Billy Elliot is a little boy of England which dreams to become dancer. But his father wants that he plays like him, boxe. He will have to fight to become what he wants. It is a touching novel which explains us how is the society between parents and children in the 20th century in England.
There is a film adaptation of this book which exists.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phCEwSmHpOE[/youtube]
I’m going to talk about Exit Through the gift Shop that is a documentary film concerning the street art, urban art in America. It’s a Banksy’s film, the famous english anonymous street artist whose nobody has seen his face. He mainly makes stencils we can see on the numerous walls of American’s streets. The film tells the story of Thierry Guetta a frensh immigrant who lives in Los Angeles. He is very obsessed by street art. He presents hiself as being the Space Invader’s cousin, another famous street artist. Thierry Guetta spends his time to film what he does, he brings his camera everywhere. He feels like meeting Banksy, and finaly he is successful to meet him. Thereafter, Banksy encourages him to be a street artist too. Thus, Thierry Guetta becomes Mr. Brainwash. I really liked this film ! I like so msuh urban art, if you like it, I advice you to watch this film ! 
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHJBdDSTbLw[/youtube]
The Hours realized by Stephen Daldry is an adaptation of Michael Cunnigham’s novel, like this movie, he inspired himself by Virginia Wolf. She is a memorable figure of literature londoner society in the 20th century. She is a feminist.
The principle in the Hours is to tell the three days of three women. Their life are in different time, in the different place but they are link to one another by the history. This movie began in London’s suburb during the twenties. Virginia Wolf struggled against madness, decided to start the writing of his novel Mrs Dalloway.
More than twenty years later in Los Angeles, Laura Brown read this novel. It is a large experience so she decided to change his life…
In New York, today, Clarisse Vaughn, is a modern version of Mrs Dalloway, she helps his poet friend, who is affected by the aids.
The hours is a movie about art. It shows the need of creating, the feelings produced by the creation. It is a challenge of the Hours, to materialise the plastic type of literature movement in order that make this story cinegenic
It is a beautiful movie, very well established with a fabulous casting. It is a moving testimony.
Gandhi is a film directed by Richard Attenborough in 1982.
The film traces the important moments in the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the struggle for Indian independence.
Some scenes evoke the Salt Walking, the death of his wife during his captivity, the independence and partition of India and finally to his assassination January 30, 1948.
The person playing Gandhi is Ben Kingsley.
This film won multiple awards like the Oscar, British Academy Film Award and Golden Globe Awards.
We also learn that Ben Kingsley, whose real name is Krishna Bhanji, originated by his father to the Indian state of Gujarat in which was also born Mahatma Gandhi and the scene of the assassination of Gandhi was shot in Birla House in New Delhi, the place where Gandhi was actually assassinated.
I’ve particularly liked the film because it had was very well done, the game of the characters is played beautifully , I recommend watching it if you’re interested in history and at this period.
Fury is an American and Chinese film directed by David Ayer, in october 2014. the principal actor is Brad Pitt, Shia Laboeuf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pe???n?a and Jon bernthal.
The fillm takes place in Germany, in april 1945 at the end of World War II. during the film we follow, a tank team appointed « Fury », with a new young gunner (Logan Lerman) because his predecessor is dead, during the last mission. Then « Fury » was deployed with four other tanks to progress in Nazi’s lines. But after a fight with an German tank, they find alone. Afterwards they stop by a mine while an SS army make for them. they decided to fight against them in their tank.
The surroundings are very different of traditional war’s films. This film gives a real submersion in the tank and shows the Americans troops’ state of mind, the lack of staff and the oldest tank compared to the German « tiger ». The story are inspired of a real tank appointed Fury which storm German army. The actors meet tanks’ veterans and they follow a training in a military training centrer during some weeks.
To finish Steven price is the author of soundtrack which is wonderful and oppressive. he composed Gravity’s soundtrack too.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ojowp4mMHk[/youtube]
Hello everyone, I hope you spent great holidays and I wish you all an happy new year !
During this time, I saw a very interesting french film (it explains the title) about exile and I remembered the document that our teacher gave us written by Christopher Booker named « Voyage and Return stories : main features » that sum up the main points that constitue a Voyage or an Exile story. I decided to introduce you the film and compare it briefly to points that are mentioned in the text.
« L’homme qui voulait vivre sa vie » is an adaptation based on an american book named « The Big Picture » written by Douglas Kennedy and published in 1997.
The main character is named Paul Exben (Romain Duris), a very famous Parisian lawyer seems to have everything to success in his life with his work but also with his family because he is a married and has 2 children. He also have a secret passion for photography since his adolescence. Things seem to go even better when his work partner propose him to become the owner from the law firm. But one day, everything falls apart when he discovers that his wife (Marina Foïs) is cheating on him with a friend from the couple, Grégoire (Eric Ruf), who is also a photograph. She broke up with Paul few times after and one day, he comes to see his old friend Grégoire. He becomes crazy about his relationship with his ex wife and accidentally kills him. Completely terrified he decides to run away from France by using the idendity of his victim : Now, Paul Exben is Gregoire Kremer, a photographer. But in his troubles he realizes that this event is an unique occasion to realize his dream : leave everything behind him to live from his passion. Before leaving, he eliminates the dead body in the sea and reaches Montenegro.
He has to restart everything : a new identity in a new country without any money, no friends (actually his relatives thinks that he died) but his hidden skill for photography will help him in his new adventure and finally this accident becomes a real opportunity to reconsider his life but he still live with the burden of a murder and have to stay discreet, even invisible.
To me this film is a real slap : first, aesthetically, the shots are very well built to represent the main character’s confinement : the shots are really tight like if Paul was trapped in his own daily life and you can notice the perfect symetry in the first shot at the beginning of the post, and I noticed that the shots made in Montenegro are even more spectacular : the colors are very pale,like frozen and the environment is really simple, rudimentary and picturesque. I don’t forget the soundtrack that emphazises perfectly each feelings from each characters.
Then I wanted to give you my opinion about the whole plot : Personally, I’m really interested in psychological films so I don’t think that I will be not really objective : I found it fascinating because in our society, we don’t realize that sometimes our daily life can become a real trap for us without knowing and it reminds us that happiness in a very fragile thing ; it’s really easy to lose and we see that trouble never comes alone. Moreover, I think that this film is a nice tribute to these people who keep their dream inside them but are not brave enough to live from their passion. It’s also a great call to leave everything behind you and start to do something that you really want to do. At first sight, it can appear as very naive but there is a constant shadow in this film : Paul Exben is a murderer and the director shows perfectly his constant escape : He is now banned from normal society and it appears as a real problem when it’s about to find a job or to make friends. The end shows it very well. Actually, I think that it’s a really balanced film.
Just a mention about the actors : I don’t know if you have already seen the cinematographic duet made of Romain Duris and Niels Arestrup but to me, they are the two best french actors together. Their play is always right and intense ( especially in « De Battre Mon Coeur s’est arrêté or « Un prophète » from Jacques Audiard). They make a great representation of friendship sometimes really slight or atrocious.
This picture comes from the film : it’s the first shot that Paul took in Montenegro.
Now I want to focus on the comparison between this film and our document : This story belongs to the first category of film : it’s a journey in a new world. The type also belongs to a type from the document : It’s a story about someone who discover a new country, here Montenegro, far away from his Parisian life.
In fact if we follow the pattern of a typical story, I noticed that some points are strangely similar :
1. The Anticipation Stage : It goes along with this story because at the beginning we understand that Paul Exben dreams of something bigger an different from his daily life but he is a coward who has his own confort.
2. Initial an fascination or Dream Stage : this part is also present in this film but not yet because actually Paul Exben just killed someone ; he takes him a long time to recover but finally starts to enjoy his life when he tries to take some pictures : A journalist noticed him and he becomes a local star in his village ; he really likes his life in Montenegro and becomes friend with Bartholomé (Niels Arestrup).
3. Frustration Stage : Sadly; the shadows follow Paul Exben (Or Kremer) because his notoriety forces him to show him up : a photo exhibition is dedicated to him but he realizes that his crime dosen’t allow him to appear in public and get recognized for his talent. It’s the price to pay.
4. The Nightmare Stage : Paul understands that he doesn’t have other choices than run away : people start to ask about him, his life, where does he come from… He founds love and friend but he knows that if he stays, things will turn bad for him. Here again, he has to leave everything to get a boat clandestinely and here the nightmare is at its climax : The boat crew wants to throw him into the sea…
5.Thrilling escape : Miraculously; someone throws him a life boat and he can go back on board. He finally arrives with new pictures but he stays discreet and into the shadow. We understand that it’s a vicious circle.
Actually, it’s pretty funny because the pattern is barely the same : as if voyage and exile stories have to follow the same rules. But few differences make this film unique and captivating. I know that this post is really too long but I had a lot of things to say about it. Hope that you took the time to read it and if you want, comment it because I’ll glad to discuss about it.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/b5eMJkuJHwo[/youtube]
Eragon is an American film by Stefen Fangmeier, based on the novel by Christopher Paolini, release in 2006.
The main scenes take places in a village called Carvahall. The main character is Eragon. He discovered in the woods a dragon egg. From that moment, the young man pupil the dragon who’s growing fast, but it is also chased by the bad guys. He also learns to fight and wield magic. He’s the only person who may be able to bring down the empire of the heartless, Galbatorix.
Normally that’s a novel in three volumes, except that there is only one film adaptation because, apparently, there would have not been enough in the cinema entrance. In addition, the film’s story would have been too much changed from the first book.
Personally, I liked this film; there is action, strange creatures and all that kind of stuff.
It is a musical film which is based on the mixture of many fairy tales which are all connected with each other (Cinderella, The little red hiding hood, Jack and the beanstalk and also Tangled) These tales are all united With the story of a baker and his wife who want to found a family unfortunately for them a which casted a spell on them, to reverse the spell she asks them to go the the woods and bring her something from each heroes from the tales mentioned earlier. Their are many well known actors who are part of the cast for example Anna kendrick who played a role in the twilight movies as one of Bella’s schoolmate, but there is also the one and only Johnny Depp who performs the role of the wolf.
I really want to watch this film because i am a big fan of these kind of films, i can’t wait for the release of the movie in France. For these who are also waiting i can suggest you to watch Sweeney Todd the demon barber of fleet street if you haven’t seen it already of course.
Jack London was a 19th century American author and journalist, best known for the adventure novels White Fang and The Call of the Wild.
This a short summary of the story :
Two men are out in the north’s wild. Their dogs disappear as they are attract by a shewolf and eaten by the pack. They only have three bullets left and Bill, one of the men, uses them to try to save one of their dogs, he misses and is eaten with the dog. Only Henry and two dogs are left: he makes a fire, tries to drive away the wolves. They draw in close, and he is almost eaten, saved only by a company of men who were traveling nearly.
The wolves are in the midst of a famine. They continue on, lead by several wolves alongside the shewolf, and when they finally find food the pack starts to split up. The shewolf mates with one of the wolves and has a litter of pups. Only one survives after several more famines, and he grows strong.
They come to an Indian village where the shewolf’s (who is actually half-wolf, half-dog) master is. He catches her again and White Fang, her pup, stays nearly. Soon, she is sold to another Indian, while White Fang stays with Gray Beaver, her master. The other dogs of the village terrorize White Fang, especially one called Lip-lip.
White Fang becomes more and more vicious, encouraged by his master. He kills other dogs. Gray Beaver goes to Fort Yukon to trade and discovers whiskey. White Fang is passed into the hands of Beauty Smith, a monster of a man. He fights other dogs until he meets his match in a bulldog and is saved only by a man named Scott.
Scott tames White Fang and takes him back to California with him. There White Fang learns to love his master and his master’s family and even saves Scott’s father from a criminal that escaped from the nearby prison. White Fang has puppies with Collie, one of the master’s dogs, and lives a happy life.
I really loved this movie, and you, did you see it ?
There are several adaptations of the famous adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, written by Arthur Conan Doyle and first appeared in 1854. A movie directed by Guy Ritchie with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in 2009, the second film by the same director and with the same actors en 2011. But there are also two TV show I know: « Sherlock » and « Elementary ».
I’m going to talk about the last one, which the season 2 begins tonight (05/12/14).
First the story takes place in New York. Sherlock arrives in the city after being hospitalized in a rehab facility. In fact, Sherlock Holmes is an english inspector who worked for Scottland Yard and who has overcame a hard obstacle during in career in London… His girlfrien has been killed by a famous serial killer called « Moriarty ». So he’s in reintegration into society and he quickly becomes consultant for the NYPD. He has a « sober companion », Joan Watson who helps him to fight against alcoholism and his drug addiction. The duet have to live together because of some reasons of security and they start to be an efficient detective couple !
I ‘m crazy about this serie because I really like the characters: they don’t fit with the stereotype of detective such as « The Expert », they are more human and real but they have a kind of attraction which makes the audience more fascinated. Moreover, the atmosphere is dark thanks to the setting: the house of Sherlock is just wonderful and looks like an old house of the 19th century ! And the insvestigations are very complex, I try each time to solve it before Sherlock… but I fail.
I advice you to watch it, it’s a different atmosphere than the other us series that you could know. (But if I can give you an advice, watch the season 1 before begining the season 2, otherwise you will be completely lost !!)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YvuZ4Msh50[/youtube]
Atonement is a novel written by McEwan and published in 2001.
The book was adapted into a film, directed by Joe Wright and released in 2007. He also directed Pride and Prejudices and Anna Karenine. I think that it’s a really good film director.
I really advise you to read this book or to see the film adaptation.The book was nominated for the Booker Prize in 2001. The Times said that it was the best novel of the year and it was included in the list of the 100 best novels. The film is starring Keira Knightley as Cecilia, James McAvoy as Robbie and Saoirse Ronan as Briony. The film adaptation won one Oscar for the best film score, created by Dario Marianelli and two Golden Globes for the best film score too and the best dramatic film. It had also 29 nominations.
The story takes place in 1935. It talks about a young girl, Briony Tallis, whose family is rather wealthy, who doesn’t understand the love of her old sister Cecilia for Robbie Turner, the housekeeper and an old friend of the family. While his cousins came to visit the family, she assists in his cousin’s rape. But instead of telling the truth and saying who the real culprit is, she said that it’s Robbie who did the rape. Well, he was arrested and he was obliged to fight during the World War II in France. Cecilia and Robbie are separated. It’s a really gripping story and really moving. Moreover, there is a really unexpected overthrow.
The film adaptation is a really good. I really liked the way of filming. I tell you this story because I think that it can be a good illustration for the thematic : Meeting people, love and friendship because this love story has never could existed because of the lie of her sister. And you have you already seen this film or read the novel ? Did you enjoy it ?
The film adaptation by Joe Wright :
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWPZDi723Eo[/youtube]
In september, I saw a french film, directed by Olivier assayas. But the film has a british charm, something really deep which magnetizes irresistibly everyone. The first and the most obvious element which remembers us this british atmosphere -between cold forests, the irresistible language with its softness and the warm culture- is the actress Kirsten stewart chosen by the director. I had a lot of prejudices against this one but finally I found her really amazing. Then, Juliette Binoche was great too and this couple is absolutely captivating on the screen. At this cast we can add Chloé Grace Moretz, an american actress more and more famous in the cinema’s universe.
But the most interesting part of the film is its topic : Olivier assayas decided to evokes the difficulty for a woman to grow older, and particularly in the world and the industry of the cinema. Here, the actress faces herself to her youth, on the stage. Actually a theatre producer contacts her to convince her to play another time a play she had already done. But this time she won’t be the daughter, the young one anymore. She will be the mother, the character she despised when she was young and when she played the role of a young girl.
All the pain and the wound the topic raises is developped during the film. It’s probably the most important act of the old actress’s life, it’s an act in a film, a play in a fiction. This choice from the director is really interesting and leads us to question ourself. What’s a play for an actor? What’s the link between fiction and reality, when time goes and never stops? It’s probably one of the best films I saw this year and this work deserves its mention to the festival of Cannes.
Certainly one of the most popular film of this year: This last Scorsese’s movie was a huge success worldwide probably thank’s to the presence of M. Dicaprio in the cast (I understood that he was quite popular on this blog), but mainly because it’s a very good movie! Inspired by a real fact, it tells the story of the famous trader Jordan Belfort and its irresistible rise in the finances’ world in the 90s where only money talks.I choose to talk about this movie because it illustrates the notions we study in class very well:
This movie is a perfect illustration of the ravages that money can do in our modern World. If you haven’t seen « The Wolf of Wall Street » yet, I really advice you to watch it.
Cloud Atlas is a modern novel of 2004 written by David Mitchell. The style of the book is inspired by Italo Calvino’s If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller. The action is separate in 6 stories and take place from the nineteenth century to a post-apocalyptic futur. Every story is linked by the main character who read each of them and sometimes reverse the chronological order. Eventually readers end where they started. This is a very complex novel in which you need to be absorbed into to understand.
The novel was adapted into a film directed by Tom Tykwer with Tom Hanks and Halle Berry in 2012. He said that « Translating ‘Cloud Atlas’ into the Language of movies was a work that as being like translating a book into another language ». In the movie every actor play many roles as Tom Hanks who play approximatively 7 characters.
This are amazing novel and movie (very hard to understand) but brillant ! You should read and watch them !
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByehYal_cCs[/youtube]
Last week end, i went to see The Hunger Games with my friends.
I read the book before watching the movie, and as expected, i was disappointed. This first part really deficiency of action.. I was prepared to that, thanks to the book. But the different awesome set and mainly main character’s play save this first part. Jennifer Lawrence is, again, very cogent in her character. She is a very good actress for me, even if the event during this movie bored me a little bit, i was very fascinated by her, and only her..
Netherless, i advice you to watch this part even f i didn’t very like it. It permit to understand and prepare spectators for the following, wich promise to be so much captivating and interessant !
He is the first character in the series of novel from Thomas Harris who first introduced the character of Hannibal Lecter in his novel written in 1981 Red Dragon. Lecter is a serial Killer not like the others because he eats his victims he is a cannibal. In the two first novels Lecter is seen as an antagonist but in the third one he becomes a protagonist and in the last novel called Hannibal rising we learn how he became a serial killer. All his novels about Lecter were adapted in films, the first film was called Manhunt (it was based on his first novel Red Dragon) the film was released in 1986 and featured Brian cox but isn’t considered as part of the tetralogy. In 1991 it is Anthony Hopkins who plays the role of the serial Killer in The Silence of the Lambs He even wins an award for this role. he will also play the role of Lecter in the three other movies to come which are Hannibal released in 2001, the prequel of The silence of the lambs and Hannibal called like the first novel of the serie Red Dragon released in 2002 it was not considered as a remake of the first film Manhunt and finally Hannibal Rising released in 2006. Dr. Hannibal Lecter is someone who is Characterized by a certain class and great Knowledge. When you see him he seems to be a respectable man: cultured, intelligent a man with manners but this mask hides a dangerous murderer.
Here there is a video in which we can see Anthony Hopkins speaking about the character Hannibal Lecter.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP-Dw81oFJc[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLe_qO4AE-M[/youtube]Edge of Tomorrow is an American Science-fiction movie, directed by Doug Liman and produced by Erwin Stoff, starring Tom Cruise and Emilie Blunt.
The film takes place in the near future, where an imposing alien race has invaded the Earth and defeated the human’s military units.
The aliens that humanity must fight are called « mimics » – Most are more higher than 2 meters, they fight with their corps covered with thorns and spikes. Some mimics may use lazer beam.
It’s look like Bill Murry in groundhog day, but with some explosions.
This movie is like playing a Game, you are on a mission and you die and then you restart the mission and play again , everytime you loose , you try to make next time different action.
Did any one feel the same after you watched the movie?
Adventure Time is a great Cartoon created and produced by Pendleton Ward.The cartoon deals with the adventures of Finn, an human boy and his best friend, Jake the dog. (who has strange and amazing magical skills)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHjg6cTxmrQ[/youtube]
Finn and Jake live in the magic land of « Ooo ». Episodes are accompanied by some (weird) characters. The most important are :
-The Princess Bubblegum (Scientist & Queen of the Candy Kingdom)
-The Ice King (He always kidnaps princesses throughout Ooo to force them to marry him, he govern the ice Kingdom)
-Marceline the Vampire Queen (She is a vampire who has terrifying powers, to survive,she does not need to drink blood. Rather, she needs to eat the color red out of objects)
Adventure Time is my favorite cartoon, everything i want is in : This is funny (so funny), The story is really good and there is a lot of hidden references (which requires to be old enough to understand)
6 seasons were released until now, so now, let’s watch it, let’s have an Adventure Time !
Not long ago, I’ve seen the movie » The Maze Runner » , directed by Wes Ball , producted by 20th Century Fox. It’s a science fiction action dystopian thriller, and an adaptation of the novel of the same name by James Dashner in 2009.
It talks about Thomas, a boy who wakes up in a strange place, without memory of himself and why he’s here. In the place where he ends up, there are just boys, not girls. The place is delimited by a giant wall, surrounding this one. But at the night, the walls open and provide room for a mysterious labyrinth. Everybody want to find the exit of this labyrinth to meet up with the outside world.
I recommend this movie, it was very interesting and the story is original, it’s a great film !
« The bicentennial man » is a movie adapted from the novel of Isaac Asimov. Richard Martin decides oneday to buy a robot for his family. Andrew, the robot is a NDR prototype, he is destined to doing house work and check children.Quiclky Richard guess that Andrew is not a protype like the others. Andrew develops his own mind and he is able to feels. In fact Andrew behaves like a human and one das he decides to ask to his family to become free. Richard is suprise and a little bit sad but he accepts. After the death of Richard, Andrew falls in love with Portia the grand daugther of Amanda (one the daughter of Richard). Portia can’t love him because he’s still a robot even if he lives like a human. To make Portia loves him Andrew tries to become completly human,thanks to a brilliant scientist nammed Dennis Mansky. At the end, Adrew make his dream comes true but Portia is going to die so he decides to die with her. It’s a moving movie.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5YMEwX2-88[/youtube]
Snowpiercer is an American and South Korean movie, directed by Bong Joon-ho, with Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho and John Hurt. The first release of the movie was in 2013 in South Korea. This is a science fiction movie, based of the french graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Jean-Marc Rochette and Benjamin Legrand.
The story takes place in 2031, after the failure of an experiment to counter the global warming in 2014. The entire world is frozen, and the only survivors are the inhabitants of the Snowpiercer. A class system is installed, with the elites inhabiting the front of the train and poor inhabiting the tail. The hero, Curtis Everett, has to lead the inhabitants of the tail to a rebellion against Wilford, the creator of the Snowpiercer.
Even though the scenario is not exceptional, the setting are really beautiful, and Bong Joon-ho has made beautiful shots. This movie is also very allegorical, and critic the United States, and of the system of caste. The more you watch the movie, the better you understand it !
Nineteen eighty four is a film directed by Michael Radford and based on the novel by George Orwell. It is a science fiction movie. The story tells about the life of an employee called Winston. He lives in a world of war between three nations: Oceania, Eastasia and the Eurasia. This world is run by a man called Big Brother. Winston works for him. It is part of the proletariat, he lives in a very modest home. He is very intelligent and able to think by himself, but it’s totally forbidden. Population has confront a gigantic propaganda from Big Brother. His image is posted everywhere, all man has in his home a kind of television screen who can hear or reprimand them if necessary. One day, Winston will commit a crime totally prohibited by the current regime. He will live a love story with a young woman. To punish him, the men of big Brother will use torture and barbaric methods. At the end, Winston suffered so much that it ends to be completely alienated by the dictates of Big Brother.
This film is quite disturbing for the audience, the story is purely invented, but we can easily make parallels with dicatures of history as fascism. With this film you can see to what extent man can go to protect his own interests. We also see that thought is the only thing that enables a man to survive, as long as there‘s hope there’s life. This film is a kind of warning, after seeing, we reflects on the human condition, on the fact that man can make the best like the worst.
We talked about the Prohibition in classroom through « The Great Gatsby » (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I am going to talk about another movie about the Prohibition : The Untouchables.
The Untouchables is an American thriller, directed by Brian De Palma and released in 1987. At the beginning of the 1930s, it was the time of the Prohibition in Chicago. It was forbidden to make, drink or sell alcohol. Some people made and sold alcohol illegally : there were bootleggers. There was a kind of « gang war ». Al Capone, played by Robert De Niro, was very famous at that time. He controls the traffic and sale of alcohol. But a famous policeman, Eliott Ness (played by Kevin Costner), recruits three trustworthy men, untouchables, in order to clean Chicago of crimes. So Eliott Ness’ team was called the Untouchables. The Untouchables really existed as the characters of Al Capone and Frank Nitti. But several characters were invented (for example Jim Malone or Giuseppe Stone). Thanks to the Eliott Ness’ memories, the director was able to transcribe, in his script, Al Capone’s stalking, hunting. The famous Untouchables of Chicago were actually eleven and not four like in the movie. Al Capone’s trial was in 1931. He was sentenced to seventeen years in prison, including eleven years fixed.
When we have seen 1984 in class, it was the first time I think, I watched such a film because of dystopia (I’ve seen Hunger Games but that’s all) and I found it surprising.
T thought that Orwell represented one of the real totalitarianism but it was a general denunciation indeed. It just made me think of how men could erase moral and physical independence and it was very terrifying!
In the other hand, we can fear the fact we could be cruel without any reason and the consequences for human… I knew all that things but I forget it because we live in a society where we are rather free (in comparison with the society of Winston). I remember now that the human could be mad like it was the case during all the wars and it has made more sensitive about there horrors.
After my first article on Sherlock Holmes’s cinematographic adaptation, I’d like to talk about the second movie, called Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadow, released in 2011 and directed by Guy Ritchie. It still with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, and as I said in my precedent article, this movie is more darker than the first one. Even though there are funny moments, the audience discover a more methodical and smart Sherlock. In fact, he will fight against his worst and smartest enemy : Professor James Moriarty.
As always, Holmes surprises us by using his power of deduction and his ability to disguise himself. The plot is really nice, and you can’t get bored. The fact that the atmosphere changes between the two movies avoids the movie to be boring. And as I’m a big fan of Robert Downey Jr, I can say that it is one of the best interpretation, who fits him so well !
And, special thanks to Hans Zimmer who, as always, made a beautiful soundtrack !
Rampage, sniper in freedom is an action film canado-German, carried out by Uwe Boll, directly left in DVD in 2009. This film isn’t really at all known because it’s a film very disturbing for the government of America. And it’s even incredible which this film isn’t censured!! I wanted to speak to you about it because I find this subject rather interesting. Brendan Fletcher plays the main role perfectly, it plays a man very disturbed who is completely against the society, against American lifestyle etc. It’s a film which almost wants to be shock like documentary with images of files, which denounces that one is of agreement or not with the ideas of the character. It’s not a film which wants to be implicit!
Then if you are not afraid of the firearms and that you like the action, and the denunciation; don’t hesitate to look this film !
Wednesday in cinema we will see : The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
This film is an adaptation of 3rd tome at trilogie The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins in 2010.
It is the last tome of trilogie.
Resume :
First Tome :
Katniss Everdeen is an resourceful young woman who lives in Panem ( Post Apocaliptic America).
When Panem was built it was divided in 13 districts to promise a pleasant life. But people are
repressed and they’re revolted. The capitole have destroyed 13rd district and have invented The Hunger Games an cruel TV Show.
Each year , each district must give two tribes. One male and one female
They will be sent into an artificial arena and they must kill each other. The winner is the tribe who is not dead.
To 74th edition Katniss is volunteer to remplace her little sister who was chosen. She represent 12th District.
But in the end of show they are 2 winners. She and Peeta, the young man at 12th district too. They pretend an passional love and try to suicide for not to kill each other. The President Snow is very furious and promise to kill Katniss.
Second Tome :
75th edition of Hunger Games is particular ! And will go to TV show the winners of the previous editions. Peeta and Katniss participate too. But Katniss succeeds to destroyed arena and rebels recover she in district 13. But Peeta is recover by Capitole.
Third Tome :
Katniss accepts to become the symbol of Rebellion against the Capitole. But rebels will save Peeta and other winners.
It is in the Third Tome , who begin this film. The trailer is catchy ! I want to see this film !
I want to talk about Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, a american, in 1953, because is a dystopia like 1984 or O Brave New World. the title of the book refer to the auto-inflammation of paper.
the story follow Guy Montag a firefighter, one day he meet a different young girl, she tells him who are observer. At home he finds his wife on your bed, unconscious. He continues to meet the young girl Clarisse.
during one mission on a house with lot of books. Montag steals a book and the owner refuse to quit her house and she burns with her books. At home he explains the situation and his wife doesn’t understand. The tomorrow he refuses to work and his captain come and explains the problem of the literature on the society and the books must be destroy…
in this book people have a cult of violence people are dehumanized.
The book was awarded the Hugo Award for Best Novels and was adapted in 1966 by François Truffaut.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9n98SXNGl8[/youtube]
For the cinema option I studied 3 movies of Hitchcock and I would like to talk about one of them : The Birds. Even if I liked it, I found it was a very strange movie. At the beginning of the film a woman, Melanie Daniels, meets a man, Mitchell Brenner, in a dealer birds. They talk about « inseparables », a category of birds that Mitchell wants to offers to his little sister. Then Melanie goes in Bodega Bay where lives Mitchell to bring him the inseparables. After that there are different attacks of birds and we don’t know why. The film is very intriguing and special but in the same time I found it very good. I suggest you to watch it !
Do you know The Shawshank redemption (translate by « les évadés » in french) , a movie directed by Frank Darabont in 1994?
This little masterpiece is inspired by The Stephen King short story « Rita Hayworth and Shawshank redemption » from his 1982 collection « Different Seasons ». Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins), an honest banker, was accused of murdering his wife and her lover. So, he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in one of the most ruthless jail of the United states: the Shawshank penitentiary.The years he will spend in Shawshank will be the worst ones of his entiere life, as the most beautiful ones.
I have to say that I discovererd this movie recently, But It was one of my best cinematographic experiment of all time.
All this movie is a metophor about hope and about how patience can bring us freedom if we show a bit of intelligence and maturity. I don’t want to talk overly about the story to not spoil it because the final revelation is very important in the appreciation of the movie.I particulary appreciate the characters construction because each individual correspond to a symbole of incarceration and i had a real crush for the soundtrack composed by Thomas Newman (Skyfall, The Green Mile) , he’s such an amazing composer.
The Shawshank redemption is a wonderful lesson of life: it’s worth seeing!
Let’s talk about the great Alfred Hitchcock!
Yes, the master of suspence, the one and only. He is decidedly the reference who inspired the greatest thrillers of the modern cinema. His visual audacity, his mastery of émotions on screen and his hard work made him one of the most influent directors of all time. I choose to talk about one movie, maybe my favorite, but definitely the most famous: Psycho ( inspired by the Robert Bloch’s eponymous novel).
Marion Crane (Janet Leight) steals 400 000$ from his employer and she decided to leak to escape the police. In the middle of the night, she stops at a motel in the middle of nowhere: The Bates motel. She is welcomed by the strange property landlord called Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) who visibly try to seduce her. Then, she hope to spend the night here safely, but nothing will happen as she had imagined.
Some people could say that it’s an outdated movie but, replaced in its historic context (1960), It’s a truly innovative and major work in the history of cinema. As an exemple, we can thought about the shower scene, which was so difficult to achieve and which is , today, one of the most famous scene of all time in cinema. Visually, it’s simply magnificent ( the plays of light created by the black and white help a lot) and the unforgettable soudtrack of Bernard hermann renforces this chilling atmosphere.
So, if you haven’t seen Psycho yet and if you are a little bit curious, I can only recommend you to see it.Personaly, I also love the remake of 1998 directed by Gus Van Sant (he recreated the original movie shot by shot adding a few interesting details like colors).There is also the film Hitchcock, which returns on the creation of Psycho in 1960 and which is very interesting to see.
Finally, there is an awesome Tv series which is tells the Norman bates’s youth with his invasive mother but if you want more details about that you can read the article written by my friend Emma called « Bates Motel ».
Doctor Who is a british science-fiction series release in 1963.
The Doctor is an alien look like an human, comes from the planet Gallifrey. He is a Time Lord. He can travel in the time and space with his spaceship, the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), that seems at a police call box. This spaceship is bigger into inside.
The Doctor travel with companions and he discover with they lot of planets and important history moments. The companions is necessary because the doctor is an old alien who know almost everything and the companion is used to tell us the doctor story with a point of view close to the spectator, to identify at they.
The first doctor was William Hartnell. The actor started to become older to play the doctor and scenarist have include in the serie the regenaration concept to change the actor. The doctor, when he going to die, can regenerate into a new body with new personnality.
This concept allowing to continue the serie 50 years later.
The serie is divided in two parts, first from 1963 to 1989. The series as knew, with this seven doctor, poor audiences, and producer has decided to stop it.
In 1996, the BBC try to regenerate Doctor Who series with a telefilm, but the quality of it hasn’t success to Doctor Who comes back.
The second part of this series start in 2005, Doctor Who is resuscitate.
Today the series continued with this eight season of the new series.
Totally, this series have 812 episodes and one telefilms for 34 seasons and 12 doctors.
The series concerned also the literature because lot of books extend the doctor who universe. To keep the series concept, and renew the experience at any book, any book is written by different writter. The exportation of a concept to other support for enrich the experience of a story is called crossmedia.
It’s very difficult to describe why I love Doctor Who. This series is so complete, because any episode is different and the series have very lot different subject. The renew of scenarist and actors supply a new breath at this series, and we can’t tidy up this series, she was know lot of kind. So I love Doctor Who because story is very interesting and renew at any episode, the characters are cools and I like the concept of travel in Time and Space and all complication what they can have, like time paradox.
« Timey Wimey, Wibbly Wobbly Stuff »
Batman was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in 1939. After Superman it was another hero from DC Comics. At the beginning it was only comics but now we can find Batman in Films and cartoons.
Who is Batman ?
Batman , alias Bruce Wayne…It’s a rich man who saw, when he was children, his parents dying killed by a robber Joe Chill for a necklace. After that , Bruce decided to fight the crime. And he wears a mask to scare his enemy. With this mask Bruce Wayne become Batman
Batman was created to be opposite of Superman. Superman has Powers and fight the crime the day while Batman hasn’t powers but he has gadgets and very sophisticated technology and he fight the crime at night. And he lives in Gotham City. The city with the biggest number of crime.
Batman Has many ennemy like Double Face , Nygma , The Pinguin. But the worst is the Joker.
The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by Alice Walker, in 1983 she receives Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for this fiction.It was later adapted into a film of the same name, I looked there shortly. The Color Purple is a 1985 american drama film directed by Steven Spielberg.
http://www.allposters.fr/-sp/Couleur-pourpre-La-The-Color-Purple-Affiches_i8034548_.htm
It was filmed in North Carolina. The movie tells about a young African American girl named Celie Harris and her little sister Nettie. After many rebounds, both sisters are separated. Celie becomes a maried woman whereas she is still young. This husband is tyrannical with her. Children at this man consider Cellie more like a slave than a mother.
This story permits to discover the condition of african women during the early 1900s, and including poverty, racism, and sexism. Like The Help, it’s a movie important of Africans’s history in United States.
Personally, I recommend just be careful if you are a sensitive soul ! Someone has already saw this movie, or read the book ?
Captain Phillips is an American film directed by Paul Greengrass, it was released in 2013.
the major player is Tom Hanks, he plays Captain Phillips.
This is a great movie full of suspense, you always wonder what will happen, the plot is very well built. Moreover, Tom Hanks plays his character very well, every minute of the film, we empathize with personnages compared to what is happening.
I suggest you see this movie, or if you’ve already seen this film, tell me what you think.
Norman Bates is one of the most famous fictional character of the 20thcentury. He was created by Robert BLOCH in his famous novel Psycho published in 1959.
This story had inspired a lot of directors like of course Alfred HITCHCOCK but more recently the story had been adapted as a television serie untitled « Bates Motel ».
It retrace the story as we know it but based in the present time and Norman is actually just a teenager for now. The scene is settled in a really strange city so that Norman is surrounded by violence and fear and because of this we see him change in a bad way.
The principals characters are played by Vera Farminga, Norman’s mother, (who played in Conjuring) ; Freddie Highmore, Norman, (who played Charlie in Charlie and the chocolate factory!) and finally Max Thierot (who played in House at the End of the Street) and here Norman’s brother.
I really love this serie and I recommend it and if you want to know about the movie adaptation go look Colyne’s article!
Tell No One is a detective story published in 2001 by Harlan Coben. He is one of the most famous american thrillers’s writter of the end of the20thcentury and the begining of the 21st
This novel is about a woman who is force to fake her death with the help of her father because a rich family tries to kill her caused to what she knows about them ; but she can’t tell her husband that she still lives.
This novel has been adapted to the screen by the French director Guillaume Canet. The title means that actually her husband found out that she still lives but because she’s not quiet safe he had to « Tell no one ».
I didn’t read the book but I saw the movie and it’s quiet interesting I recommend it to you!
In class, we saw a film which is called, 1984.
For me, the atmosphere of this film is very alarming and it can affects us psychologically. It show us how the society was before, during the totalitarism. There is no colour and no happy ending. There are scenes which particularly shocked me like the scene when Winston is tortured. This act of violence is capable of changing the way of thinking of a man because he has to think and do what the society wants and I find it really unjust.
Hi everybody, i will talk about The Maze Runner today.
First, i saw the movie twice in cinema, and then it becomes directly one of my favorite. Then, i started to read the book… And i think i fell in love with the story’s book as much as the story’s movie. But as you can think, yes, this is not the same story. Netherless the character and the set is similar, this is just the event and some actions wich are not alike.
So, i decided to explain a little bit the story of the movie because the movie is a little bit more famous than the story’s book thanks just to the trailer by exemple.
Thomas, a teenager as us, finds himself in a unknown place, wich is surrounded by a giant maze. He is only surrounded by boys, wich have approximately his age too. He did not remember anything, just except his name. He will discover thereafter the goal of all these boys and will help them, even if the danger, unknown and unexpeted, is really present, all day, all night. Even among his friends, even himself..
As i said at the beginning, this story is one of my favorite, because the story is just amazing and original. The actions and the actor’s play are just perfectly executed. I specially recommend this movie. And if you want, you really can read the story and see the movie : this isn’t the same story but twice deserve to be notice.
And you ? What do you think about it ? Who is your favorite character ? (Mine is Minho, he is SO cool aha)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-iSYVmMVY[/youtube]
This film, is totally crazy! I love how Jim Carrey play, how he soaks of the main character, who is really crazy, and mostly delirious!
In fact, Ace Ventura (played by Jim Carrey), want to find out who stole a daulphin. There are many sentence turn in the scene funny, like.. When he say : » If I don’t come back in 5 minutes… wait more longer! » This man is a detective, but nobody take him seriously.. Simply because, he deals disparition of animals! But he has a mind perspicacious, and understand many things that people don’t figure out. He see what others detective can’t see. In fact, he is gifted in his speciality..
More whe forward in the story, more whe realize that he is clever.. Indeed, he succeed in discovering who stole the daulphin. (I know who do that, but I can’t tell you!)
Personnaly my favorite scene is when he act someone crazy and at the limite of the possesion or dementia.. In fact, he dressed with a tutu, and attire of hospital. His hair are not caffed. So with that rig-out he comin in psychiatric hospital to find document of someone who is important for the investigation.
Actually i don’t like the books because i’ve never tried to read them because of the small size of the letters, but i watched the films, and i think that there are no better films than the Lord of the Ring trilogy. The project is considered as one of the most ambitious in the history of the cinema. The special effects during the epic battles are just huge, i will always remember legolas’s acrobatic movements to jump on an Oliphant and kill him (oliphant= creature) and what can i say about the epic places in which the film is turning Minas tirth, the dark door,mordor …etc. there are such a list of creatures like orcs, the uruk-hai, the nazgul and many others the design is also something important for the production of the film each folk has specific elements,the music is also something important in the movie because it plunges us in it. The three films were a great commercial success, bringing total nearly three billion dollars.
it is a film that you have to see and if you haven’t seen it what are you waiting for go and watch it you will not regret it!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiYy7PptMsY[/youtube]
Hi, today i’m here to write about puzzling business… (that echoes to 1984 novel.)
Have are you already thought about what could happen in the military environment ? I have to say that until now, I never wondered about it. But yesterday, I was quite thoughtful : the film that I have seen was so amazing but so oppressive. Its name is Palace Beach Hotel ; the film is about a group of soldiers who just went back from Afghanistan ; they were on the field when they saw one of their comrade being roughly slayed in front of them, his throat cut in two. These soldiers are sent in a luxurious hotel in Cyprus, the Palace Beach Hotel, to be supported by a psychological assistance ; moreover an intern investigation is launched because the Army does not want this affair to be public. At the beginning, everybody seems very normal like if nothing happened : the 3 main characters are very secretive and assure that they’re ok to the psychologist.
But there’s something strange; beyond this issue ; these 3 persons have to hide a huge secret…Things are going bad when one of them comitted sucide. Here again, the Army wants to keep this issue very secret and we’re appalled to see how hypocritical the Army senior officers can be. Here starts a really hard psychological war for the viewers.
I don’t know how to explain my reaction when I saw that the film was based on real facts ; I mean that there is a huge information issue; seriously, the informations that we can see and heard are really monitored ; before the film I don’t even know that kind of problem could happen in a national organisation ; I always considered soldiers as superhumans who know how to separate job from feelings and fears. I realized that they are human like us and sometimes they can be kind of weak ; but in this system the weakness is not receivable : you have to keep your mouth shut and go on your way. People are not told about everything, even important things, that’s why I’m quite angry. Moreover, it’s a really interesting way to see how that nobody is saved by the war damages ; physically and psychologically speaking.
This film is very stunning in the way that even if it takes place in a luxious hotel, the horror of the facts follows them everywhere, between each walls, in every rooms. Characters are completely psychologically locked, and the only one that achieve to talk to someone comites sucide few hours later because of drug issues. Moreover the reportage that I have seen few hours earlier has confirmed my doubts : since September, 45 police officers killed themselve because of their emotional distress and their psychological troubles due to the things that they see everyday.
Do you REALLY think that it’s normal ?
These people are supposed to protect and help us but they can’t protect themselves because of the hardness of their environment..
Actually, I came to make a parallel between this story and 1984 ; in fact these soldiers suffer of a brainwash ; the colonel, through his investigation make them believe that nothing happened, everything was fine and that they must never talk about it ; It’s a way to control their mind, and the colonel benefits of their psychological weakness to make them silent. Moreover, the fact that he don’t want it to be revealed goes along with the Big Brother manipulation system ; he controls the informations and decides what must be said/written and what should never goes out of the hotel. It’s quite scary because we understand that the limit between fiction and reality is actually really thin.
I’m really speechless and I think that I will continue to make some researches about this issue ; it’s a real problem and people don’t realize what is currently happening beyond the TV News.
Welcome to Gattaca is an American film directed by Andrew Niccol and released in 1997. I have seen this movie for the notion of progress and I really liked it and that’s why I decided to explain this movie and share it with you.
This film is situated in a futuristic world where you can choose the genotype of children. In this society which practises eugenics scale, gametes parents are sorted and selected to keep only children with the fewest defects and maximum benefits.
In this world, all is selected according to its own nature.
Gattaca is a center for study and research space for people to perfect genetic heritage. There is also another story that I let you discover.
In my opinion, this film shows us a futuristic world that seems imaginary but maybe our futuristic world because the progress continue to evolve everyday. As a result, over the years we are likely to have a world like this thanks to the scientific progress and to my mind, it is not good for humanity.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u3RrbNpRUQ[/youtube]
We have watched in class 1984 which is a British film directed by Michael Radford and based on the novel by George Orwell and released in 1984. That’s a science fiction movie and I like this kind of film. Here is a short summary, manipulating and controlling every detail of the lives of his subjects, Big Brother is the spiritual leader of Oceania, one of three states whose capital is London. The bureaucrat Winston Smith works in one of the departments. But one day he falls in love with Julia, which is a crime. Both of them will try to escape, but in this nightmarish world divided into three, be all that revolts broke.
In my opinion, during the film, it’s a little complicated to understand the story because I have the impression that the film is not sufficiently detailed to allow a good understanding. But at the end, we understand everything because there are more and more events. There are some terrifying scenes where we see the character being abused.
We should read the novel because it’s still a strange world and maybe much in the film than in the original work. But generally this is a film well done and for the characters, they played a nice role and as a result, they are excellent in this movie.
It is a film directed by Tim Burton and released in 1999, it is an adaptation of Washington Irving’s novel (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow). in this film just like in many other’s Burton is working with the one and only Johnny depp, who played the role of the New York inspector Ichabod Crane. Crane is a 24 years old man who believes in science, his superiors has sent him in the village of Sleepy Hollow to find the man who has committed the three murders by slaying the heads of his victims and taking them with him, when he arrives he meets the notables of the village who tell him the story of the headless horseman, a mercenary who died during the war of independence who comes from hell to slay heads. Ichabod stays sceptical and says that he will find the murder who isn’t something coming from hell but a man. Some days after he will meet the headless horseman who will kill one of the notables and take his head just in front of his eyes, at this moment when he finally believes in the presence of the headless horseman he decides to do everything possible to stop him. Will Ichabod find a way to stop him? I let you find it out from yourself.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6O4Himch7g[/youtube]
Salem is a fantasy drama serie created by Adam Simon and Brannon Braga published on WGN America and beginning on April 20, 2014. The serie which stars Janet Montgomery and Shane West is inspired by the real witch trials in Salem in the 17th century. there is a second season which is going to be released but we don’t know exactly when it will be released. Many people are waiting for this season because the creators and the cast have created a strange oppressive world even the director of WGN America congratulates the work made by the team. The witches universe is bringing a lot of viewers and Salem is just the serie you have to watch if you like all the witchcraft stuff!
This is the trailer of the first season for these who haven’t seen it!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTxZYR3W8bE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTmYI1DOZvc[/youtube]
The Grand Budapest Hotel it’s a movie of Wes Anderson telling the story of a concierge, Mr. Gustave and one of his employees, Zero Mustafa, they both worked at The Grand Budapest Hotel which explains the title of the movie.
The movie had been inspired of the novels of Stefan Zweig a famous Austrian writer of Jewish origins born in 1881; he had to flee in the middle of the 1934’s because of the rise to power of Adolf Hitler in Germany.
The characters also flee in the all movie because they had stolen a famous painting called « Boy with Apple » and we found the influence of the Stefan Zweig’s novels because the director has set a fake army which represent the Nazi’s army and the hate of strangers that the author has replaced in his autobiographic novel « The World of Yesterday ». Stefan Zweig and his wife get suicide in 1942 not long after Hitler gave the order to killed Jewish people in Europe.
The last “Hobbit” named “The Battle off the Five Armies” arrives finally, before Christmas! On December 10 exactly!! I’m really excited because it one of my favourite trilogies! It mixes as well the fantastic, as the adventure and too the action!
The Hobbit is a saga carried out by Peter Jackson, inspired by the novel “the Hobbit” of the British writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Before last film of the « Hobbit » had stopped when Thorin and the Dwarves, helped by Bilbon the Hobbit, succeeded in recovering their kingdom and their treasure on the solitary mountain. But they also awoke the Smaug dragon. What you it then will occur? I leave you with the band of advertisement of next film!!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMy2a4Vi4tY[/youtube]
Who would have thought that Martin Scorsese had a passion for novels dealing with organized crime? Two novels written by Nicholas Pileggi were adapted for the screen by the famous director. Today, in my opinion, these films are the best of his career. Moreover, they have expanded his reputation.
Thus, Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family written in 1986 became Goodfellas in 1990 and Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas written in 1995 became Casino the same year. For both, Pileggi and Scorsese took part in the writing of screenplays. For the cast, the director did not hesitate to call two great actors, namely Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci. The two actors met on the shooting of Raging Bull in 1980 directed by… Scorsese, of course! In both films, these two legends steal the scene. They will stay icons forever.
Another film about this topic will be directed by the director, The Departed (2006), but without de Niro, without Pesci and without Pileggi…
You can see the trailers here for more details on this film:
The movie « The Artist » is a good representation of the roaring twenties’s cinema. It’s a silent film in black and white directed by Michel Hazanavicius and realized in 2011. This film shows Jean Dujardin in the role of Goerge Valentin, a silent movie star who has to face the arrival of talkies by the end of the roaring twenties. The talkies changed the history of cinema during roaring twenties. This movie represents perfectly this change.
Then, the actrice Berenice Bejo shows the difficulties to become a star in this period.
Finaly, this film has all the features of a silent film, there are no dialogues, no colors and no large screen, still, directors and actors found the way to represents complex stories.
I watched this film and it’s very good! « Gone girl » is an American thriller dating back to 2014 and directed by David Fincher (an American director and producer). Fincher is one of my favorite director with Wong Kar-way. His films are amazing!
So, « Gone girl » is a film with black humor and it’s satire of marriage and media. The film denounces the hypocrisy of American society idolizing appearances. It’s a beautiful film, very well filmed and with interesting script. The soundtrack is very nice. The actors are Ben Affleck (Nick) and Rosamund Pike (Amy).
Amy and Nick are a seemingly perfect couple. But one day Amy disappears. We think that she is abducted… or did Nick killed his wife ? It’s a leading thriller. I will not say because the truth is the charm of the film. I find the script is very clever because we have different point of view without knowing the truth.
I recommend you!
In class we have studied « The great Gatsby » by F. Scott Fitzgerald and there are two films adaptations of this novel : In 1974 by Jack Clayton and in 2013 by Baz Luhrmann. The actors are different. In the film from Jack Clayton Gatsby’s actor is Robert Redford and Diasy’s actress is Mia Farrow. In the version of Baz Luhrmann it’s Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan.
I prefer the film dating back to 1974 because there are more details and the actors are better ! Even if in the second film special effects and outfits are beautifuls.
And what about you ? What is your opinion ?
Seven Pounds is an american movie, directed by Gabriele Muccino (and released in 2008).
The main character is a man, Ben Thomas (played by Wil Smith) who has a terrible secret and wants to help people and change their lifes to find his redemption. He will do everything to achieve his goal. At the beginning, the intentions of this mysterious character are uncleared, we don’t necessarily understand his motivations, is to say, what is his secret. But gradually as the story progresses, we discover the character’s past through flashbacks and we bind this man. The story of the character is very touching : I got goosebumps at times and at the end, I almost cried ! I thought Will Smith was perfect for this role. Really, feel free to watch this movie, it is really good !
1984 is a novel written by George Orwell. In classroom, we saw the movie by Michael Radford.
The atmosphere is very cold, the rhythm is slow and the story very glaucous. Some of pupils didn’t like this movie but I really enjoyed it ! I love this kind of movies even if they are strange.
However, I found some pretty harsh scenes (like the scene of the torture).
I think George Orwell wrote a very good story, in fact, we can ask : Does Big Brother exist today ? I think yes, Orwell is a kind of anticipator !
What about you ? What do you think about 1984 ?
I have recently began to watch Games of thrones an television series and I know all of people have watched it much times before me. Games of Thrones is an adaptation of romans at George R.R.Martin. Directed by David Benioff ans D.B Weiss. It’s an american mediaval fantasy films.
We can to say that series is bold and a little outrageous ! But it is representative to hardness to life in this period. We can distinguished three stories who’s spend the same time : In Westeros, nobles families fights each other for throne. In North of Westeros , « the night watch » care the wall who separated people and fantastics and dangerous creatures who killed someone who pass the wall. But Winter returns …and an season can last many years. In Winter , horrible things arrived and people die to hunger , tired or killed about someone….
And in Essos , brother and sister want revenge to king. Because their father was a king of westeros , but he was crazy and he was killed. His son would to recover his ring. To that he married his sister to a leader of a savage people , to they help him to fight to a throne.
I am just in Episode 5 to first season but i found this serie captivating even it’s violent
Boardwalk Empire is an American television series inspired by the book Boardwalk Empire : The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson. This series represents well the roaring twenties with The Prohibition, the Jazz Age and the Fashion of this period.
In the 1920s, Nucky Thompson, a notable politician in control of Atlantic City organizes an agreement and walk into the smuggling business. He decides to work in the alcohol industry in Atlantic City, then crushed by Prohibition, to pay for the city’s finances. He meets Jimmy Darmody, a young veteran of the First World War very smart, who will become his protege.
I recommend it to you, it’s a good representation of those years. Furthermore, the intrigue is rather interesting.
Sherlock Holmes is a movie directed by Guy Ritchie in 2009, with Robert Downey Jr. at Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law at Doctor Watson.
As you can suppose, this is a modern adaptation of the characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but also from a comic book of Lionel Wigram (script writer and producer of Harry Potter) who has never been published. Guys Ritchie shows us a more modern Holmes : the detective does not just use his magnifying glass, (as shown in the latest Sherlock Holmes movies, slightly clichés), he also has really good fighting abilities, and he’s a master in the art of disguise. Even if it is a thriller, you have some really fun parts in this film, which is less dark than Sherlock Holmes 2, Game of Shadows.
In this movie, Sherlock Homes has to fight a malignant villain called Lord Blackwood, a murderer who, after being caught and hanged, mysteriously returns to life. London police is not very efficient, and Sherlock will realize that he has more enemies than he thought, enemies who are very close to him ..
I can only applaud the very good performance of RDJ and Jude Law, who form a very good duo !
Rebecca, is a novel written in 1938, by Daphné Du Maurier. This work is considered as a classic of the english literature.
It relates the story of the female narrator, whose we don’t know the name. This woman meets Maximilien De Winter, a upper cast man to her. Mr. De Winter is weird but lovely, he seems to have a painful past ( his wife, Rebecca, is dead ). So, she falls in love with him : it’s reciprocal. They get married. The young couple come in Maximilien’s manor, Manderley. Gradually, the young woman « is haunted by the Rebecca’s ghost », Mrs. Danvers, the governess, boosts this. In the wake of a bal, a storm brings out, from the sea, a boat with Rebecca’s body. Therefore, a police investigation starts. We can notice the main character’s evolution, she becomes a strong woman while she was a « little and shy girl » at the beginning.
I won’t say the story’s wake, it’s up to you, to discover it! I decided to make an article on this novel because it’s, I think, my favorite. The atmosphere is almost indescribable, the ( psychological ) suspense is unsustainable. The novel is dominated by the mystery. There is a kind of darkness in the way the novel is written, in the opposite of the main character’s innocence. What’s more, it’s a great idea from Du Maurier to not give a name of the female narrator.
Moreover, I want to deepen the subject. So, I’ll talk about the famous film adaptation : Rebecca, directed by Hitchcock. This film is created two years after the book’s release ( 1940 ). This film well retranscribethe general atmosphere of the book. The image alows to give more details showing the Rebecca’s domination, even after her death.
So, now, I let you read the novel or watch the film! Personally, I prefer the novel, because the suspense is more impressive, the darkness is more palpable, the Manderley’s vision is more idealistic.
« I robot » is a SIFI american movie directed by Alex Proyas in 2004 inspired by Isaac Asimov’s short stories (« the caves of steel » « I robot » and « Robot dreams »). The title is a same of Asimov’s short story even if the screenplay are remote of the original stories.
In 2035, the robot are implanted in the society. One day, Alfred Lanning a co-founder of the central computer of the US a « roboticist », commits suicide. The robots cannot kill a human because they obey at « the three laws of robotics » (a famous laws by Asimov). But the policeman Del Spooner (Will Smith) doesn’t believe in suicide. During the investigation he meets a robotpsychologist » Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan) and VIKI, the central computer. Del realizes that it’s maybe a robot who killed Alfed Lanning…
This film has à numerous references like the « anthropomorphism » : it’s a will to create the robots who look like a humans, That is denunciate by Del. And the traduction of the title « I Robot » (moi, un robot) as if the robot had a self-awareness..
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL6RRIOZyCM[/youtube]
It is after watching ,during his discour,the homage by Xavier Dolan (made at Cannes 2014 where that he received the Jury Prize for Mommy) to Jane Campion for his film The Piano that I wanted to see this film : the film that had so marked Xavier Dolan. Therefore I’ve seen this film and I have not been disappointed.
« The Piano » is a film directed by Jeanne Campion, in 1993 with Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin and Sam Neill.
The story of this film takes place in the 19th century. It tells the story of Ada, a mute pianist, leaving Scotland with her daughter Flora to New Zealand. She must marry a man she has never seen, Alistair Stewart. Despite difficulties , the young woman did want to part with his piano. But on the beach where she comes, Stewart refuses to transport the piano. Ada, sad, is forced to give up what the piano. Stewart ended up selling the piano to Baines, nearly opposite and illeterate.
Baines then done at ??Ada a proposal that the young woman accepted yet. In exchange for freedoms, she will regain her piano.
Jane Campion with this film is one of the most beautiful filmmakers. There are some magnificent plans in this film and the soundtrack is beautiful. Jane Campion wanted to tell the story of a original sensual awakening between Baines and Ada.
Palme d’Or at Cannes « The piano » is romantic and original.
War Horse is a children’s novel written by Michael Morpurgo and published in 1982. This novel was adapted for stage by Nick Stafford in 2007. In 2011, the cinematographic adaptation produced and directed by Steven Spielberg was released in cinemas.
The story takes place in France. It recounts the adventures of Joey, a horse bought by the Army for service in World War I, and the attempts of Albert, a teenage boy who is his previous owner, to bring him safely home.
Jeremy Irvine in War Horse (S. Spielberg, 2011)
Originally, Morpurgo thought ‘they must be mad’ to try to make a play from his best-selling novel; nonetheless, the play was a success. In 2011, the film War Horse became a box office success and was met with positive reviews. It was nominated for six Academy Awards including ‘Best Picture’, two Golden Globe Awards and five BAFTAs.
In my opinion, this film is one of the best films directed by Steven Spielberg with Hook and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial because the story is so stirring and the visual effects are very realistic. A very good story…
You can see the trailer here for more details on this film:
Dead Poets Society was released in 1989, it’s an american drama film directed by Peter Weir. This movie has become indispensable in cinema’s story.
https://robbinsrealm.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/robin-williams-inspirational-in-dead-poets-society/
It tell about a teenager Todd Anderson, he arrives in a private and prestigious school, at Welton academy. Over in there, he discovered a teacher of english literature, Mr.Keating (Robin Williams). This teacher is out of the academy’s laws, that they are very austere. Mr.Keating has original pratices. Thanks this teacher and these news friends, Tood Anderson discovered and participated at the Dead Poets Society. They restored life at this society, founded on free spirits, in opposition with their education. This discovery will to change their life for ever.
At the long of the movie, we see these teenagers become adults. The shy boy becomes independant and assured. Despite the tragical end, this movie shows us, that we can always be free and who we are.
The originaity of the director : Peter Weir have wanted to shoot the movie in chronological order for to show the evolution of friendship between these characters.
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by scottish writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Sherlock Holmes is a character that we can call an antihéro. In fact, he struggles against crime but he doesn’t appreciate the official police authority and he doesn’t hesitate to get around the law to achieve what he wants. He is also an egotist, his superior mind despises people who has a low mind. His knowledge that doesn’t affect his job are poor, he lives only for his job and when he can’t work, he sometimes do drugs like cocaine, but he also tries to complete his encyclopedic culture necessary for his job.
This novel was created in 1887 but it is so famous that it still has adaptations today. We can notice the thriller movie directed by Guy Ritchie in 2009 with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law that tell the story of Sherlock Holmes who have to stop a mad magician called Lors Blackwood by collecting clues that reveals loony murders and a lot of mystery about black magic. A second Sherlock Holmes movie called A Game Of Shadow by Guy Ritchie with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law was created in 2011. In this movie, Sherlock Holmes must stop the dangerous scientist Moriarty and convince Watson to cancel his honeymoon and struggle with him.
And the other recent adaptation is the TV series Sherlock, broadcast since 2010. In this series we follow Sherlock Holmes and Watson in a contamporary context, in fact, Sherlock Holmes uses his deductions and observations skills to resolve his investigations, but him and Watson also uses modern technologies like internet or cellphones.
Sherlock Holmes is a cult british novel that passed into history, we can see that by the adaptations that are made today.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cuFzHtpGoM[/youtube]
I find this video very interesting because the director of this movie, Baz Luhrmann, tells us many things about the creation of The Great Gatsby. From the idea of adapting the F. Scott Fitzgerlad novel to the shooting and the points of view of Leonardo Di Caprio and Tobey Maguire, the two main actors in this movie.
I discovered recently on a broadcast that the actor / American producer / composer Robert Downey Jr ., played the role of Charlie Chaplin in the movie » Chaplin » in 1992. The movie was produced by Richard Attenborough, which tell the life of Charlie Chaplin at the age of 5 and its artistic adventure, up to its death.
Trailer : http://www.allocine.fr/video/player_gen_cmedia=19461209&cfilm=4642.html
I didn’t see unfortunately yet this movie but I am sure that Robert Downey Jr is great in this role. It’s one of my male actors preferred !
I look forward to seeing this movie and I hope that you will want it !
After the great emotion at the premiere of the latest Harry Potter film in 2011 (photo attached) the Studios Warner Bros announced three new movies around Harry Potter’s universe.
The writer J.K Rowling, whom I like particularly, works at the moment on these scenarios, for the biggest happiness of « Potterhead », the fans of the saga ( including myself)
The first film titled ‘fantastic animals’ will be directed by David Yates, producer of the last four Harry Potter.
The second film is provided for 2018 and the third in 2020, a long wait for the impatient like me!
We talked about Taxi Driver in class but I had never seen this movie before. And because I’m curious, I looked this movie of 1976. Taxi Driver is an american movie written by Paul Schrader and directed by Martin Scorsese. I learned that Paul Schrader wrote the script in five days and the story is somewhat autobiographical. In this film, we can see Robert De Niro in the role of a young Vietnam’s veteran, who becomes a taxi driver. This man, Travis Bickle, faces to loneliness and violence of the nights in New York. He develops a kind of obsession for guns. In fact, in 1976, New-York is one of the cities with the highest crime rate in the world. I liked this movie because I think it really shows the psychological consequences of the Vietnam War on American soldiers. I liked the music of the film because I think soft and slow jazz, composed by Bernard Herrmann, perfectly reflects the bitterness of the character. Moreover, this movie is considered a cultural and historical masterpiece so it is preserved at the Library of USA Congress.
I advise you to watch this film with the famous sentence of Robert De Niro in front of his mirror « You’re talkin’ to me? » !!
[youtube]http://youtu.be/_I_oaHYZDrY[/youtube]
Pearl Harbor is an American film directed by Michael Bay and released in theaters May 25, 2001 in the US and June 6, 2001 in France.
Rafe McCowley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) are two childhood friends who dream of flying. At the beginning of World War II, both are airline pilots. Before joining the army, Rafe meets Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale) who he falls in love with. Evelyn believing Rafe dead in Europe, her and Danny came closer and fall in love. Against all odds, Rafe returns hurted and discovers the betrayal of his best friend and Evelyn’s pregnancy. The bombing of Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 will allow the two friends reconcile, fighting together against the Japanese enemy. But Danny does not return alive from combat and Evelyn are no longer faced with the dilemma; she ended her life with Rafe raising the child of Danny.
I discovered this movie when I was 12 and I place it at the top of my list, it’s my favorite movie. It’s still good, even with the time. I realize that the story is more focused on the love triangle as the story of the war. The special effects are awesome. The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer allows us to feel the emotions twice as strong as the scenes. The sets are great, the players are just amazing! (Josh Ben Affleck play really well and Kate Beckinsale is beautiful). The bombing of Pearl Harbor – Lighthouse scene of the film – is very well done. The love triangle’s story adds a touch of emotion to the film and there’s also a real job on the transcript of the story.
The Great Gatsby is a book written by one of America’s greatest writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s published in 1925, this story shows the American Society of the 20’s through the story of a man who wants to become the richest possible for accets many privileges. This person is Jay Gatsby, a wealthy New York man so the main occupation is to organize huge parties he organizes in his enormous house. But he is suspected of having been involved in outlaw businesses .
This story is narrated by Nick Carraway who is the neighbor of Gatsby & who became his one and only friend. As to the story, we learn that all these representations are made to impress Daisy Buchanan, who lives with her husband across from Gatsbys. He had a love story with her & still love her, but she ended up married to a man she doesn’t love. At the end of the story Gatsby is shot by a resident of the industrial area where his wife was hit by Gatsby‘s car.
For this book, Fitzgerald explains the meaning of the « failed generation » based on the appearance forgetting the essentials of life. Gatsby represents the optimistic person that shows the world that if you want you can and there is no difference between people.
Personally, I have not read the novel, but I saw the film with DiCaprio last year & loved it. This is a movie full of color, music & action carries a moral. & then there’s Dicaprio, how not to love !
In literature in english we study The Great Gatsby so I would like to talk about an adpatation of this novel I saw (with Robert Redford !).
This movie was published in 1974 and realised by Jack Clayton. It is starring by Robert Redford (Jay Gatsby) and Mia Farrow (Daisy).
The scene takes place in the Roaring Twenties (the 20’s) in Long Island, and talk about a mysterious and extravagant man’s life. But who is this man ? What kind of man is he ? What does he want ?
Step by step, we will discover this man and his attentions.
I have really loved this movie and I have seen the other with Leonardo Dicaprio too (2013) and I think that both adaptations are really good but I maybe prefer the most recent because I really love the soundtrack and the atmosphere !
And you ? Which one have you seen and which one do you prefere ?
I would like to speak about Magic in the Moonlight. This film is directed by Woody Allen who is a famous director, sreenwriter, actor and also comedian.
http://www.senscritique.com/film/Magic_in_the_Moonlight/10483067/images
The story of his last film is about a chinese magician called Wei Ling Soo. In reality his name is Stanley Crawford and he is an english man, but not many people know that.
One day, his friend Howard Burkan tells to Stanley that in the south of France, there is a woman who seems to be a medium. So together they decide to go in Catledge’s family to meet this mysterious Sophie Maker. Stanley doesn’t like this kind of person who seems to speak with ghosts or be able to know the future. But with the passig of the story, Stanley becomes closer and closer of Sophie and he begins to doubt about many things….
I don’t like all what makes Woody Allen but this new film is very great! If you can, I advise you to see it!
Hi everybody!
I am sure that you know who is Sherlock Holmes, this famous fictionnal character invented by Arthur Conan Doyle!
He is a scottish investigator who can solve any crime or mystery; Sherlock appears in many differents little novels. His first apparition were in 1887, in « A Study in Scarlet ».
Well, I already read some of these books when I was young, and I really like them, but I didn’t watch any movie of Sherlock Holmes. Yet, there is a film, which was produced by Joel Silver in 2009: apparently it was a good film because I saw that it receive a lot of positive reactions.
The film was also reward by many awards.
That’s why if you already saw this film, I would like to have your opinion!!!
Hi everybody!
I know that it’s not really in the subject of english literature but in class, we had to prepare an oral, concerning the evolution of science and technologies in the genetics and robotic fields. So, I was thinking about the american movie « AVATAR », directed by James Cameron in 2009, which could be considerated as a good example for the notion of progress.
I also find the idea of avatar incredible; moreover graphism are wonderful and we can see it in 3D version. Also, I really enjoyed this movie. As a result, I was wondering if there is a novel, and I found it!
I recommand you to read it if, as me, you loved the movie: First it
Hi everybody! I would like to know if some of you saw the movie « Oliver Twist »?
The film is directed by Roman Polanwski, and of course it’s an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s novel. It dates from 2005 and was shoot in Prague!
Personally I never read the book, so I don’t know if the adaptation is faithful or not. But the movie is rather interesting, and seems respect the main story line…
I recommand you to watch it, and to tell me here your feelings!
And of course, watch it in english haha
The Great Gatsby directed by Baz Luhrmann in 2013 is one of my favourite movie. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and Isla Fisher.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DZBGR0vP8I[/youtube]
It’s the story of a rich man living on West Egg during the Roaring Twenties. The movie is punctuated of excessive parties, secrets about the past and a love relation between Gatsby and Daisy. All the movie is told by Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s neightbour and friend.
I’m crazy about this movie because it shows a different way of life than ours, like the Speakeasies, the Flappers, Prohibition, Golden Age of Jazz etc… The setting and the costume design are amazing, actors’ playing are wonderful and my fascination about the Roaring Twenties increased after I watched this movie ( in fact I think I watched five times… ) Moreover the aestheticism and the film technics are great and numerous.
I advise you to watch it !!!
Since that i saw the » Apocalyspe Now » movie i’m interest at this story. And i discovered that it was an « The heart of Darkness » adaptation. This story tells the Charles Marlow’s travel who is a english mariner appointed by a belgian company. In order to find Kurtz director of ivory market in Congo because he disappeared.
So Marlow began to navigate in the African continent’s heart for discover this men that everybody says that Kurt is exceptional and visionary but Malow don’t know why. This trip to take her in the wild’s forest and a lot places extraordinary whose the atmosphere is oppressive who exercise the Malow personnage to reflect on himself ,the life’s value, and his existence reason. He had to forget the world of the Occident. Kurtz rest deliberately cup off from the world. The reader discovered this personnage same time that Malow. I will not say more.. The book we talk of the human wild party’s in each of us and which is wake up by the nature. This book is complicated to read but is possibly.
Now i will like to present you the movie of Francis Ford Coppola ( his daughter is Sofia Coppola the director of Virgin Suicide.) was realised in 1979 which it is a not correct adaptation of the book » The Heart of Darkness » and it was censured by the american army.The realisator after the vietnam’s war replaces the team of Malow for a team of american soldiers on the congo river. They research a kurtz too because he had lost the reason and he execute freely. He will not listen order of his ladder. His malow mission is to kill Kurtz.
But on the river the tension in progress in their shift. The images are sublime in this movie. Coppola criticize american interventionism in Vietnam that we learn in history. It is not a war movie but it is a movie which to talk the war. The director shows us the life conditions of soldiers. He shows us a trip between the madness and the horror incarnate by Kurtz. The Soundtrack is perfect with the sound created by the Doors entitled The end. The movie is spectacular. I can lend you the movie and the book.
Scene of movie.
The last week i saw the SIN CITY 2. It is the second movie entitled « A Dame to kill for » realised by Robert Rodriguez in 2014. This Film is an adaptation of the comic book written by Frank Miller.
The story tells what’s happening in a metropolis nicknamed Sin city that was destroyed by the crime. The justice is helpless. There are the horrible criminals. The spectators follow different characters during the movie. This movie is very considerable because it is a combination between drawing and film. It is in black and write except some detail. The atmosphere is strange but it is fantastic. Though some scenes are violent there is black humour. And the casting is very good with Eva Green, Bruce Willis .. This movie we show the comic strip’s world. I suggest you watch this masterpiece. It is very original.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqK_P0yU9jk[/youtube]
The King’s speech is a film directed by Tom Hooper. The casting is composed By Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush.
Then, I’ll sum up the story. So, the film deals with the famous stuttering of the king George VI. In the wake of the Edward VIII’s abdication ( because he wants to get married with a divorced woman ), a more young son of George V, Albert, becomes the king, George VI. But he suffers from stuttering, so he’s unable to do a speech, without mistakes. So, his wife, Elizabeth, find him a « speech therapist » who works of way not really conventional. Throughout the film, we follow the Albert’s determination to progress and to be worthy to be a King. The film finishes on the famous speech of George VI, on the radio, to declare the World War II.
Personally, this film is well done. We are touched by the evolution of George VI, in the same time, he is. The end let us in tears. What’s more, I watched this film in original version, and I find the british accent so charming, and pleasant to hear. Colin Firth have a lot of charisma, and Geoffroy Rush is funny enough.
So, now, it’s your turn to give your opinion about this film!
Charlie Spence Chaplin (his real name) was born in 1889, and he died in 1977. Despite a complicated childhood, Chaplin became a famous actor at this epoque.
He started to ten years like a comedian in theatral, role after role, he begin to make name in business. He starts thanks these imitations of famous comics. It’s in 1918, he creates his studio with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford et D. W. Griffith. After these first movies like The Immigrant (1917), The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), he brings a new dimension at the comedy. He isn’t enjoyed just for this acting abilities or his burlesque imagination, it was a first to treat social conditions with satirysme in movies.
Charlie Chaplin is known also thanks this ressemblance with Hitler. He played with, in The Great Dictator (1940), it’s a caricatural comedy on Adolf Hitler and his dictatorship (I advise to watch it). This blend between humour, and reality makes Chaplin’s movies masterpieces of a cinema. I advise also Modern Times (1936), I think this movie is timeless, and still relevant with our society.
Chaplin’s anecdote : In 1915, Charlie Chaplin is in London, he seen a look-alike competition of Charlot. He joins under a false name. Unfortunately he loses to the 25th place.
Last year, we saw a great movie, for my part, it was The great Gatsby, with the famous actor: Leonardi Di Caprio.
I really enjoyed this film because there is an attractive love story between the main character, Daisy and Gatsby, where we can think that it’s an impossible love because Daisy is married as another man while Gatsby always love her. Throughout this film, Gatsby tries to lure back his beloved.
The end of the movie is very compelling, we don’t expect it necessarily.
But all the same, it’s a beautiful film
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a novella written by Truman Capote and published in 1958. There is an adaptation of this book, directed by Black Edwards in 1961. In this film, we can see the wonderful Audrey Hepburn in one of the best roles that she has never had.
The novella is about a writer’s friendship with a young woman called Holly Golightly in New York, during World War II. A lot of men pay Holly for sexual favours. This woman drinks and takes drugs too. Her life is completely disorganized, but the writer is fascinated by her. She secretly dreams about a luxurious life, between jewels from Tiffany’s. Holly and the writer are neighbours but they don’t have a love affair together. He wants to protect her from herself and the outside world. At the end of the story, Holly disappears from his life to escape the police after being arrested as an accomplice in a drug conspiracy.
George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (B. Edwards, 1961)
The film isn’t radically different but two main components were modified : the story is set during the 1960s and Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) and Paul Varjak (George Peppard), nicknamed ‘Fred’ by Holly for his resemblance to her brother, fall in love at the end of the story… So romantic it is!
This is one of my favourite films, backed up by Audrey Hepburn‘s charm and by the captivating theme ‘Moon River’ created by Henry Mancini…
In 2012, the film was deemed ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’ by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
You can see the trailer for more details on this film:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ceG9dWLePY[/youtube]
Full metal jacket is a movie made by Stanley Kubrick (yes it’s one of my favorite film directors!!) and it dates back to 1987.
The storie takes place at the end of the 60’s. There are two parts in the movie :
– 1st : we can see young soldiers in the army, they are the new recruits in the training camp. Their sergeant is a brutal and nasty man, he always insults and humiliates them and particularly the soldier Lawrence (he calls him Gomer Pyle) who becomes the drudge of the boys.
This part shows how we made killing machine in the training camp and we understand why the slogant of the soldiers is « Born to kill (because we made them believe that they were born to kill.)
– 2nd : in this part, we can see the soldiers in Vietnam during the war. This part shows the violence of the war and that a lot of soldiers are sensitive even if we made them killing machines.
I think it’s a really good movie which shows the violence of the Vietnam war and what happened in training camps at this time, how young boys turned into killing machines because of the army.
I want to talk about an American animated fantasy film Cool World directed by Ralph Bakshi in 1992, starring Brad Pitt, Gabriel Byrne and Kim Basinger.
The story begins in 1945 at Las Vegas during the Second World War, Frank Harris (Brad Pitt) and his mother are ridding on a motorcycle, but suddenly they are knocked down by a car causing. This mother dies and Frank survives, then he is transported to Cool World. Many years later, Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne) who is the famous creator of the comic strip “cool world” is in jail because he had killed a man. Anytime the reality changes totally to transport him in the universe he has created. In fact, to understand, he is in a cartoon world. There, he meets Holli Wood (plays by the actress Kim Basinger when she is in the reality world), she attracts him and they become friends, then they go together in the real world.He meets too Frank Harris who is a detective for a long time in this universe, unfortunately he is a prisoner in this world.
I enjoyed watching this film, and liked the graphic. I like cartoons or animated films and I find it’s a good idea when the films mix animation. If you like too watching cartoons, I advice this movie.
American History X
Derek (Edouard Norton) and his brother Danny (Edouard Furlong) live and study in California. Derek join a neo-nazi skinhead movement to avenge his father’s death. In fact, his father, who was fireman, was killed by a black dealer while he tried to extinguish a fire in a ghetto. One night, Derek kills two black men, who tried to steal the car of his dead father. After three years in prison for the murders, Derek is released and transformed but he finds Danny, influenced by his old racist ideologies. Derek will try to prevent him from following the same way as him.
The alternating of black and white to evoke Derek’s memories gives depth to the subject. This first film directed by Tony Kaye deals with important themes. I loved this movie that explains the origin of racism and extremism in the United States (through the story of an American family).
Forrest Gump is a novel written by Winston Groom in 1986. It tells us the story of the eponymous character. Forrest Gump is a smple-minded character who evolves in the second part of the 20th Century. He falls in love with Jenny, his only friend, he makes his way through American history, with everything from the Vietnam War becoming part of the story. Throughout his life, Forrest views the world simply. He really doesn’t know what he wants to do in life, he acts without thinking, and that is very touching for the spectator. Because of his low IQ, he can’t go to a normal school without the help of his mother. Forrest Gump can be tell as an idiot savant.
Forrest Gump was adapted into a movie played by Tom Hanks for the Paramount in 1994. The film won numbers of awards like best movie. For the anecdote, the movie takes great advantage of special effects to have the characters interact with real people from history. This film is definitly one of my favourite.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPIEn0M8su0[/youtube]
I want to speak about a film entitled Bridge to Terabithia directed by Gabor Csupo in 2007. In fact is an adaptation of a book written by Katherine Paterson in 1977.
I’ll tell you the synopsis: Jess, a young boy, comes from a large family that is in financial difficulties. At the school, he doesn’t have a lot of friend and he is ill-at-ease because his classmates are naughty with him. At home, the atmosphere isn’t joyful…
Only his favorite hobby, the drawing, permits him to escape from the reality. Fortunately, he becomes friend with his neighbour, Leslie. Together they invent a wonderful world called Terabithia where they run away their daily life. But when this magical world becomes real, they are confronted with many dangerous adventures.
This film shows the harsh reality of the life through the story of two children who reveal their experiences, their ideas, their expectations but also their doubts.
It’s a touching film!
The breakfast club is an american film directed by John Hugues in 1985, this film joined to five teenagers very different who are got a detention in school on saturday. There are « the basket case » , the athlete, the brain , the criminal and the prom queen
During the detention, their professor, play by Paul Gleason, give them an essay « Who do you think be ? ». The adolescents will learn to know between them despite their differences.
it’s a very good film which lot of teenagers can identify to film’s adolescents. The budget for this film is one million dollars but the profit of the film is fifty one million dollars.
PS: the soundtrack is wonderful with Simple minds.
This Week, all the eyes are turned towards the cinema’s festival which takes places in Cannes. The festival, created in 1946 by Jean Zay, is now 68 years old and this year, the president of the panel is Jane Campion. This New Zealander director and scriptwriter already got a reward in 1993 for his film untitled « The Piano ».
Last year, I saw another film by this artist, untitled « Bright Star » and received with keenness by the review. Abbie Cornish performs as Fanny Brawne, and acts in company with Ben Wishaw and Paul Shneider, who played two poets desperate by the absence of inspiration. Keats, the first of these poets, falls in love with Fanny, despite their opposite natures. In the town of London, during the 19tieth century, they beggin to share poetry but their circle look unfavorably upon this connection.
But this poetical passion will end tragically. The care of details, the settings, the photography, the costumes and all the shots are really wonderful. All was well-planed by Jane Campion, this great film-maker known as one of the most important cinema’s personnality of our century.
I’ll talk about the film « Les Miserables » , adapted by Tom Hooper ( The King’s Speech ) in 2012. This is a musical film. The main actors are Hugh Jackman ( Jean Valjean ) , Russell Crowe ( Javert ), Anne Hathaway ( Fantine ) , Amanda Seyfried ( Cosette ) and Eddie Redmayne ( Marius ) .
This is the story of Jean Valjean , imprisoned 19 years for stealing a bread only .. This man is still honest and has an incredible strength . Once released ( conditional liberty ) , he became mayor and meets Fantine , a woman who has a lot of debt for the family who takes care of her daughter, Cosette. Fantine is really poor, and must sale her hair or her teeth for having money.. At her death, took pity , Valjean promises to find her daughter and take care of her as a father. But Javert , the relentless policeman, continues to search him unabated. Then follow a story wich is totally epic and dramatic , get ready to cry !
Personally. loved this movie, the characters are all so lovable , even Javert ..! We see everything from horror, love, despair , pity , mutual aid .. This film is beautiful, I highly recommend to all . In addition, the music , the songs are very, very beautiful and full of meaning. I found myself holding my breath or cry at some moments of the movie .. Especially at the end. So don’t hesitat , if you have a little time to loose ( 2h30. . !) Watch this movie, you will not be disappointed, i swear !
The Bridges of Madison County is a novel written by Robert James Waller and published in 1992. The novel is one of the best-selling books of the 20th century.
In 1965, Francesca Johnson is an Italian-American housewife who lives in Iowa. Her husband and her children leave their home for a week. A National Geographic photographer, Robert Kincaid, arrives to photograph the covered bridges in the area. He is lost and met Francesca in her house. Slowly, a love affair takes place between the two characters, a dangerous liaison. ‘Passion’ is the key word of this story but this love affair seems to be impossible.
With an international success, an adaptation of this novel was directed by Clint Eastwood in 1995 where we find him and the marvellous Meryl Streep. This film is one of my great favourites for many reasons : the story is purely wonderful but very sad too. In my opinion, Meryl Streep is the best actress of the world because she’s so charming and captivating in this film, but in Out of Africa directed by Sydney Pollack in 1985 or in August: Osage County directed by John Wells in 2013 too (it’s just two examples because the list is very long!) . All the poetry of the film resides in the beautiful sets and in the wonderful photography. Both actors complement each other and they lead the audience from beginning to end. This is a very great film.
As you know, Cannes film festival started few days ago !
I just learned that tomorrow will begin the « Un certain regard » selection and I noticed that « The Lost River » was in !
The Lost River is a film a directed by Ryan Gosling (yes yes the actor) and I’m quite impatient because I’m really curious of what can realize R. Gosling as a director. As you know, he is famous for his role in Drive and more recently in the Notebook. I started to make some researches and I realized that this man is a crazy genius ; his imagination is limitless and his humour really offbeat.
I wasn’t suprised when I read that the Lost River is a « fantasy thriller » film : the story takes place in a parallel city where a family has to survive. A teaser was just released few hours ago and I have to say that I can’t wait to see the whole film.
However, I stay careful because this kind of film is hard to realize and it’s easy to fail, I’m waiting for something oppressive and agonizing.
I’m in hurry to see how a famous actor as him can realize a film of this type, and how the film will be welcomed.. Stay tuned ! (Ok I just read that the film will be able in 2015 in France….. what a cruel world)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIGq23AoRM0[/youtube]
Hi there 🙂
I’m currently here to write about my favourite tv series, Drop Dead Diva ! It’s quite famous in the US and the 6th season started a month ago.
Let’s start with the plot : Deb Dobkins is georgous but not really smart model; she lives with her boyfriend Greyson. One day, someone called her for a casting so she took her car but she had an accident and died immediately. She’s sent in Heaven but she found another way to go back to world and she arrived in Jane Bingum’s body, a lawyer who just get hit by a criminal. Deb must start a new and completely different life. Morever, the lawyer office where she works is the same as Greyson, her devasted ex-boyfriend. Jane/Deb has to cope with her new situation with her bestfriend Stacy, the only human who know her secret. She also has to live with her Guardian Angel Fred sent from Heaven to protect her secret.
I know that this story can be considered stupid or not really interesting but you have to watch it to understand how great it is. The episodes are composed from 1 or 2 cases that Jane or their associates have to defend ; it’s really captivating and you can follow the main plot in the background, this technique permits to avoid annoying episodes. This tv show is full of humour and it’s a real lesson of acceptation of oneself, we have to look over the physic to discover awesome people and an humility lesson for the main character who have to live with a different body that is totally opposed to her old one.
So if you have free time, don’t hesitate it’s worth it !
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCambnjgOFA[/youtube]
The Green Mile is an american movie directed by Frank Darabont released in 1999.
This movie was adapted from the serial novel of the same name which was written by Stephen King.
It’s the story of a prison guard who creates a strong friendship with a condemned death. The condemned to death in question is played by the actor Michael Clarke Duncan who is in my opinion the most suitable actor to play this role. this is a strength character who become more and more endearing.
The role of prison guard played by Tom Hanks who throughout the film tries to save his friend from his condanation to die.
I really liked this movie for various reasons. First, it’s very touching and particularly moving, the actors are fantastics. Finally, This film denounces judicial mistakes, but also racism and tolerance of men … this is a beautiful moral lesson!!
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel of John Steinbeck published in 1939. It tell the story of an American family who’s forced to leave their home in Oklahoma because of the Great Depression, the period of crisis in America around 1929. The Joad’s family is composed of agricultural workers; one day the banks took position of their farms and told them they had to leave. This story tell the exodus of the all agricultural workers of Oklahoma who moved to California with the point of view of this family.
This story had inspired John Ford who had directed the movie of the same name in 1940 with a famous actor : Henry Fonda.
I did’nt read the book but I recommend you to watch the movie which is really great!
Clint Eastwood is an American actor, film director, producer and composer. It’s an actor and director very touching !
I love « Million dollar baby ». Maggie Fitzgerald, thirty one, want get in the ring. Franckie become her coach. A beautiful relation develops between them.
In this film C. Eastwood is also an actor and play very well. He plays the coach Franckie. I find this film really affecting and it includes several emotions. I recommend you !
I also seen « Mystic River » and it’s very intersting. It’s a drama : Jimmy is killed and an police investigation begin… The end is surprising and it’s a very good film ! I like this movie.
He did « L’echange » with Angelina Jolie (a great film).
Have you seen a film with or by Clint Eastwood ?
It is a movie realized by Woody Allen. The main character is an american writer who comes in Paris in order to have more inspiration for his book. Moreover at midnight in the street he returns in Paris during the 1920s. Thanks to this movie we can discover famous artists who lived during the 1920s like Hemingway, Fitzerald or Man Ray. I advise you to see this movie because it is really amazing.
Inception is a British-American science fiction heist thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan. Don Cobb is the best, experimented thief who is in the art of the extraction: his speciality consists in appropriating the most precious secrets of an individual while he dreams. The very search for his talents in the universe of the industrial espionage, Cobb also became a fugitive pursued all over the world who lost all which is dear to him. But an ultimate mission could allow him to find his previous life : provided that he can carry achieve : the inception. He has to implant an idea in mind of an individual. And nevertheless, Cobb and his partners face a formidable enemy who seems to have systematically a blow beforehand with them.
I really advise you ! It’s an interesting film and the actors are good !
I chose to present the film « This is England« .
« This is England » is a British film directed and written by Shane Meadows in 2006.
This film presents the story of Shaun, a young boy who befriends a group of skinheads from a culture that appears in the late 70s. They teach him how to dress and think like them (Dr Martens boots, jeans and shirt).
The film also shows the birth of a new england skinhead culture, which promotes Nazism, racism and fascism. The group will then separate because they have different opinions about this new culture …
I loved this movie because I love the English punk this period and this film has very good culture movement.
I recommend it because it is a very interesting period in England!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0jkv2bRFgQ[/youtube]
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