Friday, October 31, 2008

Films Luisa's students are watching

23 comments:

Gianni said...

"The pursuit of happiness" (USA)

It's a dramatic film based on a true story.
It's the story of a man who loses everything (his wife, his home, his car, etc..) because of his economic troubles. He does his best to find a good job and to make his little child happy.

I watched this film without subtitles and I had some problems to understand everything. I think that this film isn't hard to understand with subtitles.

G. said...
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G. said...

"Mamma Mia!" (2008)

Inspired to the Broadway Musical of Phyllida Lloyd, “Mamma Mia” has a very simple plot. Sophie (Amanda Sayfried) is going to get married and she would be led to the altar by her father. But she doesn’t know who her father is!!! So, after having found her mother’s diary, she invites three men who, in the summer of 20 years before, had a love affair with her mother Donna (Meryl Streep). This is a unwanted surprise for Donna. The film shows the 24 hours before the wedding…I won’t tell you the unexpected end :P !!!

I watched the film in English without any subtitles and it was difficult to understand for me. In fact characters speak very fast. I understood maybe only the 50% of dialogues. But, despite this, the wonderful songs of ABBA (film soundtracks), the coloured sets and sparkling choreographies make the film very funny, adapt to spend a really good evening both alone and in company and, with reproducing the “Flower Children” atmosphere, - I think - they fill the whole film whit a strange sexual strain.

Fabio said...

This is a very famous film. The principal actor is Jim Carrey, who plays a man followed by the cameras of a TV studio 24 hours a day. His life is a fiction, such as his wife, his friends, his job. In the end, he understands this situation, and succeeds in running away. I consider this film very nice, because it draws inspiration from reality shows on T.V. On the other hand, we can see how the society can be manipulated by other people, without as realizing.
I have seen this film in English without subtitles. I admit that my comprehension has been very difficult, because of the fast speeches of the actors. Howewer, I succedeed to understand quite well just "Jim Carey's wife" (whose name I don't remember). I would recommend The Truman Show to someone who wants to see a good commedy, neither too drammatic or too comic.

stefano said...

"Prison Break" (USA TV series)

An innocent man (Dominic Purcell)is accused of a political murder. His brother decides to help him to escape from the prison.
It is not difficult to understand the dialoges, but some characters speak very quickly and this makes it a little more difficult to understand.

Diego said...

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

The film is based on the novel by the same name by J. K. Rowling and it is the third film in the popular Harry Potter series.
Harry is the protagonist and Sirius Black is the antagonist, who has escaped from Azkaban. In the end, Harry discovers that Sirius is not the movie's bad guy and he helps him to find freedom.

I didn't like it too much. The plot is predictable. But the actors speak British English very well and, with the help of subtitles, I have understood most of dialogues.

Unknown said...

I whatched Mr and Mrs Smith, a romantic comedy full of suspance. I had never watched it in Italian so it was really difficult to understand it, American accent is terrible!!!
Anyway, in the first part Mr and Mrs Smith tell to their psychologist anbout their married life. This is boring but their professional life isn't.
They are two killers who work for two different agencies but neither of them knows it.
During a mission they discover the truth.
In the second part each company orders both of them to kill the other. John and Jane tried it but they can't.
Their agencies lay a snare for them but they win.
In the second part there are too many unreal fighting, pursuits and gunfights, but finally love prevails.
It was funny but it was more funny when I whatched it in Italian.

lorenza said...

Hi,

I watched an adventure film, 'The Curse of the Black Pearl'. It's the first part of the trilogy 'Pirates of the Caribbean'produced by Walt Disney.
The film is set during the Age of Piracy and the story speaks about pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Jhonny Depp) and swords manufacturer Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and their adventures to save Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), a beautiful girl that Will loves. Elizabeth is kidnapped by Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), the pirate who has taked charge of the Black Pearl in place of Captain Sparrow.
Pirates of the Black Pearl are immortal and have no feelings because of the curse of the aztec treasure that they have found and spent.

I liked this film and with the help of English subtitles I understood a lot. I also visited the official website: it's very nice, I recommend it!
(http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/liveaction/pirates/main_site/main.html)

Cristina said...

"The ilusionist"

This film is about a love story between Sophie, a nobile woman, and Eisenheim, a very simple man who was a very talent magician. They met when they were teenegers but they were separated because of their families conditions. Some years later Eisenheim turned back looking for Sophie. He discovered that Sophie was going to get married with Leopold who was a very bad person. Leopold discovered that they were together and wanted to kill them.
some days later sophie was killed. Eisenhem used his magic shows to acuse Leopold of Sophie's die. Leopold wanted to discovered how Eisenheim do his magic tricks but he couldn't discover it. At the end he discover that sophie's die was not true. it was a plan of them to be togheder. All magic tricks were just an ilussion.

Francesca A said...

Van Helsing The London Assignment

The main character of this film is Gabriel Van Helsing.
Van Helsing character is taken by Bram's Stoker Dracula novel.
Stoker describes Van Helsing as an old Dutch professor who is also an intellectual, a doctor and a philosopher: he swore war to Count Dracula and all the other vampires.
instead in the film Van Helsing' s name is Gabriel (the director changed the name froma Abraham to Gabriel because of the copyright law and to let come to mind Gabriel the archangel).
well, the plot is quite simple.
Van Helsing has been ordere by the Vatican to find out and destroy Count Dracula: his assignment is really important because until he won't be dead, the Transylvanian royal family of Valerious won't rest in peace because of a promise made by Valerius the elder, progenitor of the family.
Followed by a friar, Van Helsing arrives in Transylvania and there he meets princess Anna, last descendant of the Valerious'.
Van Helsing and Anna discover the real entrance to the castle and their main aim is to destroy Dracula's offspring.
in the final battle... well, I don't want to spoil anything if anyone want to see the film.

I saw the film with English subtitles so it was easier to understand but I think tha t also without subtitles it would be easy to understand because especially Anna, Dracula, his wifes changed their accents to have Romanian ones, so they speak slow and trying to make clear sounds.
I like this film because I like the character of Dracula in general.
I think that It's a quite good film: if you like horrors and science fiction films, this is the right one.
As for the most part of the films, there are bad and good reviews.
Bad reviews underline the fact that It's a bad mix of special effects and non restrictive adaptation from other past films and the novel by Stoker, while the good reviews say that It's an homage to classics, It's good fun and adventure, It's enjoyable and not as bad as they say.

enjoy it!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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mari said...

The film I saw is "The Namesake"…
I would like to write something about the plot and some reviews about the film

Plot

The Namesake starts during the mid-1970s in Calcutta, where Ashoke and Ashima are introduced to one another and enter into an arranged marriage. It is not a love match but, over the years, affection grows. Shortly after the wedding, the couple moves to New York, where Ashoke has been living for the past two years. Ashima is lonely and wants to go home but Ashoke does his best to make her happy. They have two children: Gogol, who is named after the Russian writer (leading to the movie's title), and Sonia. Both of them grow up as Americanized as any of their Caucasian classmates, to the point where Sonia resents a trip to India when she is a teenager. They leave home as soon as they can - Gogol to live with his white girlfriend, Maxine, and Sonia to go to college in California. But a tragedy reunites the family and forces the children to consider their heritage. Gogol understands the real meaning of his name: many years before survivors could find his father after a train crash only because he put some pages of the book “The overcoat “ by Gogol in his hands.


People

Cast: Irfan Khan (Ashok), Tabu (Ashima), Kal Penn (Gogol), Sahira Nair (Soniya), Zuleikha Robinson
Music: Nitin Sawhney
Cinematography: Frederick Elmes
Editor: Allyson C. Johnson
Art: Suttirat Anne Larlarb
Stunts: Allan Amin
Screenplay: Sooni Taraporevala
Story: Jhumpa Lahiri
Director: Mira Nair
Producer: Lydia Dean Pilcher
Release date: 23 March 2007


Reviews about the film

Idlebrain.com

Story of the film is fabulous and very realistic.

Screenplay of the film is very good. Direction by Meera Nair is fabulous. This film has good comedy and great depth in emotions. But you don’t feel it to be forced at all as it goes seamlessly into the narration of the film. The latter part of the film is very intense and gripping.

Cinematography is excellent. The cinematographer captured both cities (Calcutta and New York) in 1970’s and 1990’s very well. Music is excellent. Artwork is awesome. Editing is crisp.

All the characters in this film are like the ones we see in our real life. Loving and affectionate parents; erring kids who can’t recognize and acknowledge the love showered by the parents. The film starts well. The initial days of Irfan and Tabu’s marital life are very tenderly portrayed. The last 20 minutes of the film is intensely emotional and those emotions will haunt you even after you leave the theater. On a whole, Meera Nair’s ‘The Namesake’ is a world-class film with universal emotions. Go and watch it.


The Guardian
Steve Rose: There are seismic changes and domestic upheavals ahead, of course, and the film covers impressive spans of time, distance and emotion without reaching a hysterical pitch or melting into an ooze of sentimental mush. But at the same time, it's difficult to ever completely escape the feeling that you're watching a film of a novel. At times it feels like we're on a box-ticking rush to compress decades' worth of momentous life events into a couple of hours. You can almost hear the film-makers saying, "Uh-oh, 90 minutes in and we're still only on page 127!" The early scenes between Ashok and Ashima are tender and unforced, but later scenes dash by in just a few sentences, as if we're watching the highlights rather than the whole story.
Philip French: Though full of incident and sharp observation and extremely well-acted, this elliptical movie constantly jumps several years in a single cut and the characters are on the thin side.
BBC Movies
Nair's deft direction and Sooni Taraporevala's thought-provoking screenplay address this pertinent question, and does so at a suitably leisurely pace. Through the eyes of Gangulis they also query what makes an American family in today's society. But it's the quiet love story between Gogol's parents that really inspires and lifts this film. Both Khan and Tabu are outstanding in their portrayal of the young strangers who are brought together by ancient tradition and grow old side by side, while trying to make sense of their confusing contemporary world. A real family jewel.

Giancarlo said...

To Sir, with love (1967), by James Clavell

Starring: Sidney Poitier, Judy Geeson, Lulu, Christian Roberts, Suzy Kendall

Mark Thackeray (S. Poitier), an engineer born in the British Guyana and lived in California, comes to London. He's looking for a job as an engineer but, unable to find an employment in the near future, he decides to take a vacant chair upon himself at the North Quay secondary school in East London. Even though he is determined to face up to his job, this doesn't seem so easy: the class he's assigned to presents itself as hostile to him, rebellious and intolerant of authority, infact the students try repeatedly to exasperate the teacher and make him run away from school. They are seated in an unseemly way, insolent to him, offensive and provoking. But Mr Thackeray doesn't give in, on the contrary, step by step, passing by hard times and more relaxed moments, he's able to establish a civil and serene atmosphere in the class, thanks to his professionalism and humanity, and not using simply the authority of his role, but understanding characters and needs of his pupils and trying to give and teach these teenagers not only school notions but also some advice useful for their life. He himself learns a lot from this experience. The rude and hostile Denham (C. Roberts), the tough guy of the class, discovers in the end the teacher to be a friend, Barbara Pegg (Lulu), a brilliant and fashionable girl, sings a song dedicated to sir at the class dance party, and the beautiful Pamela Dare (J. Geeson), hostile at the beginning, shows herself as a mature and sensitive girl, dancing with her teacher (she has a crush on him) at the party and accepting advice given from that person she won't forget.

This film, based on a novel by E. R. Braithwaite, deals with various social and cultural issues of the time and some of them are still actual: racism, bullying, social prejudices. But it also reports, even if in a simplified way, the problems of some parts of London - whose East End is representative -, the changes of customs, of young people and of music typical of the sixties: for example, in the film we can listen to some of those pop-rock songs of the 'British Invasion' and we can see girls dressed according to the fashion of the time, wearing miniskirts, one of the symbols of 'Swinging London'.

I think this film is interesting from a linguistic point of view. We can notice the difference in the way of speaking between the teacher S. Poitier, American, and the rest of the characters who have a British pronunciation and intonation (even if different within them), besides the characters belong to different social ranks using different linguistic registers.

I didn't have subtitles so I heard the original film several times, relating it to the Italian version (whose title is 'La scuola della violenza'). Relating to my experience, the comprehension of this film was at a medium difficulty level. On one hand I could understand very well Mr Thackeray and the other teachers, on the other hand the language of pupils was sometimes difficult, because of their fast speaking, especially in the parts where they speak all together and it's difficult to understand the voices in the background, however some of them are very clear. On the contrary, the language of characters on the bus and at the local market was very difficult. I found these differences in the various characters very useful to test my English.

This film is very pleasant, presenting right times and rythms, stressed by the soundtrack music that underlines the passages of the film in a good way. There's a very good Sidney Poitier playing his role, and all the carachters are very good in playing their roles, either performing all together or singularly. This film has inspired other films dedicated to the relationship teacher-students. I saw this film at the tv when I was about 13 and it struck me (and I also was enchanted by the beautiful and charming Judy Geeson!).
It is rightly considered a 'classic', I love this film and I recommend it to you.

Linda said...

“Thank you for smoking”

The film follows the career of Nick Naylor, chief spokesman and Vice President of the Academy of Tobacco Studies, a group funded by cigarettes companies which has the purpose to research the links between smoking and cancer. Nick has to promote cigarette smoking and to defend tobacco industries in several thorny situations. Nick’s skill in speaking plays the starring role in the film, a satirical comedy a little irritating but funny (a nice way to spend a couple of hours).
The cast is fine, Robert Duvall (as the Captain, a Big Tobacco legend) is excellent, like Robe Lowe (as a Hollywood agent) or J.K Simmons (Nick’s boss).
I watched this film with English subtitles, and in my opinion it’s not too difficult to understand.

ANDREA said...

"Mickey blue eyes"

It's a comedy film directed by Kelly Makin.
Michael (Huge Grant), an elegant Englishman who runs an auction house in New York, proposes marriage to his girlfriend Gina Vitale (Jeanne Tripplehorn), a beautiful teacher, but she turns down explaining that her father and most of her relatives are deeply involved in a Mafia crime family. Marry her would means to enter in "The Family"... SO, even though Gina loves Michael, she refuses him the possibility of an involving in that family and she declares that she can never marry him because of her father.
But Michael doesn't surrender and he is ready for anything to have the only girl that he ever loved.......
I don't say anything more because I think it's an amusing film and I advise you to watch it! Huge Grant is very enjoyable!
What about the English!? I saw this film with English subtitles and I don't find it very difficult.. But probably only because I had the subtitles! :)

Ele said...

“Back to the future”

The plot of this film is well-acquainted by everybody: Marty McFly is a tipical teenager of the 80’s, who lives with his family and has a girlfriend, Jennifer.
It’s the 1985 when Dr. Emmett L. Brown's (Doc), a Marty’s friend, tells him about his breakthrough: a time machine made out of a DeLorean sports car. It can travel through time when it reaches a speed velocity of 88 MPH.
Marty is accidentally sent back to 1955 but the real problem is that he prevents the first fundamental meeting between his future mother and father. Then he finds the young Doc of the 1955 and convinces him to help himself. Together they have to get Marty’s future parents back together and then to get Marty back to 1985.

With regard to the special effects, this is a film of the 80’s, so when I look at its again now, it’s almost absurd and not much real.
But I love “Back to the future”, this is one of my favourite films and every time I look at its again it thrills and involves me. I never tire of watching its!

This is the first time I watched “Back to the future” in English. With English subtitles it was not very difficult to understand, however some characters speak very fast and it’s not easy to follow their dialogues.

Nevertheless, if you haven’t seen “Back to the future” yet, I advise you to watch it!

Gianni said...

Blade Runner - The final cut (USA)

This is a famous science fiction film set in Los Angeles in 2019.
The private policeman Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is recruited for capture 5 dangerous androids. These perfect androids are run away from the extraterrestial colonies and now rebelling against their creators because they have a limited life of 4 years.

I have watched this film with subtitles and in my opinion it's quite simple to understand.

Unknown said...

"SHREK"
Shrek is an ugly ogre who lives in a peacefull swamp. One night, his land has been squatted by cartoon creatures (Pinocchio, the three little pigs, Peter Pan, Snow White, Cinderella...). One of these is Donkey, a funny chatterbox . With him, Shrek go to Lord Farquaad to demand his land back. Farquaad orders him to rescue Princess Fiona from a dragon in a castle, to get his swamp back.
They rescue the Princess, but Fiona doesn’t fell happy because her hero is an ugly ogre.
On the second night of their journey, Donkey discovers that she is under a spell, at sunset she becomes an ugly ogress. It can only be broken by true love’s first kiss. Shrek falls in love with her but he thinks that she doesn’t love him because he’s horrible.
When she decides to tell Shrek the truth, Lord Farquaad arrives and takes Fiona to his castle, and Shrek returns to his swamp. Both are sad.
Later, Shrek, Donkey and the Dragon (they fall in love as well) go to Farquaad's castle, to try to stop the wedding. When they arrive, the sun sets and Fiona becomes an ogress and so Farquaad doesn’t want to marry her. Dragon comes to rescue the Princess. Shrek and Fiona kiss, Fiona stays ugly but they live happy for ever.
This cartoon is funny (especially Donkey who doesn’t NEVER want shut up) and romantic (Shrek is really sweet).
I think it’s quite simple to understand (with subtitle).

Unknown said...

"RATATOUILLE"
It is a funny cartoon.
Remy is a rat with a wonderful sense of smell, he wants to be a chef.
In a human kitchen he discovers real food and a book, "Anyone can cook", written by Anton Gusteau. Remy's hero died but he can talk with is spirit.
One day by luck he discovers Gusteau's Restaurant.
Remy knows Lingiuni, a garbage boy, and through him he can practise his art. They have some problems but they can risolve them thanks the hilarious and exciting rat.
One day Remy learn that Linguini is Gusteau's son, so he becomes the owner of the Restaurant. The terrible cook critic Ego approves their talent as well.
Really good animation and quite to understand.

Unknown said...

Before ice age all kinds of animals migrate to the south, seeking warm climates. Sid, a sloth who never stops talking, meets Manny, a mammoth who travels to the north, and decides to follow him. A humans camp is attacked by tigers, a woman takes her baby and run away. She dies but the baby is rescued by Manny and Sid. The two animals decide to search for the father. Diego, one of the tigers that attacked the humans, goes with them to lure them into a ambush. In their journey they have some problems, Manny saves all of his new friends. When tigers come back Diego fight them and the other run away. Manny and Sid find the humans and return the baby. After Diego appears and they migrate together.
I think it is an original comic cartoon.

lorenza said...

"X-men I, II, III"

X-men is a trilogy. I watched the first and the second part without subtitle, but the third with subtitle because the dialogues were more difficult and the actors spoke faster. The story is inspired by a Marvel comic with the same title and set in a world where humans and mutants by the X gene live. Integration is very difficult because the humans have often afraid of mutants that are different and have big powers and also because there is a part of the mutants community that wants to kill all humans.
I like this trilogy very a lot because on the one hand the good/bad people separation isn't so taken for granted but it's depends by the choices of individual on the other hand the special effects and the powers of mutants are very good and they make daydream.

yabin said...

"Slumdog Millionaire"(USA,India)
Language: English

It's an incredible film...

you could't image the seriously worst situation people were living.
Even at present there are several slums in India and hundreds of people have to watch just ONE TV set together. So Jamal Malik, born in slums, who was the ultimate winner in a kind of "question and answer" TVshow became the hero all over the India.

Though there were several occasional events happening in the Jamal's life which helped him master the experiences for the questions, in the end of the film you will conclude that's his destiny. Because he was a TRUE man spending his whole life to find his lover even as the reason of attending the TVshow.

I think everyone will enjoy the film and will be moved deeply in the heart...

you can see the film on this web:
http://kankan.xunlei.com/4.0/movie/65/61265.html(in Chinese)

but remember, fist a software "thunder" should be downloaded and setup.

The download website is:
http://down.sandai.net/Thunder5.8.10.675.exe

Well the setup procedure is also in Chinese, but there are only some words of buttons meaning "next step", "cancel" or "i agree". I think you can solve the problem. Pay attention to the selection with the "fit symbol", please cancel all of the symbols, else if your home page would be changed...

If there are also some problems watching the film, please tell me in the class.

Have a good time!

yabin