Film Title: Miller's Crossing
Country/Year: USA 1990
Genre: Crime / Drama
Director: Joel Cohen
Writing Credits: Joel & Ethan Cohen
Original soundtrack: Carter Burwell
Cast:
Grabriel Byrne as Tom Reagan, Albert Finney as Liam 'Leo' O'Bannon, John Polito as Johnny Caspar, Marcia Gay Harden as Verna Bernbaum and John Turturro as Bernie Bernbaum.
Synopsis :
The action takes place in an unnamed city in 1929, during the dry law, and deals with the war between the Irish and the Italian clans, represented by Leo (the chief of the city) and Caspar (the applicant for Leo's place) respectively. Our main character is Tom Reagan, Leo's right hand.
The action starts when Caspar ask to Leo for permission to kill Bernie, a squealer who is selling to other gamblers the result of Caspar's fixed fights. Leo denies it, as Bernie is Verna's brother and Verna is Leo's girlfriend. Even when Tom tells him, Leo doesn't want to see why Verna (much younger than him) is with him, just to protect her brother.
Dying to overthrow Leo, Caspar begins the war striking first, trying to kill Leo, but their men fail. Again, Tom tries to show Leo that to provoke a war for such a sponger makes no sense, and finally confesses that he and Verna are seeing each other in hope he will open his eyes.
Tom is shacked, but then tries to join Caspar gang, who first ask him to tell where Bernie is and to kill him, in a proof of his loyalty.
Every little detail and scene is capital to understand the plot, and you must see it twice to get the whole story.
Language used:
For this film the brothers invented a kind of gangster tongue that you just understand, being the clearest example"What's the rumpus?" which means "What's up?". This adds a unique mark to the film, but doesn't make harder to understand the dialogues once you get used to.
Besides it, also contains the usual crime movies slang.
Opinion:
The movie begins with a tribute scene to 'The Godfather' that tells what all this is about, an homage to all the classic crime films (mainly those from the '30s and '40s), a really good one.
As those, it has strong dialogues, a complex and solid script and music from those days (and a wonderful original soundtrack as well). They are all here, but also that ironic mood that peppers the whole history.
They (the Cohen brothers) are not trying to innovate, but to deliver "A handsome movie about men in hats", as Barry Sonnenfeld (the cinematographer) tells us in the DVD interview, and for sure that they achieve that goal. By the way, he does a great job, being the very best the shots from miller's crossing (the place in the forest where the gangsters like to go to shot their problems).
To sum it up, Miller's Crossing is Cohen brother's at their best (and that's a lot), great plot with an unbelievable ending, great performances (Grabiel Byrne is terrific), wonderful music and the feeling that more movies should be like this, like they used to be.
Have to say I'd loved it?
1-10 Score:
10
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
Manolo 's book and film review
Book Review
BOOK TITLE: The Importance of Being Earnest.
AUTHOR: Oscar Wilde
PUBLISHER / YEAR: Penguin, 1955
BOOK TYPE: Comedy
PAGES: 78
SUMMARY: Algernon is a well-to-do middleclass fellow from London. Although he lives in the city he pays frequent visits to the country where he claims to visit an ill friend called Bunbury. Algernon ´s best friend, Jack, lives in the country but he often comes to enjoy the pleasures of London social life, pretending that he is visiting a fictitious sick brother called Ernest.
Jack wants to marry Gwendolen, Algernon ´s cousin, and Algernon wishes to marry Cecily, Jack ´s ward who lives in the country. Both of them, Algernon and Jack will run into a few problems before achieving their purpose.
The climax of the the play is reached when Algernon, pretending to be Jack ´s sick brother, visits Cecily under the name of Ernest. She immediately falls in love with him but as soon as Jack appears on the scene, a series of misunerstanding follows uncovering Algy ´s real identity. Things get worse when Gwendoleen and her mother, Lady Bracknell, get to know that Jack was adopted as a baby when he was found in a handbag at a railway station. Something which is under the social standard of her daughter.
OPINION: In my opinion it is one of the funniest and wittiest comedies written in English. It is not just the funny elements what makes readers laugh and enjoy the play, but also the ironical touch with which the author handles the matter of marriage and social relationships. To quote just some fragments: “To speak frankly I am not in favour of long engagement. They give people the possibility of finding out each other ´s character”.
LANGUAGE / STYLE:
Taking into account we are dealing with a classic comedy of English literature, the language used is quite formal. Although we are pesented everyday situations in the play, the setting of the play is the high middleclass society. For this reason the language style is very polite and within the semantic field of social relationships and marriage. For example words like: engagement, married households, demoralizing, to propose (in terms of marriage), divorces, bachelor, to dine with, to flirt with, elegible young men... As a result of this topic, most of the terms employed are abastract nouns. For instance: social responsability, moral tone, real motives, solid quialities... And the sentences are usually long and with a complex structure: “Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon, only people who can ´t get into it do that”. Rethorical devices are not frequent thorought the book, though we may highlight some puns, like for instance that in the very title: The importance of being Earnest. The author plays with the idea of being earnest in society in order to achieve a good reputation – in a ironical tone – and later the two main characters claimed to be called Ernest, which is a homophone of earnest. But the real thing is that they are not Ernest (serious) they feign to be Ernest.
FILM REVIEW:
FILM TITLE: Lolita
COUNTRY / YEAR : USA, 1997
DIRECTOR: Adryan Lyne
WRITING CREDITS: Vladimir Nabokov (novel)
Stephen Schiif (screenplay)
CAST: Jeremy Irons > Humbert Humbert
Melanie Griffieth > Charlotte Haze
Dominique Swain > Dolores ‘Lolita’ Haze
Frank Langella > Clare Quilty
SYNOPSYS : Humbert Humbert after a dramatic relationship in his adolescence feels unable to fall in love again. In his forties he leaves England for the USA with the hope to start a new life. There he works as a professor.He shares a house with a family and he will feel attracted to a 14- year-old girl, called Lolita. They will both undertake a journey throughout the country, hiding their true relationship. But they are followed by an strange man. Humbert grows jealous and ad with a strong sense of guilt from the forbidden love.
OPINION: Often categorized as an erotic film ‘Lolita’ explores a whole range of emotions and hidden feelings. A traumatized teenager profoundly shocked by the sudden death of his first love feels unable to fall in love for a second time. Twenty years later, in his thirties, he comes across a young fourteen -year -old girl in whom he recreates the love of his youth. How strong can emotions be to push a man into such follies! To marry a woman in order to have acces to his daughter, to quit his job, to travel around the States with no direction ... They are just some to name but a few. There are many scenes that appeal to the senses, to see a man shattered, broken by an impossible that is leading to a tragical ending.
TYPES OF LANGUAGE: The language used in this film is American English. On the one hand we can find a colloquial and informal language which can be categorized as youth slang and which is employed by ‘Lolita’. On the other hand, we see a more formal and educated style in Humbert, the professor.
CONCLUSION: Leaving aside those who condemn the film simplifying it as amoral and indecent, and listening to those who take it seriously, Lolita is a painfully beautiful movie about a love realationship that can not end happily. Starred by a faultless Jeremy Irons where every look and every move that he makes is completely convincing and moving. On the other side, Dominique Swain, in spite of her inexperience and age, perfomes a character full of energy and credibility. We can claim that Stephen Chiif adaption of Vladimir Nabokov ´s novel maintains his literacy and coherence.
BOOK TITLE: The Importance of Being Earnest.
AUTHOR: Oscar Wilde
PUBLISHER / YEAR: Penguin, 1955
BOOK TYPE: Comedy
PAGES: 78
SUMMARY: Algernon is a well-to-do middleclass fellow from London. Although he lives in the city he pays frequent visits to the country where he claims to visit an ill friend called Bunbury. Algernon ´s best friend, Jack, lives in the country but he often comes to enjoy the pleasures of London social life, pretending that he is visiting a fictitious sick brother called Ernest.
Jack wants to marry Gwendolen, Algernon ´s cousin, and Algernon wishes to marry Cecily, Jack ´s ward who lives in the country. Both of them, Algernon and Jack will run into a few problems before achieving their purpose.
The climax of the the play is reached when Algernon, pretending to be Jack ´s sick brother, visits Cecily under the name of Ernest. She immediately falls in love with him but as soon as Jack appears on the scene, a series of misunerstanding follows uncovering Algy ´s real identity. Things get worse when Gwendoleen and her mother, Lady Bracknell, get to know that Jack was adopted as a baby when he was found in a handbag at a railway station. Something which is under the social standard of her daughter.
OPINION: In my opinion it is one of the funniest and wittiest comedies written in English. It is not just the funny elements what makes readers laugh and enjoy the play, but also the ironical touch with which the author handles the matter of marriage and social relationships. To quote just some fragments: “To speak frankly I am not in favour of long engagement. They give people the possibility of finding out each other ´s character”.
LANGUAGE / STYLE:
Taking into account we are dealing with a classic comedy of English literature, the language used is quite formal. Although we are pesented everyday situations in the play, the setting of the play is the high middleclass society. For this reason the language style is very polite and within the semantic field of social relationships and marriage. For example words like: engagement, married households, demoralizing, to propose (in terms of marriage), divorces, bachelor, to dine with, to flirt with, elegible young men... As a result of this topic, most of the terms employed are abastract nouns. For instance: social responsability, moral tone, real motives, solid quialities... And the sentences are usually long and with a complex structure: “Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon, only people who can ´t get into it do that”. Rethorical devices are not frequent thorought the book, though we may highlight some puns, like for instance that in the very title: The importance of being Earnest. The author plays with the idea of being earnest in society in order to achieve a good reputation – in a ironical tone – and later the two main characters claimed to be called Ernest, which is a homophone of earnest. But the real thing is that they are not Ernest (serious) they feign to be Ernest.
FILM REVIEW:
FILM TITLE: Lolita
COUNTRY / YEAR : USA, 1997
DIRECTOR: Adryan Lyne
WRITING CREDITS: Vladimir Nabokov (novel)
Stephen Schiif (screenplay)
CAST: Jeremy Irons > Humbert Humbert
Melanie Griffieth > Charlotte Haze
Dominique Swain > Dolores ‘Lolita’ Haze
Frank Langella > Clare Quilty
SYNOPSYS : Humbert Humbert after a dramatic relationship in his adolescence feels unable to fall in love again. In his forties he leaves England for the USA with the hope to start a new life. There he works as a professor.He shares a house with a family and he will feel attracted to a 14- year-old girl, called Lolita. They will both undertake a journey throughout the country, hiding their true relationship. But they are followed by an strange man. Humbert grows jealous and ad with a strong sense of guilt from the forbidden love.
OPINION: Often categorized as an erotic film ‘Lolita’ explores a whole range of emotions and hidden feelings. A traumatized teenager profoundly shocked by the sudden death of his first love feels unable to fall in love for a second time. Twenty years later, in his thirties, he comes across a young fourteen -year -old girl in whom he recreates the love of his youth. How strong can emotions be to push a man into such follies! To marry a woman in order to have acces to his daughter, to quit his job, to travel around the States with no direction ... They are just some to name but a few. There are many scenes that appeal to the senses, to see a man shattered, broken by an impossible that is leading to a tragical ending.
TYPES OF LANGUAGE: The language used in this film is American English. On the one hand we can find a colloquial and informal language which can be categorized as youth slang and which is employed by ‘Lolita’. On the other hand, we see a more formal and educated style in Humbert, the professor.
CONCLUSION: Leaving aside those who condemn the film simplifying it as amoral and indecent, and listening to those who take it seriously, Lolita is a painfully beautiful movie about a love realationship that can not end happily. Starred by a faultless Jeremy Irons where every look and every move that he makes is completely convincing and moving. On the other side, Dominique Swain, in spite of her inexperience and age, perfomes a character full of energy and credibility. We can claim that Stephen Chiif adaption of Vladimir Nabokov ´s novel maintains his literacy and coherence.
Sunday, 25 March 2007
Film Review by Aitor González
Film Title: The Constant Gardener
Country/Year: United Kingdom 2005
Genre: Thriller
Director: Fernando Meirelles ("City of
Writing Credits: Screenplay by Jeffrey Caine, based on the novel by John le Carre
Cast: Ralph Fiennes as Justin Quayle, Rachel Weisz as Tessa Quayle, Danny Huston as Sandy Woodrow, Hubert Koundé as
Rating: R for language, some violent images and sexual content/nudity (Restricted for people under 17 years old)
Synopsis:
In a remote area of
The screenplay is written in a non linear way and alternates between flashbacks of Justin and Tessa's relationship and Justin's hunt for the truth. The story is told starting from the end, so you know what happened last but it doesn’t take away the interest about the film.
Opinion:
Is the future of the countries determined by their governments or either by the huge multinational companies’ decisions? That’s the question Meirelles sends us. The love story of a British diplomat in Kenya and his woman, who is murdered at the beginning of the film while travelling through Kenya in the company of a local doctor is the background the director uses to show off the problem of AIDS in Africa and the battle for an important drug market which seems to justify everything, including murder, blackmail, extortion, illegal drug tests, and many others.
The Constant Gardener is a hooking thriller which mixes action, intrigue and political criticism in the proper measure and I’d only recommend it to those who really want to realise how we can be managed by the multinational corporations which seem to be the ones who really rule the international politics and consequently the country governments.
Type of Language Used: British English mixed with African English
Score: 4 stars (out of five)
Thursday, 22 March 2007
V for Vendetta Review by Andrei
Film title: V for Vendetta.
Country / Year: U.S.A. and Germany (2005).
Genre: Action, drama, science-fiction.
Director: James McTeigue.
Writing credits: Andy and Larry Wachowski.
Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Ben Miles, Natasha Wightman.
Plot / Synopsis:
“Remember, remember the fifth of November…” is the beginning for the monologue of the main character “V” played by Hugo Weaving (The Matrix’s Agent Smith). “V” wears the mask of Guy Fawkes, and as he did, the character tries to finish off the tyranny and oppression of the fascist government in a near future in Britain. This film has been produced by the Wachowski brothers, who also produced The Matrix trilogy.
“V” rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a life-and-death situation and takes her to his house where she will know the true personality of “V”.
In England, the fascist dictator Adam Sutler (John Hurt) has imposed a totalitarian regime. But “V” fights against the authorities using explosives, a brilliant art of combat and hijacking a television broadcast to announce that he will return a year later to destroy the Houses of Parliament. He tries to send a main objective, demonstrate that fascist and totalitarian governments can’t hold on.
Analysis:
Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, the film talks about terrorism, heroes, religious freedom and the right to free speech. “V” is good played by Hugo Weaving. Although his face remains hidden behind Guy Fawkes mask, Hugo’s voice, intonations and physical presence bring him a brilliant performance.
Symbols are also remarkable in this film, because of the parallel between the symbol that represent this future Britain and Nazi’s iconography.
Special effects and fights give the film a bit of action which is necessary in certain moments because of the film’s nature.
Furthermore, classical music used by “V” when he destroys the Old Bailey is breathtaking. References to other classical compositors, art paintings, novels and history bring “V” a huge knowledge which makes you listen to his words.
It is used usual vocabulary so it’s not difficult to understand the film.
Personal opinion:
I love this film. Mainly because of the good dialogues which is difficult to find nowadays. It’s a criticism on censorship, the high power of governments and shows that you can kill somebody but not ideas and thoughts, which are the civilian’s weapon to get worthy governments.
Some scenes were eliminate because some ideas of the original graphic novel could seem unacceptable to certain people. In spite of this, I recommend this film and any Alan Moore novel to everybody.
Country / Year: U.S.A. and Germany (2005).
Genre: Action, drama, science-fiction.
Director: James McTeigue.
Writing credits: Andy and Larry Wachowski.
Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Ben Miles, Natasha Wightman.
Plot / Synopsis:
“Remember, remember the fifth of November…” is the beginning for the monologue of the main character “V” played by Hugo Weaving (The Matrix’s Agent Smith). “V” wears the mask of Guy Fawkes, and as he did, the character tries to finish off the tyranny and oppression of the fascist government in a near future in Britain. This film has been produced by the Wachowski brothers, who also produced The Matrix trilogy.
“V” rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a life-and-death situation and takes her to his house where she will know the true personality of “V”.
In England, the fascist dictator Adam Sutler (John Hurt) has imposed a totalitarian regime. But “V” fights against the authorities using explosives, a brilliant art of combat and hijacking a television broadcast to announce that he will return a year later to destroy the Houses of Parliament. He tries to send a main objective, demonstrate that fascist and totalitarian governments can’t hold on.
Analysis:
Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, the film talks about terrorism, heroes, religious freedom and the right to free speech. “V” is good played by Hugo Weaving. Although his face remains hidden behind Guy Fawkes mask, Hugo’s voice, intonations and physical presence bring him a brilliant performance.
Symbols are also remarkable in this film, because of the parallel between the symbol that represent this future Britain and Nazi’s iconography.
Special effects and fights give the film a bit of action which is necessary in certain moments because of the film’s nature.
Furthermore, classical music used by “V” when he destroys the Old Bailey is breathtaking. References to other classical compositors, art paintings, novels and history bring “V” a huge knowledge which makes you listen to his words.
It is used usual vocabulary so it’s not difficult to understand the film.
Personal opinion:
I love this film. Mainly because of the good dialogues which is difficult to find nowadays. It’s a criticism on censorship, the high power of governments and shows that you can kill somebody but not ideas and thoughts, which are the civilian’s weapon to get worthy governments.
Some scenes were eliminate because some ideas of the original graphic novel could seem unacceptable to certain people. In spite of this, I recommend this film and any Alan Moore novel to everybody.
Friday, 16 March 2007
Book Review by Aitor González: 'Tis a Memoir
Book Review
Book Title: 'Tis a Memoir
Author: Frank McCourt
Publisher/Year: Quality Paperbacks Direct London, 1999
Book Type: Autobiography
Pages: 385
Book Title: 'Tis a Memoir
Author: Frank McCourt
Publisher/Year: Quality Paperbacks Direct London, 1999
Book Type: Autobiography
Pages: 385
Summary:
'Tis, is the sequel to the Pulitzer prize-winning Angela's Ashes. It starts with the arrival to New York of Frank McCourt, a 19 year old boy from Limerick, Ireland. He tries to survive in the country of the opportunities escaping from his little village, Limerick, where he left his mother and his 3 brothers: Alphie, Malachie and Michael. But he will discover it’s not easy to find a job, especially when you are an Irish immigrant with black teeth and red eyes “like pish holes in the snow”.
He gets a job at the Biltmore Hotel lobby, where he works with people from other countries like Puerto Rico and then is drafted into the army and sent to Germany to train dogs and type reports. When Frank returns to America in 1953, he works on the docks but he realises that he should be getting an education, and though he left school at fourteen, he talks his way into New York University. There, he falls in love with a beautiful long-legged blonde, and tries to live his dream. He marries the beautiful New Englander but the relationship breaks down leaving behind a child because of his problems with the drinking, and it is not until he starts to teach that Frank finds his place in the world.
Opinion:
Although I haven’t read “Angela's Ashes” I enjoyed this book because the author, who is the main character, has got the ability to tell the story with a unique perspective, the perspective of a man who has got a difficult childhood in a poor home with a drunk father. McCourt is the kind of person who has learned to overcome his difficulties and succeed in his life and moreover he narrates the story with the innocence of a young man fearful and alone in the world.
It has got a lot of humorous anecdotes which make the book very funny and entertaining so you won’t find many problems to read it because when you start it you can’t wait to find what’s going to happen next and when you realise you have finished the book, though I didn’t liked very much the ending, but never mind, it’s a good book to read and I recommend it to everyone.
Language/Style:
The language used in this book is quite informal and the author uses a lot of slang and expressions that sometimes are a bit difficult, but it’s easy to understand if you know the main character belongs to a very poor area and they are used to talk this way.
The book is an autobiography, so there are many real places like New York or Limerick the author describes from his point of view, which is sometimes funny, for example when he compares the differences between Irish and American English (“In America a torch is called a flashlight. A biscuit is called a cookie, a bun is a roll. Confectionery is pastry and minced meat is ground. Men wear pants instead of trousers…The lift is an elevator and if you want a WC or a lavatory you have to say bathroom even if there isn’t a sign of a bath there. And no one dies in America, they pass away or they ´re deceased and when they die the body is taken to a funeral home…”).
If your mother tongue is not English you will probably need a dictionary near the book before you start reading, but you can also understand many words by its context, but in the other hand it’s a good opportunity to enlarge your vocabulary.
'Tis, is the sequel to the Pulitzer prize-winning Angela's Ashes. It starts with the arrival to New York of Frank McCourt, a 19 year old boy from Limerick, Ireland. He tries to survive in the country of the opportunities escaping from his little village, Limerick, where he left his mother and his 3 brothers: Alphie, Malachie and Michael. But he will discover it’s not easy to find a job, especially when you are an Irish immigrant with black teeth and red eyes “like pish holes in the snow”.
He gets a job at the Biltmore Hotel lobby, where he works with people from other countries like Puerto Rico and then is drafted into the army and sent to Germany to train dogs and type reports. When Frank returns to America in 1953, he works on the docks but he realises that he should be getting an education, and though he left school at fourteen, he talks his way into New York University. There, he falls in love with a beautiful long-legged blonde, and tries to live his dream. He marries the beautiful New Englander but the relationship breaks down leaving behind a child because of his problems with the drinking, and it is not until he starts to teach that Frank finds his place in the world.
Opinion:
Although I haven’t read “Angela's Ashes” I enjoyed this book because the author, who is the main character, has got the ability to tell the story with a unique perspective, the perspective of a man who has got a difficult childhood in a poor home with a drunk father. McCourt is the kind of person who has learned to overcome his difficulties and succeed in his life and moreover he narrates the story with the innocence of a young man fearful and alone in the world.
It has got a lot of humorous anecdotes which make the book very funny and entertaining so you won’t find many problems to read it because when you start it you can’t wait to find what’s going to happen next and when you realise you have finished the book, though I didn’t liked very much the ending, but never mind, it’s a good book to read and I recommend it to everyone.
Language/Style:
The language used in this book is quite informal and the author uses a lot of slang and expressions that sometimes are a bit difficult, but it’s easy to understand if you know the main character belongs to a very poor area and they are used to talk this way.
The book is an autobiography, so there are many real places like New York or Limerick the author describes from his point of view, which is sometimes funny, for example when he compares the differences between Irish and American English (“In America a torch is called a flashlight. A biscuit is called a cookie, a bun is a roll. Confectionery is pastry and minced meat is ground. Men wear pants instead of trousers…The lift is an elevator and if you want a WC or a lavatory you have to say bathroom even if there isn’t a sign of a bath there. And no one dies in America, they pass away or they ´re deceased and when they die the body is taken to a funeral home…”).
If your mother tongue is not English you will probably need a dictionary near the book before you start reading, but you can also understand many words by its context, but in the other hand it’s a good opportunity to enlarge your vocabulary.
Thursday, 8 March 2007
First Certificate common mistakes
Hi everybody,
surfing on the internet and preparing the EOI exams I've found this webpage that shows the most common mistakes found it by teachers in the First Certificate exams.
Some of them are nonsense, but some others are very common. It should be better to avoid them!!
I hope you learn something with this:
http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/firstcertificate2/60commonmistakes.htm
surfing on the internet and preparing the EOI exams I've found this webpage that shows the most common mistakes found it by teachers in the First Certificate exams.
Some of them are nonsense, but some others are very common. It should be better to avoid them!!
I hope you learn something with this:
http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/firstcertificate2/60commonmistakes.htm
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