawyer. George helps them get out of jail and he hits the road with Wyatt and Billy to New-Orleans. One night while they come in the restaurant in the small town in Louisiana, Wyatt, Billy and George attract attention of policeman and an habitant who make fun of trio, make racist and homophobic remarks. The girls ( sixteen years old about) in the restaurant wants meet the riders but the policeman forbidden them. Georges observes that Americans talk a lot about the value of freedom, but are actually afraid of anyone who truly exhibits it. he tell « This used to be a hell of a good country. I can’t understand what’s gone wrong with it » he don’t understand the actual mentality. During the night the men find the trio asleep and hit them with the bat and they kill Georges.

When they arrived in New-Orleans  the bikers meet two prostitutes whom swallow a LSD pill in the cemetery (during the shot they swallow a true LSD pill), this experience is shot with psychedelic approach. It’s the end of his trip but Wyatt want continue to Florida, on the road two rednecks see the riders and when they arrive level with them, the local shoot billy with a fusil and he fall on the side. Wyatt turns around and put his jacket on his hurt friend. the pickup turn around and when they pass near Wyatt, a redneck shoot on the gas tank and he causing it instantly explosion of the bike. This film ends on this scene when wyatt and Billy are apparently dead.

this road movie won the first film award in 1969 at the Cannes film festival. I enjoyed the soundtack of this film and I like to the look bring this film on the hippie and bikers. this morality is that the people are jealous of people who are very free.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuO01-YXPKk[/youtube]

Few days ago a new movie was released on the story of Frankenstein. The last film was released in 1995 and today we have a new version in 2014 : I, FRANKENSTEIN  by Stuart Beattie. Apparently this film does not respect the book and is very different from the version of 1995 by Kenneth Branagh with Robert De Niro in the leading part. The story is very modern and inspired by Hollywood films and action movies. Critics are not favorable to this movie because it is not very original and don’t help us to know more about Frankenstein. It is better to go see the film for make his own opinion.

I will talk about Alice In Wonderland.
First, i like very much fantasy world. You know, supernatural powers, strange animals or land, mad story or impossible time for exemple. Second, i love Tim Burton’s movies. So, i just can love this movie a lot.

Tim Burton can transport all kind of people, all age with his beautiful work. We can quote Bittlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Frankenweenie, The Nightmare Before Christmas (my favorite) and Dark Shadows.
But for me, Alice In Wonderland is one of his best work. Yes, of course, the actors are just amazing, the basic history wonderful and the settings wondrous.. But this is the music that i love the most ! We can close our eyes, and only with the music, we are in Wonderland, with Alice, and we live what she lives and mainly how she lives the events.
Music made by Danny Elfman are just.. Wonderful.
This one is my favorite : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5VcWD2LI7U

It’s a 1903 british silent movie directed by Cecil Hepworth, it’s first adaptation of Lewis Carrol’s book. I enjoyed this movie event if it was damaged, the special effect were realistic for the time. In this movie only recognizes the best time of children’s book. 

when Alice dream who follows the rabbit in many doors, when she come in the garden and play with dog, the height effect with the dog are excellent. We also seen the royal procession where the queen invite Alice. She unintentional offends the queen and in the confusion she wakes up.

the duration of this movie is eight minutes which is short but for the time is exceptional. I crazy about of this old film

While watching Tim Burton’s film in class, some similarities appeared to my mind. I realized that Alice’s real life entourage and particularly their personality traits emerge in her dreams. The Red Queen is the symbol of her pseudo « futur » stepmother because of the red roses which are white. The White Queen remembered me Alice’s aunt Imogene because of her sweetness. Alice’s brother in law remind me of the Red Queen right-and and secret love Ilosovic Stayne because he is dirty-minded and unfair. Tweedledee andTweedledum are representation of Alice’s cousins. 

I also find this 1985’s movie version directed Irwin Allen for television. The animals of Alice’s dreams are simply disguised actors, for example, the Mock Turtle is played by Ringo Starr. In this movie, Alice is really well played by a 8 years old girl Natalie Gregory.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G58KEf0DtOs[/youtube]

Some time ago, I asked me why the story of Frankenstein generated so many adaptations in the cinema, in the literature, etc. I think that it’s the feeling of culpability, the tragic destiny of Frankenstein which touches the most the readers.

So, when I discovered the sequel of Frankenstein by James Whale  at home, I decided to look at it. This sequel, untitled « The Bride of Frankenstein », was released in 1935, four years after the first film (« Frankenstein »).

The romantic and the gothic dimensions are palpable in this adaptation. The first scene is consacrated to the presentation of the author and her cercle. Mary Shelley is showed as a rich and an elegant woman, dressed in white. Outside, the wind is blowing, the thunder is rumbling and the rain is beating against the windows. These elements are typical of the Romanticism and the Gothic. Moreover, a man in the room says : « That is the Romanticism, outside the elements are unchained, and we contemplate them peacefully ».

Mary Shelley answers that she is afraid by the thunderstorm, but her friend Lord Byron laughs and remembers her that she wrote a horrible story which deals with corpses and monsters.

That’s how the film begins : Lord Byron tells the story aloud to his friends, and the spectator follows it with his narrative.This narrative starts with the symbolic picture of a fire : the inhabitants of the village want to burn the monster (hidden in some ruins) because they think that he killed Frankenstein. But after a moment, the monster and its creator (Henry Frankenstein) wake up and surprise all the inhabitants.

In this film, the gothic atmosphere made a deep impression on me. There are many candles, a lot of fires… even the architecture of the buildings is really gothic. Of course, the black and white emphasizes this dimension.

There are some differences between this adaptation and the Kenneth Branagh’s one.(1994) : Henry Frankenstein collaborates with his teacher after creating the monster, and the beginning of the film is different (Frankenstein isn’t on a boat, and doesn’t tell his story to a stranger). Then the relation betwenn the creature and the old blind man is more touching : for instance, the monster even cries at a moment.

Finally, the creature is more human than monster, compared to the others films. It can be seen on the following picture :

Promotional photo of Boris Karloff from The Bride of Frankenstein as Frankenstein’s monster, Wikimédia Commons.

Everyone knows the story, and it’s one of my favorite movies. It talks about chocolate and candies, what’s more Tim Burton is the director. I think he is the most original director.

The factory’s world is wonderful and magic, everything can be eat same Mister Wonka but this is cannibalism. Willy Wonka isn’t a real hero, but he’s just a basic and a crazy man with a dream.

This chocolate factory is a mystery until the opening of these doors just for five children, thanks to golden tickets hidden among the Wonka chocolates.

Between real and fantastic, it makes this story interesting.

Have you ever seen the Hobbit, the film released in 2012? It’s the first one of the recent Tolkien’s cinema adaptation. I saw it at the theatre and I found it well done, even if it was a little bit too long (it lasts 2hours 45) !

I thought the pictures were sometimes linked too quickly, but the effects were clean, and the film sets were beautiful. The technology is probably responsible of a big part of the work, but the sets and the costumes are well chosen and done. The actors are good, and the spectator has sympathy for the characters, especially for the Hobbit.

I prefer this adaptation rather than the previous, because the special effects appeared me easily, and it spoiled me the pleasure to look at a film. So I had a good impression and it made me want to read the books. I had tried before, but I was young and Tolkien’s writing appeared me difficult. I think I will try another time, because he created a fantastic world, like some of modern authors who wrote stories for the youth ( Rowling, Bottero…).

Maybe I was influenced by the enthusiasm of my little brother who is an absolute fan, but I would advise you to see it!

If you like the study of the moment (which is Alice in Wonderland), you will certainly like, in the same category, fantasy movies as The Lords of The Rings, The Chronicles Of Narnia, or Harry Potter, which are all three really popular and recommended movies!

I recommend you to look at them if you don’t know what to do during the holidays!