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Archive for Diciembre 17th, 2007

This film has been a landmark in the history of cinema. One of those classic films you can never miss that is still trendy nowadays. Starring Audrey Hepburn, one of my favourite actresses, George Peppard, Mickey Rooney and José Luis de Villalonga, a Spanish actor who has recently died. It´s based upon a novel by Truman Capote although the final result doesn’t match a lot the book. The main character is Holly Golightly, a melancholic New Yorker woman whose life changes when a new neighbour called Paul arrives. It can be considered a comedy film although some people say it actually is a drama disguised as a comedy.
My favourite scenes which I think are the most famous, are the first and the very last one. During the first one we can see Holly getting off a taxi wearing sunglasses and a beautiful long black dress wich was later sold for the record price of 467.200 pounds. She´s having a croissant with coffe in front of Tiffany`s shop window, staring at its brilliant jewellers. “Moonriver” is the background music all the scene long, a moving song composed by Henry Mancini wich was even more famous than the film. Audrey herself sings it later.
In the last scene, Holly is looking for her cat desperately. It´s raining hard and she has just had an argument with Paul. When she finally finds her no-name cat completely wet, Paul shows up. They get closer and they kiss each other as “Moonriver” sounds in the background announcing that the end of this superb film has come.
In my opinion, Breakfast at Tiffany`s is a great film that should be seen by everybody so they can have an opinion about it. Sometimes it can become a little slow because we´re used to the present action films. It´s true that it´s fairly sad at some points and not only a comedy film. On balance, I think it´s a film that you never get tired of watching if you enjoyed it the first time, mostly if you can see such as a great actress as Audrey Hepburn working in it.

Here you have the trailer:

“Dirty Dancing”

Posted by ord2 under Film reviews

This is a love film. At first the story is told by Baby (Jennifer Grey), the star character. It takes place in summer. Baby goes with her family to a hotel to spend her holidays. Soon she met the dance teacher (Patrick Swayze) and they fell in love. In the begining her father didn’t allow them going out but at the end he agreed.

I’ve loved this film since the first time I saw it. In my opinion it’s a really moving story and it’s such a gripping film. It’s easy to follow because it’s an enjoyable movie.

To sum up I would recommend it because of its excellent plot.

by Edith Hernández Martínez

The Faun’s Maze

Posted by saraidggi2d under Film reviews

The most interesting film I’ve ever watched is “El Laberinto del Fauno” (The Faun’s Maze). Directed by Guillermo del Toro it is one of the most successful Spanish movies of our time. It is set in
Spain in 1944, five years after the Civil War had ended. It tells the story of a 13-year-old girl called Ofelia who still believes in fairy tales although she’s surrounded by a familiar drama and a difficult historic moment. The main character is Ivana Baquero (Ofelia) who’s my favourite one because I feel identified with her decisions and also with her belief in some kind of magic. Also Maribel Verdú (Mercedes in the film), Ariadna Gil (Ofelia’s mother) and Sergi López (the girl’s stepfather) play their part in this story.
The reason why I find this film so interesting is because you can see it from two points of view: one in which you can appreciate the war’s consequences and another that shows a moving princess’s trip to her world. I particularly like films related to fantasy and this one is even better than others because it shows a big contrast between children’s innocence and wars’ cruelty. Watching this film reminded me the importance of leaning on your dreams to face your problems although some people tend to say that’s childish.This film is highly recommendable because it’s an historic and at the same time fantastic movie that may give the audience food for thought. The first time I watched it, it woke up my dreams but also some of my nightmares. By Sarai Díaz García

The Straight Story is a film directed by David Lunch. It’s an American film of 1999. It’s a drama.The film tells the story of Alvin Straight. He is 73 years old and he lives with his disabled daughter Rosie.Suddenly his brother Lyle to whom he hasn’t spoken for 10 years has a heart attack and Alvin decided to go from Iowa to Wisconsin to visit him.He makes his journey of hundreds of miles in his old lawnmowerI like this film because of the simplicity of the story he does 507 km to see his brother and the naturalness of the characters. I also like the music of this film and the silence because there isn’t much dialogue but you can understand what is happening at any moment and believe that words are not necessary. Another thing that I like is that you can hear the normal noises that people usually don’t make any notice of for example the crickets and
Alvin’s lawnmower engine.
My favourite quotation is something that
Alvin says to a pregnant teenager who says:’ I’d give each one of them (his children) a stick and, one for each one of them, then I’d say ‘You break that.’ Course they could, really easy. Then I’d say ‘Tie them sticks in a bundle and try to break that.’ Course they couldn’t. Then I’d say ‘That bundle…That’s family’
I recommend this film because it is full of small details you will never forget and the story is original and moving. You should watch it!

Down with love

Posted by rocioqsgi2e under Film reviews

“Down with love” is a kind of love-comedy film. The story is told, at first by a narrator but then, the characters are the ones who talk about themselves.   This film takes place in the 60’s, in New York(1962). In fact, everything in the film tries to remind us the 60’s: their clothes, the music, the division of the screen, the furniture…   The protagonist (Renée Zellweger) pretends to be a farmer who came to New York to publish a revolutionary book she wrote(that becames a best-seller) about the behaviour of women in which she encourages them to avoid sexism, making them realised that they can do a lot of things and not only being a housewife with the only goals of marry and have children. She’s a for of free sex and against falling in love with guys. The main actor is Ewan Mc Gregor, who plays the part of Catcher Block, a heart-breaker journalist who writes for a very famous men magazine.   The film tells the story of the protagonist since she arrives in New York: her publisher had arranged a meeting for her with Catcher but he never goes to the appointment because he doesn’t want to interview her but, one day they bump in to the other in the laundry and, like they are not supposed to known each other, he pretends to be another man to cheat her and make her denied everything she had said in her book: he wants her to fall in love with him.   Eventually, they fall in love with each other without renouncing to their beliefs and confessing each other that they are not who they had pretended to be.     What I most enjoyed was the clothes they used and the protagonist apartment which is really nice and the double meaning they use during the whole film, wich I think is hilarious.   On balance, I would recommend this film, which is one of my favorites, to anyone who likes romantic comedies and more if they like 60’s style.           Rocío Quintana Sánchez

Amélie is the story of Amélie Poulain,a girl who grows up isolated from other children. Her father mistakenly believes that she suffers from a heart disease. Her mother dies when Amélie is young, victim of a freak accident involving a suicidal woman who throws herself off the top of Notre Dame Cathedral.Since that moment,she develops a unusual imagination. Her life changes on the same day that Princess Diana dies. Behind a bathroom tile, she finds and old metal box hidden by a boy who lived in her apartment decades ago. She wants to find the owner of the old box, and if she finds him and it makes him happy, she will devote her life to bringing happiness to other people.The film is directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.The main character is represented by Audrey Tautou.The story takes place in France (
Paris), so it’s a French film. It is a romantic comedy.
I love that film. I think it’s because after watching it you feel happy, it makes you feel happy and optimistic about life.

‘The Painted Veil’

Posted by ord2 under Film reviews

The last film I’ve seen is The Painted Veil.It’s a romantic drama,directed by John Curran and the main actors are Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.It is settled in China in the twenties.

The film tells the story of Kitty, a woman from a rich family, who can’t stand her mother, because she wants her to marry somebody; and Walter, a medical researcher.

They meet in a party at Kitty’s house and Walter falls in love with her, so, a few days later, he proposes to her. Kitty, because of her bad relation with her mother, accepts and marries Walter, although they don’t really know each other, and then they move to Shangai.

The relation between both of them is very cold, because Walter is always working, and Kitty doesn’t find anything to do.

One night, they go to a restaurant with one of Walter’s colleague in whom Kitty finds a good friendship. But this relation becomes a romance, and Walter realises the infidelity, so he threatens her that if she doesn’t go with him to a remote region of China, where most of the people are suffering from cholera, he will ask for the divorce. Kitty can’t take another decision, so she accepts and moves with him.

They are more distant as the days go by, and Walter doesn’t even look at her eyes or talks to her.

Walter starts working in children orphanage, run by nuns, but some of them are dying every day, so Kitty, as she feels so miserable and useless offers herself to help them. This allows her to see Walter more often, and slowly, their relation becomes better. It’s important to mention that Kitty tells Walter that she is pregnant, but she doesn’t really know who the child’s father is. In spite of this fact, Walter feels very happy.

Doing his research, Walter finds out that the problem of the cholera comes from the water that the people drink, so he and some important people decide to close most of the water wells. Because of this, people from other places come to this village, which increases the number of infected.

As a result, Walter has to work all day long, and he gets ill. Although Kitty looks after him day and night, he tells her that he’s sorry for all the things he made her go through, and finally dies.

Although some critics find this film slow and boring, I think that it’s a nice story about a young couple that can fall in love, although it seems that the destny is against them.

I also think that the scenery and the music are incredibly beautiful. It abstracts you from reality and makes you feel as if you were there at that time. So if you are a romance addict, you’ll find in this film a very pleasant feeling.

THE NEVERENDING STORY

Posted by ord2 under Film reviews

     “The Neverending Story” is a German film based on the book of the same name written by “Michael Ende”. It’s a fantastic story intended for children. It’s about a book in which an imaginary world is in danger because “Nothingness” is attacking it; a hunter called “Atreyu” must save it and “Bastian”, who is the boy that is reading the book, helps him.
     What I most like about this film is “Fujur”, the lucky dragon.  It’s an old white dragon  which can fly. It’s  also very clever and helps Atreyu in several occasions.  I must say that more than a dragon it seems to be a rag dog with two marbles for eyes, the special effects aren’t very well done compared to the present ones. Anyway, my favourite scene is when Atreyu is flying through the sky ridden on the back of Fujur holding Fujur’s big ears.
 
     I would like to recommend this film (the book too) to all the children because they’ll enjoy a lot watching it. It’s an enjoyable story with funny and incredible characters with whom they’ll have a great time.

 

Rita Mª González Menéndez.

Casablanca

Posted by ord2 under Film reviews

By Sarai Allende           The title of the film is ‘Casablanca’  which was directed by Michael Curtiz in 1942. It shows a romantic story between a man and a woman who is married to another man, but in love with the first one.         At first the director introduced the spectator in the time the film takes place ( Casablanca, Morroco), in fact, all the film is without color  which helped us to imagine that we are many years ago,and he also tells us about the political problems at that moment in the world and mainly in that city. This could seem a bit boring, an unnecesary detail but with it, the story is not only a lovely story between a couple, it shows who wars destroy lives.         The main characters are Rick, Ilsa and Victor. The first one was a very handsome man (Hunfrey Bogart in his 30’s) who was the propietar of an important cafe in the city, which was a casino too. The girl (Ingrid Bergman) was a pretty rich woman whose husband had been in the war and had been kidnaped for many years. In that time Rick and Ilsa were living in Paris where they had a relationship. At the end Victor (Paul Hernrald) appeared and everything changed. Their love could’nt become stronger and they didn´t see again until they met again in Africa.         Living in Casablanca was extremely dangerous because they could die at any moment: they were having a difficult political moment so ot the end Rick, who wanted Ilsa to be safe and wanted the best for her, gave Victor and the woman 2 special permissions (his only 2) in which they were autorised  to leave the country by plane, rather difficult (almost imposible) without one.          In my opinion it is an entertaining film, it os noy my favourite but I think that everyone should watch it just because it is a classic and just for being cultured.         From my point of view, classical films and books are forgotten and we should talk more about them because nowadays  we think these classics are boring and that we wouldn’t like them.         I foung it slow but it was worth-watching. Althought it hasn’t got speccial effects and the scenery is not brilliant, the plot and the story it tells is superb: how Rick prefers dying rather than seeing his love be in danger and how he helps another man to begin a new fantastic life with Ilsa in another city.         I would definitely recommend this film to everybody and  I would say everyone who wants to watch it that if at first, they don´t like it give the film  a 2nd oportunity and you could watch the most famous scenes: “play it again Sam”, “we will always have Paris” of “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”.

The Godfather

Posted by martacc under Film reviews

I wil never be bored watching “The Godfather” trilogy: I always discover some new details about the character´s feautures that I hadn’t discovered the previous time I had seen the films.

The great and varied display of different characters or personalities it’s really gripping and the atmosphere created and the melancholic soundtrack, get to involve me in the films.

The character I like most is Al Pacino’s character; I really enjoy seeing his evolution all throug the trilogy, the same way as his particular sense of honour and how he takes the law in his own hands.

What most impress me is when he, Michael Corleone, orders to kill his brother who had bretrayed him and sees him off whit an embrace knowing that he sends him to death, really amazing!

I think the first and the second part of the trilogy are brilliant, and what I most like in the third, is the end, when Michael Corleone dies absolutely alone inSicilia.

It’s surprising the complicity you can feel whith Al Pacino’s character despite the fact that he is a killer, perhaps the reason is because he really believes in tha he does.

I think the trilogy is whort-watching and definitely I would recommend it all if you like mafia movies or mafia’s subjects.

Finally, “The Godfather” is from my point of view, a terrific trilogy, a masterpiece, a classic.

Marta Cabeza