The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Directed by David Fincher

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Directed by David Fincher
Cinema Release Date: February 4, 2009
Film already available on DVD since: August 5, 2009
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Time: 02h35min Production Year: 2008


In the field of the American movie industry, we always appreciate Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll. But in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, we are also surprised that it is so excellent a movie.

How could the director of the Fight Club and Alien 3 direct such a fantastic movie? And why he gives us so miraculous a movie. When David Fincher adapts a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he just wants to tell us something in terms of love and marriage by directing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

                               Brad Pitt plays as Benjamin Button

The film takes 2 hours and 40 minutes to tell us the singular life of Benjamin Button. The pace is languid, the scenes are good, although sometimes they are so melancholy. However, boredom never sets in, we are seized of fascination and excitement from the first to the last frame. The film is a bitter chronicle of passing time. after all, it is on a man’s life. Or rather the time of several lives that intersect in his life, which are lost and found…

Entrusting by an infinity of moods and magical familiar, focusing on a sublime topic, and capturing incredible moments with camera, the story unfolds smoothly and easily , espousing different points of a whole life. The reconstruction of each decade is breathtaking. But if the show is huge, there are still human. Painfully human. In this film Fincher explores the infinite sadness of our lives, the visceral fear of death at the beginning. As a man who is born as an old man and he dies in the guise of a newborn baby in the arms of his beloved, wrinkled and hoary. There are so many shocking scenarios that it touches our deepest heart. The questions continually arise to us. More than the fear of aging and dying is the fear of the extremes that we took, that of death as that of birth. The origin and destination of life are one in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Before coming to the world or after leaving it, there's only nothingness, the largest and most humane of all terrors.

                                                  Actress in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The main quality of the film is succeeded in giving us a lesson. In Brad Pitt, he delivers a performance of actor irresistible. Button is childish and playful when he appears as an old man with a maturity. However, he realizes that it is disconcerting. There is something terribly poignant to see Brad Pitt who plays as a strong role through the ages. At some point in his career the image of young playboy has forged his legend he no longer owns it any more. Behind the character is the man who becomes conscious of his age and his own mortality. The rejuvenation of Benjamin Button is even more painful than reassuring: only film, a clever device that under no circumstances extinguish the anguish of age.

                                                Brad Pitt is so old!!!

In this movie, the direct tells us that nothing lasts forever and people should cherish their time with their lovers. If life has an end, this film can keep the shine.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice Directed by Jon Turteltaub

The Sorcerer's Apprentice Directed by Jon Turteltaub
Cinema Release Date: August 11, 2010
Film already available on DVD since: December 15, 2010
With Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Teresa Palmer
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Time: 01h45min Production Year: 2010
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures France

Balthazar Blake is a great sorcerer who is living in Manhattan, New York City. He tries to defend the city against his nemesis, Maxim Horvath. Balthazar cannot do it alone, so he hired Dave Stutler, a seemingly ordinary boy who has a real potential to be a great sorcerer. However, to become his apprentice, there is still a long way to go for him. The sorcerer gives his reluctant apprentice a crash course on the art and science of magic, and together these two unlikely partners will try their best to stop the evilest forces in the New York City. It will take time and courage for Dave to survive and learn the magic, save the city ...

Why do I go to the cinema to watch this movie? Is it really interesting? The answer is definitely not for the new trendy cut "greasy hair" of Nicolas Cage, but for the fantasy in this movie.

                                The Sorcerer's Apprentice， Nicolas Cage

With a rather moderate enthusiasm I watched it. It looks like that it is pretty good. It combines the balls (from my perspective): Jerry Bruckheimer, Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure), Nicolas Cage ( we could expect much more from him in this film). All work with Walt Disney Pictures and take us to a strange world, in which the good will fight against the evil.

                                                 Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Teresa Palmer

Ok, no more teasing. As far as I am concerned, it is not very nice for Jerry and Jon (that pending Apprentice Wizard 2 decided to re-offend for a National Treasure 3) work together. At least, in this movie, their cooperation is not perfect. The film still has an advantage that it attracts our sympathy: Jay Baruchel. This guy is funny. Plus, this guy is awesome. Jay, I like him movies since the Tropic Thunder, Knocked Fanboys, even Too Beautiful! With his performance, we had a good laugh.

          Beautiful and charming actress in The Sorcerer's Apprentice Directed by Jon Turteltaub

As far as I am concerned, it's nice to see him in this movie. His performance in it is good and his character in it is pretty cool. The movie is funny, entertaining, although sometimes it is a little ridiculous and the story is sometimes far-fetched. However, it does not surprise the viewer and does not follow the conventional plot.

Overall, I prefer to see it and recommend it to my friends.

The Fifth Element Directed by Luc Besson

The Fifth Element Directed by Luc Besson
Cinema Release Date: May 7, 1997
Film already available on DVD since: September 9, 2008
With Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm
Genre: Science Fiction
Time: 02h06min Production Year: 1996


In the XXIII century, in a strange and colorful world, any hope of survival is impossible without the discovery of the fifth element. In this situation, an hero confronts the evil and his mission is to save the mankind.

                                                The Fifth Element

Honestly speaking, Luc Besson is not the only one of my favorite directors. He has his own style in directing movies. In his early films, I often think they are "stupid" and artificial. As a producer, it's even worse that he wants a big machine to make cash. But this is not the issue.

Despite these drawbacks in hiss, "The Fifth Element" is a film quite excellent. This is my favorite Besson, by far. Why? Because you can find everything you need in it, which can help you to enjoy yourself.

                                 Gorgeous Photo in The Fifth Element

First, there is a simple scenario, although it is catchy. The "evil" comes back to Earth and want to destroy the earth. There is only one way to prevent him from fulfilling his plan: the aliens on our planet relates Mondoshawan stones, which represents the basic elements (air, land, water and fire). Only with the fifth element the human being in the world could destroy the evil. But in the Earth, an industrialist crooked, Zorg (Gary Oldman, perfect), hired another tribe of aliens to take over these stones. The ship exploded but Mondoshawan of stones escape the wicked. They try and find them, just like the Gentiles. That is to say, the nation as a whole, led by a priest Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm, excellent and funny as all), ambassador to the land Mondoshawan . The Gentiles recover the fifth element and get it from a beautiful daughter, Leeloo (Milla Jovovich, revelation of the film, beautiful and good actress). It will be protected by an ex-military man who becomes a taxi driver, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis, perfect). And that's why it is worth people to adventure to save the world ...

In this movie, saving the world has never been so exciting and funny. So there are two extremely important elements for quality entertainment, especially when it comes to science-fiction action and humor. The action is perfectly presented throughout the film, it takes everything, it fights, it explodes, it blows, it makes a big bang. It's perfectly balanced with a little comic situations sprinkled here and there.

The bad guys are caricatures. Zorg and his head tipped egg like dirty bloated faces of Mangalore, but frankly they are totally. Conversely, the good guys are not necessarily thinner but are more fortunate. Korben Dallas is cool, the priest is tense but resourceful, and we will not forget the outlandish and highly coward radio host by Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker, while ticks, awesome).

               There is always a good reason why people like science fiction movie, because it can attract us.

To embody all its colorful characters, Luc Besson has not missed his cast including Bruce Willis Who is the best actor or actress in this movie? All this beautiful world is evolving in a universe and it is so amazingly beautiful. It is a true comic scene that was created for a film whose special effects, even 10 years later, are still successful.


Ultimately, the adventure is quite incredible that we have fun from the beginning to the end. The bet is perfectly managed by Luc Besson, who gives us the science-fiction to the American at least as well as themselves. A cult movie already. Well done!

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Tom Tykwer

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Tom Tykwer

Cinema Release Date: October 4, 2006
Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Time: 02h27min Production Year: 2006


So then, what prompted me to go see the movies? It is curiosity! But at the same time, I was afraid of being disappointed ... And yes, I read the book very well before watching it in the cinema. Indeed, when I was reading it, I knew it would be made a movie. I read it, because my teacher discussed it a lot when I was learning French some years ago. It is so mysterious a story that it greatly attracts my curiosity!

I was afraid of being disappointed, because the book I really liked it. However, I have to admit that this story is not easily adaptable to a movie. How do we convey emotions that are related to odors? In the book, it's pretty easy, you take the time to tell us everything ... On the screen, it's more complicated. And yet it succeeded! I liked the way it was shot: with his nose, Forg found new odors again and again.. ...

                                So Charming an Actress in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Regarding to actors, I found Ben Whishaw (which I had never seen before, it seems to me) is very convincing played as Frog in this movie. Moreover, in the scene where he is with the first young lady who was killed by him, his performance was so fantastic. He found her not for love, nor for other reasons, just for the special smell of her body. Once she was killed, and the odor was gone, he was despaired to realize that he has took off the dead bodies of a young lady and had to escape as soon as possible. Then we know how excellent his performance, especially, his emotions, etc. I enjoyed it very much. And for the daughter (Laura), she was pretty beautiful and charming. She is sublime, as described in the book ... A pure beauty and innocent girl! But unfortunately she was killed by this murderer.

                                She is so smelly and gorgeous, but she is in danger.

It is based on the book and is directed very well, although I am unable to say whether it was exactly like the book or not.

In short, it is a good movie. But if you can read the book firstly, then go to the cinema to watch it, that will be much better. I mean, it can help you to understand and appreciate it. However, honestly speaking, I assume that I will like it much better, if I do not know it before.

Braveheart by Mel Gibson

Braveheart by Mel Gibson
Cinema Release Date: October 4, 1995
Film already available on DVD since: August 24, 2005
With Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Catherine McCormack
Genre: Historical, Adventure, War
Time: 02h45min Production Year: 1995
Distributor: UFD

Braveheart with Mel Gibson signs a spectacular film, which finally wins five Oscars. What an amazing movie! And even if you know nothing about the story happened in the movie, Braveheart is still a good movie for you to enjoy yourself in a cinema.

The staging, epic, lyric and violence in the movie narrative this epic story, and make it a classic. Unsurprisingly, but frankly speaking, it is very enjoyable for anyone who likes to watch movies. The sceneries are very splendid and are enhanced by the superb music by James Horner, who records this history in an unforgettable Scottish atmosphere.

                                              Mel Gibson played as William Wallace

As far as I am concerned, Braveheart is an encouraging film, in which it tells us to share the love, then hatred and commitments. Beyond the limits of the character William Wallace who struggled and the desire for the Scots, this film tells us that there are always revolts against tyranny when people suffered from the despotism. The interpretation is generally good, the scenes of battles, as well as the emotions, rhythms in the film are fantastic, which can flirt our sentimentality and let us immerse ourselves into such an epic movie.

But what bothers Mel Gibson most is his character as Wallace, although he fits the performance and interpretation of the hero with a very strong desire. He even transforms the main character as a Christ figure through his death in front of a large number of Scots. It is so heartening!

                             Wallace, "for Freedom!"
As a good actor, as well as a good director, Mel Gibson tells us how talented he is. With the direction of Mel Gibson, Braveheart becomes a masterpiece. But honestly speaking, in this movie, it talks a lot on violence, blood, sadness and brutality. If you do not like war movie, I do not recommend it to you. But if you like history and hero, it is a fabulous movie.

By the way, before directing this movie, Mel Gibson turned to Terry Gilliam to direct Braveheart, but Terry declined the proposal and decided to make himself. Mel Gibson has been in trouble with animal welfare organizations, because they believe that horses used in the violent fight scenes were real, while they were in fact not.

                                Wallace and His Lover in Braveheart


So far as I know, once it was released in Scotland, the public applauded it very much. Partly the reason behind it, I assume, is that it could help them to find their own identity.

The Last Emperor by Bernardo Bertolucci

The Last Emperor by Bernardo Bertolucci

Cinema Release Date: November 25, 1987
With John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole
Genre: Historical, Biopic
Time: 02h25min Production Year: 1987 

The Last Emperor by Bernardo Bertolucci, Pu Yi, the Last Emperor

The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1987, is a great historical epic that recounts the life of the Emperor of China Pu Yi. At the age of three years, he had been taken from his mother and taken to the Forbidden City, to succeed the empress dowager Tz'u Hi, who first exercised the regency on behalf of his son Tong Zhi and Guang Xu of his nephew. His political view was conservative. In a state plagued by corruption and internal conflict, it caused the Boxer Rebellion, although which was quickly quelled by an expeditionary West.

When the little emperor ascended the throne, he became in the hands of the regents, who are responsible to keep aside from the tumult in late Qing dynasty. As a sort of puppet who was only represented in front of the official ceremonies, he lived a very sad life without authority and power. Played by hundreds of servants, living among the eunuchs and courtiers, he was bored in his role as an emperor, especially those civilians listened to his mother.

While the Kuomintang has already seized power, nothing seems to have been changed inside the Forbidden City. It was still an island, which has been cut off from the outside world. Until the day when the Cultural Revolution happened, the emperor was forced to leave the palace, which was invaded and ransacked by insurgents. He had to seek refuge in Japan. Of course, the Japanese took him as a pawn on the chessboard of international politics. But nothing happened as planned. The axis Germany-Italy-Japan had lost the war of between 1939 and 1945, and the Soviets came to lend a hand to the Chinese to expel the Japanese invaders and the emperor was naturally delivered to authorities in his country.

                                                        When Pu Yi was young as the Last Emperor

He was sentenced to life imprisoned. It was thanks to his good conduction and his ideological shift that he finally got his own freedom. He decided to end his life as a gardener in Beijing, where a large of foreign tourists visited it every year. His memoir was published in 1965 and he died in 1967. Through this movie, we are surprised that the transformation of a man-god in a character of Mao's dictatorship has reduced him to a mere sub-human in a country vitrified by a new ideology.

The film is a masterpiece. Hiromura will write up: "Simply one of the largest murals done in films. A monument, a giant, a miracle." The film was shot in the Forbidden City and is dedicated to the late emperor who was the last imperial figure of the twentieth century. It is based on the incredible and tragic story of this little boy, torn from his mother, deprived childhood, crushed under the weight of tradition…

The actors, all are perfect in their performance, make their characters believable and the staging is accurate and effective, which helps us go back to the time and life in the Forbidden City…. The film requires no less than 270 technicians, 19,000 extras, 9,000 costumes and takes 2 years of negotiations with Chinese authorities for the right to shoot the scene. So it is a feat.

Thanks to this movie that we can revisit the late Imperial history and go into the inner mind of the last Emperor.

The Social Network by David Fincher

The Social Network by David Fincher

Synopsis: A drunken night in October 2003, Mark Zuckerberg, a student who has just been dumped by his girlfriend, created a database of all girls at Harvard University with the help of hacker's computer system. It displays two photographs side by side and asks the user to vote for the most beautiful. He named the site Facebook. The success is instant: information is spread at the speed of lightning and the site becomes viral, destroying the entire system of Harvard and generating controversy on campus. Mark is accused of intentionally breached security and other misdeeds. Yet he created a social networking website named facebook.com…

                                               Mark Zuckerberg, the Founder of Facebook

Won 4 Golden Globes and voted as the best film in 2010 by audiences, it has nearly 1.5 million viewers in America. It is so amazing a movie. And we tend to believe in its excitement caused by this film, although its script has nothing interesting at the first glance. But David Fincher's new film is almost the same characteristic：clever dialogue, innovative screenplay and so on(just as Inception did last summer).

At the beginning, it looks pretty hard to follow. Although it's hard to know how the story unfolds, at first, it shows the whole point of the film: why did he create Facebook? Although this famous website is worth more than $ 20 billion and has already registered by millions of users around the world, it is still dubious whether it's a rat or a nerd who has invented it. David Fincher manages to make us an exciting story. Each replica is kept, every word seems crisp beneath our teeth. It seems like he will take us to be mesmerized in it with the script and dialogues.

In The Social Network, there are also famous actors. Andrew Garfield and his angelic looks particularly cool. Not to mention Justin Timberlake and his 100% awesome chats (just like the movie). And how can we forget the brothers who share the idea of Facebook: both are true clones, only their roles are different from each other. What the movie shines is in the choice of Jesse Eisenberg, whose voice is so good. And it is true that his character is rather likeable.

The Social Network talks about Facebook, of course. But whether that or another site, it does not matter. It is admitted that the character of Mark Zuckerberg has nothing to do with the actor played by Eisenberg. Fincher has just shown it with passion, style and taste and makes it an excellent film (using music, colors, production). We also hear everywhere that the character played by Jesse is unpleasant, but I found it rather touching, funny, intelligent. Making them laugh, think, which, I think is a good attempt. 

Mark Zuckerberg has created a website where people meet and talk with friends. This is called the paradox of life. And more than that, it is shown that a very sociable man, in fact, is rather indifferent in the movie, which is totally different from his life in the real world.

Because Mark is not stupid, and we dare say that he is a human being who is talented and different from other students at Harvard. Like other geeks his generation, but it is now one of the richest people in this world and whose invention has met the world and will surely continue to do so for a long time. He has his chance, and it is finally the film's message: beyond the creation of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg becomes an example to take an unusual personality and a genius.

In summary, it is not the best film in 2010, but it is an inspiring one. It tells us a success story of Zuckerberg who creates the facebook and helps us to maintain our friendship and love through social networking.

You've Got Mail by Nora Ephron

You've Got Mail by Nora Ephron
Cinema Release Date: January 20, 1999
With Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Time: 01h59min Production Year: 1998


Why Americans like to make comedies as charming as this one? They always have the gift to create works filled with charm, as well as freshness, innocence, pleasures and happiness in them. "You've got mail" is exactly the prototype of this kind of comedy. Well, it is funny that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are competing with each other for the survival of their bookstores.

                                             You've Got Mail by Nora Ephron

Let’s return to the charming story of this film. Meg Ryan's character is a lady who is running a small children's bookstore that delights its customers by offering outdated and magical books. However, there is a huge bookstore opened in front of her bookstore, which is running by Tom Hanks, a smart businessman who is not pity for the small business companies. War is then declared between the two book-sellers! However, both of them do not know that they get along well with each other online.

Indeed, it is the advent of the Internet and new media that they could talk with each other online by sending emails without knowing who they really are in real life. This is not the love story, but finally, they become a couple and live together. Tom (I forget the name of his character) will soon discover that his mysterious correspondent is actually his sworn enemy and this discovery greatly surprises him ... until the lovely Happy End!

                                             Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan

The scenario is vaguely silly, but everything is really well put together until the end. I know that the character of Tom Hanks in the movie is so nice that he doesn’t spoil the game. Of course, Hanks is not the sexiest, but he at least has the gift to play well and is not looked down upon for his silly and honestly performance. However, I think Ben Affleck ruins the movie! Tom Hanks plays good, but comparing with the beautiful Meg Ryan, he is not so perfect in the film. Anyway, the movie is just perfect in the presence of an attractive and romantic city.

Generally speaking, it is very good. If you like comedy or romance, I recommend you to take a look at it.

Catch Me If You Can by Steven Spielberg

Catch Me If You Can by Steven Spielberg
Cinema Release Date: February 12, 2003
Film already available on DVD since: February 1, 2007
With Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Time: 02h21min Production Year: 2002
Distributor: United International Pictures (UIP)


I am a big fan of Spielberg. So far as I know, his movies since the 1980s have greatly influenced my generations. Yet I still have problems in getting interested in his movies, Catch Me If You Can is one of them. It was released in 2003, when I watched it, I was attracted by its magic and surprised that there could be a movie like this. Basically, I'm not disappointed.

In this movie, Frank Abagnale Jr. decides to flee from the divorce of his parents with one thing in mind: to earn money to help them resume normal life. But rather than be overwhelmed by the reality of life, Frank decides to forge checks and become one of the greatest forgers in the 1970s. Pursued by FBI inspector Handratty, he escaped himself with several identities before becoming one of his employees at the end of the movie.

The story origins from the real story of Frank Abagnale, a real forger who fooled many companies to withdraw money with cheques. Finally, his talent offers him an opportunity to become an advisor as a FBI in the film. The screenplay comes from his novel autobiography "Catch Me If You Can," there is no dead time for the viewer who follows a kind of relentless chase without being exhausting and even less boring. The strength is definitely the relationship of two characters between Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio, which greatly attracts the interest of its audience. The goal is not to evade police, but to go as far as possible, and especially to get out unscathed.

                                               Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can by Steven Spielberg

So this film is not an action movie, but a comedy with fantastic gaits: a character enjoys the good life of certain functions. Basically, Frank is not a civilian, but is a youth who is afraid to fail. He is very lonely and needs to be noticed in the eyes of others. He is afraid of facing the reality of his powerful parents who are divorced. And it is their divorce that plunges him and causes him to leave his home and make criminal actions.

                                   Tom Hanks in Catch Me If You Can by Steven Spielberg

Faced with Franck Handratty, a FBI agent who has no life to his job. His family is completely absent, and Handratty seems to be a frustrated figure. Basically, they are almost the same kind of person. Both are miserable. Franck urges Handratty not to chase him, because he wanted the ability to blend into scenery and abuse of others, but he chose another path.

                                           Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks

Spielberg's own style is still present, though less than usual, he does not abuse this time of the brightness of the light. Playing on warm colors and highlighting on the good life between Franck and Handratty. Yet despite the good things this film offers, it comes out with a happy end.

                                    Tom Hanks as a FBI

Basically, Catch Me If You Can is a good movie for us to entertainment ourselves. Although its essence evaporates too quickly and never leaves a slight taste for pleasure in the closing credits. We will not blame Steven Spielberg, after all, he cannot make history with every film.

The 83rd Academy Award Nominations (OSCAR AWARDS 2011)

The 83rd Academy Award Nominations (OSCAR AWARDS 2011)

For actors, actresses, as well as filmmakers, the Oscar Awards annually announced is the best award for them to win, which can greatly help them to be famous. Like these professonal actors or actresses and directors, for movie fans, we are glad to know who can get the Oscar Awards annually. Plus, we also want to know how could they win them, and why do they win them. In this article, rather then list all their names and their contribution, I would like to share their some videos on the 2011 Oscar Awards with you through Youtube. I do hope you can enjoy yourself!

The 83rd Academy Oscar Award

On January 25, 2011, the Academy Award nominations was announced this morning in Los Angeles. Among them, "The King's Speech" led the field with 12 nominations, "True Grit" has 10 nominations followed. "The Social Network" won the best picture nomination, along with seven other nods.

Plus, "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "True Grit," "Inception," "The Kids Are All Right" and "Toy Story 3" are also entried and also win several awards in this year. What a good news!

                                     Oscar Awards 2011 Nominees List 

Every year, there is always something for movie fans to expect, as well as to those film directors and actors. This year, in order to express those actors, musicians, directors who have made great contributions to the film industry in the world, the Oscar Awards are announced. Here I have collected some videos from Youtube which are connected with the annual Oscar Awards. Some of them have predicted the Awards, some of them tell us who get the Oscar Awards, and also there are some videos which tell us what are their contributions to the film industry as members in it.

Academy Awards/Oscar Predictions 2010/2011 (read description) 

 If I can predict who can win the Oscar Awards, that will be fantastic! But honestly, nobody can do that.

                                        Academy Awards/Oscar Predictions 2010/2011 

 

 

                              The 83rd Academy Award Announced (Oscar Awards 2011)

Some of the actors or actress are happy that they can get the Oscar Awards, but some of them are very disappointed that they have lost their opportunities again. What a pity! But it is the fact that they have to accept.

 

                                                   2011 Annual Oscar Nominations

 Every year, there are a lot of nomination lists for the Oscar Awards, but sometimes they could not win the awards due to some reasons.

 

 

North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock

North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock
Cinema Release Date: October 21, 1959
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
With Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, more
Genre: Thriller, Adventure, Comedy
Time: 02h16min Production Year: 1959

Alfred Hitchcock, a well-known filmmaker, has created a lot of excellent movies in all his life. I clearly remembered the prosecution in corn and the Entrance of the Hotel is simple and wonderful by watching his movie.

                                          North by Northwest Trailer

I love spy stories and Cary Grant, Who is not my favorite actor of at that time (Honestly I liked Gary Cooper), however, he was charming, funny and endearing in this movie. In short, he was not handsome as he really was in other movies

I was shocked on my chair when I was watching the beginning of this movie. Then I realized that Hitchcock has his own understanding in this movie.

                                          Alfred Hitchcock discusses North by Northwest in an interview

Following a friend and drunk at a hotel bar, he knew that he WAS Kidnapped and involved into a spy story which filled with surprises. Wired! I did not see the synopsis, so It Was Almost as if I was seeing for The First Time. Although it was a little complicated, I liked it very much

It was well made. In fact, we do not know who is the spy, who are the police officers. These Old trains are full of secrets and will take us a long time to expose them. He meets Eva Marie Saint. And as in other movies at that time, all characters are smooth and flawless.


he tried his best to run in a cornfield and picked corn even if it is dry ... There he goes at a quick speed and keeps on going ahead without hesitation. In general, it greatly breaks the traditional tactics of directing a movie as a directors. But I just like this style. Also, in this movie, the tea sets are fantastic! If you like tea sets, you can greatly appreciate them.

I know if I do not tell this story, others may be happy to discover it. It made me so happy to see this movie. As far as I am concerned, I recommend it as four stars and I think it is worth it.

For cons, I Have not Seen the making of and I'll watch it today. I do not know who doubled Cary Grant in this film? I Know that voice, it is too old and familiar, but I just cannot name him. oh, damn!

Anyway,it is a good movie! Enjoy yourself!

Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ by William Wyler

Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Cinema Release Date: October 1960
Directed by William Wyler
With Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, more
Time: 03h32min Production Year: 1959
Distributor: Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)

Synopsis: Judah Ben-Hur, a prince of Judea, finds his childhood friend Messala, who became the head of the garrison of Jerusalem. But their characters couldnot help themselves to maintain their friendships. 

                                            Ben Hur Trailer 1959

Unbelievable classic in the history of world films, Ben Hur crowned with 11 Oscars. Till now, Ben-Hur remains a pillar, a key monument in the history of the film. Adapted from "A Tale of Christ", a novel written in 1880 by U.S. General Lew Wallace (who was brought to the screen 2 times before: first in 1907 by Sidney Alcott and the second in 1925 by Fred Niblo), this masterpiece tells the exceptional destiny of Judas Ben Hur. As a Jewish noble prince, he was betrayed by his childhood friend, the tribune Messala, just because he refused to assist the rebels to massacre Jews. Judas was condemned to the galleys by Messala, while his mother and sister were imprisoned and tortured. Drunk with vengeance, Judas would have to face his enemy during a memorable chariot race. Ben-Hur was a excellent film by combining spectacular bravura and touching intimate scenes. Ben-Hur, it's just a race to the faith that it has convinced my faith.

                                        Ben Hur Triumph Music

This flamboyant film took us back to ancient Rome and Nero, in which it told us the tragic fate of the first Christian martyrs. Featuring an outstanding cast (Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Peter Ustinov ...) and unforgettable sequences (the circus, the burning of Rome ...), it finally became an fantastic movie.

This tells us the fate of Marcellus Gallio (played by Richard Burton), a young Roman soldier who witnessed the crucifixion of Christ and won his shirt while playing dice, a tunic that will soon be the object of desire and forever change the life of Marcellus. You should remember that this film was a sequel, titled "The Gladiators", which was filmed at the same time.

In 1923, filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille was the first filmmaker to advocate the prophet Moses on the screen in the first version of Ten Commandments. Thirty-three years later, in 1956, with greater capacity, he has the idea to remake a grandiose, with Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner as the main actor and actress. Three scenes remained cults: the burning bush, crossing the Red Sea and the gift of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. This film has received no votes, which did not prevent them to remain an essential classic.

                                          Ben Hur Rowing Music

Unjustly forgotten, it tells us the fate of the famous robber, who was released instead of Jesus and that until the end of his life he was constantly caught by this heavy past. Having received no votes, the film nevertheless features four giants (Anthony Quinn, Vittorio Gassman, Jack Palance and Ernest Borgnine) and contains a memorable scene: the crucifixion of Christ, in the background with the eclipse of the faith of Christians in the turbulent 1950s.

The Reader by Stephen Daldry

The Reader
Cinema Release Date: July 15, 2009
Film already available on DVD since: May 26, 2010
Directed by Stephen Daldry
Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, more
American feature film, German. Genre: Drama
Time: 02h03min Production Year: 2008
Distributor: SND

Stephen Daldry, an excellent director in contemporary film industry, has tumbled in the film of the "Billy Elliot", in which he gave its customers a good impression for his directing style. Followed with the superb "Hours", a more sophisticated movie, then he began his directing with "The Reader." It is a historical movie, in which he tells a very complicated plot, although it is now very far from consensual. This film inspired from a book by Bernhard Schlink, who gives him a lot of illumination.

We can say that this is a story of an exchange of guilt. Michael, on the threshold of adolescence, fell in love with Hannah, whom he met by chance, was a recipient. Hannah was an enigmatic woman and much older than him. In fact, during one of their hikes, she was taken as his mother. In return, she demands him to read books for her. And he reads, he reads everything from the Odyssey to the Lady with the Dog by Chekhov and so on. And then one day, suddenly, she disappears. The viewer knows that it disappears because the administration of trams, satisfied with his employee, he was offered a desk job ... Kate Winslet, no makeup, quickly obsolete, ugly, tells us that she is still beautiful.

                                          The Reader

A few years later, Michael is a trainee lawyer and must attend a trial with a few other students and their teacher (My God! Bruno Ganz is an old man now! Ben saying then, that we are not getting younger). That the trial of five criminals, like many other criminals at the end of the war, they are melted into the anonymity of civilian life. They are anonymous at the outputs for the Publication of a book by a survivor who is involved. Among these women: Hannah. Her companions accused him of being the leader of the group. Evidenced by a written account of his hand, reporting the death of an entire convoy of prisoners burned alive in a church bombed.

Michael will not recover. His emotional life is quickly divorced. He is so absent-minded and miserable. Crushed under the weight of this double guilt, he feels guilty for having sexual life with a monster, because Hannah is one of them. Why did you choose the SS? Because she was better paid than workers who were surviving at Siemens. Why did you let these women die in a horrible death? But because she was hired to keep the prisoners and he was out of the question of opening the church door and let them escape! Yes, a monster, one of these monsters whose ordinary order was just regularly do her job according to her "obey orders". But Michael was guilty for Hannah, because he said nothing to her and did not tell others the truth for Hannah. Hannah was a woman who could neither read nor write, which meant that she could not have written a report and could not be the leader.

                                         The Reader Kate Winslet Talks About It

She did not deserve this life, but she still kept her own secret until her death .... Young David Kross is totally credible, and Ralph Fiennes, who plays Michael as an adult, is more handsome than ever, with the clarity of his eyes infinitely sad ...

Then, over the years to redeem himself, he will read all those books he had read for Hannah. He saves them to tapes and sends them to Hannah who was in prison. She heard the words appearing with mysterious signs on the printed pages, and learns them one by one. But the books could not help him to redeem his guilty. We know this is not good for him to feel much better, given the number of intellectuals engaged in support of the Nazi madness. If Hannah had been able to read earlier, she would doubtless have made the same choice. When Michael asks him "but in prison, you have not learned anything?" she answers "I learned to read ..."

                                        With The Reader, Kate Winslet won her Oscar Gloden Global

Exchange of guilty ...

What a beautiful theme! What a good script! What an excellent film!

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Cinema Release Date: December 19, 2001
Film already available on DVD since: November 23, 2006
Directed by Peter Jackson
With Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, more
Original title: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
American feature film, New Zealand. Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action
Time: 02h45min Production Year: 2001

                                          The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Trailer

The adventure had begun well before 2001. At the time I was still subscribed to Mad Movies and every issue, it was entitled to a little article in which they began to penetrate Middle Earth.

I knew absolutely nothing of what Lord of the Rings except that it was deemed inappropriate to the cinema. I understood why people liked it when I heard about it from my friends who had read the book.

For several years I have read many things about this movie. And I found it was curious that Peter Jackson does not try to defend his project to the incessant attacks journalists who accused him of taking strangers in his illustrious film or do not know how to manage settings or something like that. Then we know that no journalists were permitted question its legitimacy before reading it.

But Peter Jackson will say nothing, he'll be rather generous to his creitics. Until the Cannes Film Festival in which he was also locked in a room, in which 150 journalists asked him to spend 35 minutes to answer their questions. Then his project on the Lord of Ring was opened to its public. 

                                   The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Gandalf fights Saruman

Although finally newspapers were not unanimous on it and doubted his success in the future, he just did his job. Until December 2001, we discovered that he was a genius in directing this movie. I went to watch this movie in a local cinema before reading its literary adventure. Yet I knew that it was so fantastic. The discovery of this first episode opens a new path in film, with which Peter Jackson brings us full head in almost three hours. It introduces the characters and situation, helps us to know everything evolving around it.

                                 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Soundtrack with Orchestra

It magnifies his subject, leaving nothing to chance. He experimented with optical illusions, pushing the boundaries and using principles with the help of computer technologies. The natural settings are very few retouched, making it even more beautiful.

Yet, one feels a certain sense of unfinished business. The duration should not exceed 3 hours of footage. In any case, the door is open to the adventure that it had never been told until now. And Jackson always knew he had settled as a master in cinemas for three years.

In 2002, The Fellowship of the Ring was released in DVD. I knew then that in November, a collector would arrive in stores, but I was still doubtful about its content and especially on the half an hour that Jackson had added to his film. Most of the time, additions are not used very well and people even sabotage which was more perfect.

However, following November, I let myself be tempted by this edition. It is clear that Jackson is not a man to fuck the mouth of these fans. The added 35 minutes makes the film more understandable, more complete. So that when I speak of the Lord of the Rings, I systematically asked which version is meant. For those who persist in looking loop versions have never seen The Lord of the Rings.

With regard to bonuses and also the photos or production design, making of the game begins with 45 minutes of reporting on Tolkien. Then we know who this man was and how he came to write the most powerful work of the 20th century. The rest is devoted to develop the film, create sets, costumes, weapons, tracking, scenario, etc. ...

Packed with anecdotes, we learn everything about the film, the idea to the premiere. We learn, for example, that Jackson wanted to adapt King Kong, but his project was aborted by Universal, the company in which he must appear in each of these priority projects.

Back in New Zealand, frustrated, Jackson told his colleagues (who were already working on King Kong, believing that this would be the next film to box) that we should forget the gorilla and in return, then they offered the Lord of the Rings. Panic!

Everyone knows what Lord of the Ring and everybody knows it is deemed unsuitable. Yet Jackson does not disarm, he finishes a scenario in two parts. Although Universal is not convinced, Jackson was allowed to solicit other production houses. The doors are closed one by one finally. But his boss asked Jackson why he would do two films, while the customer would pay for three? The Lord of the Rings trilogy was born. And when you consider the money it has generated, we can rightly say that Universal has earned a lot.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Cinema Release Date: December 18, 2002
Film already available on DVD since: November 23, 2006
Directed by Peter Jackson
With Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, more
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Time: 02h58min Production Year: 2002

Even if we discover it is juast a film, you already know it's gonna be great. Having not yet read the book of Tolkien, I'm hearing about the battle of the Gulf of Elm which would be one of the most epic moment. 

Two or three years ago, I went with my brother, his girlfriend and my sister and visited a cinema to watch it. Having experienced the enthusiasm on the first film, I knew it was going to be the same one as the first movie, although Jackson had to multiply everything by two. Those who have discovered the first part knew that it showed the fingers and would not make the same mistake with the second album.

                                          The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers  Official Trailer

Ideally, we present a full hour before the start of the meeting. We took the tickets, we drunk quietly. And when we went down into the hall, I found the place deserted abnormally. And for good reason! The queue was relocated to provide the most seats possible. So it rushed in the queue specially reserved for Two Towers and we moved a lot in order to get our seats to watch it.


Till now, we only disgorge a queue to choke another, I think it was well directed. So we wondered if we could go into the room to see the film. Trampling is almost unbearable, so we are eager to relive with an experience just like the past year. After a long time waiting, we finally sat down, and were sure of watching it. When the lights went out, the music was opened, we were so excited.

Peter Jackson warned that there would be no summary for the first part. The Two Towers has already begun as a movie which broke the first and naturally without end. Jackson managed to captivate us from entering and making a flashback on the bridge of Khazad Dum. But instead of following the rest of the community, it continued Gandalf in the depths, in their desperate fight against the Balrog.

After that, it's time to hit the road to Mordor and immediately the atmosphere was not the same, broken as is the community now dissolved. More intimate than ever, closer to his characters and their suffering, Jackson depicted the hour of despair, the time of the end.

The biggest chunk of the movie was delayed, however. If the rest was excellent, regularly interspersed with set pieces and comedy (just to lighten the heavy atmosphere), the grand finale took time to come. But Jackson knew what he's doing. It created suspense while taking the time to properly tell his story. He mastered his subject from the beginning to the end and offered us a battle of the gulf as we never could imagine.

                                           The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Soundtrack

Till now, I was still skeptical about this happening. However, I immediately think of the long version that will offer Jackson a great success one year later.

it was in August 2003 that the same episode, namely The Two Towers came out on DVD. As I gave the first DVD to my sister, I felt a little silly to plant it there and still decided to take this unfinished version. And when it came in November, I had a real eagerness to discover the new movie. More than ever, the half hour changed all the added feature to magnify. The film thus seemed more successful, lighter, better looking and even more blatant in this episode than the first game. Without beginning and without end, The Two Towers is a great movie.

Ang Lee and His Stories as a Filmmaker

Ang Lee and His Stories as a Filmmaker

Ang Lee was born on October 23, 1954 in Pingtung (Taiwan). Originally from Taiwan, Ang Lee studied drama in his native country before moving to the United States in 1978. He continued his theater studies at the University of Illinois, where he was licensed. Then he took part in a film production course in New York. There he directed several short and medium-length films, he got the Fine Line award at the Festival of the institution.

                                           Lust, Caution Trailer

Ang Lee goes to feature films in 1992 with Tui shou, presented at the Berlin Film Festival, and the first of a trilogy called Father Knows Best. The filmmaker has accessed to his international recognition through the second part, The Wedding Banquet, which helped him to win the Golden Bear at Berlin and was nominated for an Oscar of the Best Foreign Film. Focusing on the clash between cultures and generations, this comedy of manners narratives the white wedding organized by a young gay man to meet his parents. The following year, Salty Sweet closes the study in three parts of Chinese society.

                                          Sense and Sensibility Trailer

In 1995, Ang Lee began his movie Sense and Sensibility, which directly  from the novel by Jane Austen. Adaptation signed by Emma Thompson, who is also on camera alongside Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant. Covered with awards, this film is nicely designed that it wins the Best Screenplay Oscar, Golden Globe for Best Picture and the Golden Bear in Berlin. Thereafter, Ang Lee directs the more recent movie The Ice Storm, in which it evokes the decay of a family unit at the time of Watergate and sexual liberation.

                                           Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Trailer

Ang Lee revisits the western (Ride with the Devil) with Tobey Maguire and tries to superhero movie (Hulk, 2003), but by enrolling in another tradition, that Wu-xia-pian (the "sword Chinese film"), he knows the consecration: the Coaching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It is this film that he gets a triumph in the world and earns him the Oscar for Best Foreign Film and the Golden Globe for Best Director.

                                          Brokeback Mountain Trailer

In 2004, Ang Lee creates new movie with Brokeback Mountain. In this movie, he tells a story of the impossible love between two cowboys (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal). It is a daring work hailed by critics, however, it helps him to get a Lion Gold in Venice in 2005. The same reward has already been awarded two years later in Lust, Caution, in which, as other films he has directed, Ang Lee mixes several genres. This time, it narratives a historical epic film on espionage and erotic story.

In 2009, the Taiwanese filmmaker surprised its fans by signing a comedy genre which he is unaccustomed. With bittersweet Woodstock, he returns to the musical film. It is hard to say whether he will change his genre in the future, but he is going to take challenges, because he is so ambitious a filmmaker that he always wants to contribute himself with new and excellent movies to its audiences.

Nora Ephron: Sleepless in Seattle

Nora Ephron: Sleepless in Seattle

Cinema Release Date: November 17, 1993
Film already available on DVD since: February 9, 2006
Directed by Nora Ephron
With Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Bill Pullman, more
American feature film. Genre: Drama, Romance
Time: 01h40min Production Year: 1992

Sleepless in Seattle

Synopsis: A journalist hears the voice of a man alone in a radio show, and this is the beginning of a great love story.

Tom Hanks (Sam Baldwin), MEG RYAN (Annie Reed), ROSS Malinga (Jonah Baldwin), Bill Pullman (Walter Jackson), GABY HOFFMAN (Jessica)

Directed by: Nora Ephron Screenplay: Nora Ephron, David S. Ward and Jeff Arch

After hearing a widowed father who talked about love on the radio, a young woman goes to look for him.

Four years after he wrote "When Harry Met Sally," Nora Ephron directed this romantic comedy. In this movie, it is pretty strange, funny and touching. We regret that the whole movie does not avoid clichés and the predictable ending is still leaving the viewer a rather enjoyable thriller.

                                            Sleepless in Seattle Trailer

So how do you feel when you see Tom Hanks with hairs? Well yes, in 1992, the section seemed to be fashionable. By in this film, I must say I do not expect that. Of course, I expected a film of a girl, all there is more lovely. Well I must say that this is not so much in our daily lives. In this Sleepless in Seattle, certainly, it remains the film Girl who does not say anything pejoratively. But it is much older than all these NEW  movies, like Love Actually, Valentine's Day, ...

                                             Sleepless in Seattle Ending

And besides, it's very inspired than older movies, like Cary Grant. Unfortunately I found the movie a little long when I was watching it. It seems to accept the end in which it is not surprising that the girl, as well as Tom Hanks finally find their true love. But we actually do not know how to make ends meet in this movie. Finally, I often find that it is a film that it is so old-fashioned. Yet strangely, although it is too old, I tell myself that I still appreciate it.