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Good Will Hunting
Sergio Ramírez, NI1C
Good Will Hunting was directed by Gus Van Sant. It stars Matt Damon, Robin William
and Ben Affleck. Matt Samon plays the part of the clever boy, Robin William plays the
role of Will's psychiatrist and Ben Affleck as Will's best friend. This film was nominated
for nine Oscars but it only won two.
The film is set in the streets of South Boston but it was filmed on location in Toronto.
The film is about a twenty-year-old boy who has a genius-level of intellect and an
eidetic memory, but Will prefers working as a caretaker at a university and spending his
free time with his friends. One day the professor Lambeau discovers Will's potential but
Will's runs away. A pair of days later, Will is arrested but Lambeau takes Will out of jail
to teach mathematics to him and he will have to go to see psychiatrists. At the beginning
Will and Lambeau work very well together but some days later Will can't stand
Lambeau's high expectations and he returns to be employed at the construction. There
Will talks with his best friend Chuckie who convinces Will to accept Lambeau's
interview for a job and obtain a good job and not waste his talent in the construction.
I recommend Good Will Hunting, especially in those boring raining afternoons when
you are not doing anything. This film can make you see that there are a lot of people
who can help you to overcome your problems.
My Fair Lady
Andrea Martínez, NI1C
My Fair Lady was directed by George Cukor. It's a musical. It is an adaptation of the famous
same-name- Broadway musical by Alan Jay Serner and Frederick Loewe, which in turn was
based on the play Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw.
It stars Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle, and Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins. The film won
eight Academy Awards (Oscars) in 1964 for best film, best main character (Rex Harrison), best
director, best art direction (colour decorated), best colour photography, best costume design,
best musical adaptation and best sound.
The film is set in London in 1912, and it was filmed there.
My Fair Lady is about a rude young woman who works selling flowers on the streets of London,
and an arrogant English teacher who tries to turn the girl into a lady by teaching English
phonetics, and good manners. She moves in with him and works for him as a maid. After
several hard classes, she gets to be a wonderful lady of the English society.
Mr Higgins gets all the merit and does not realize the great effort of Eliza. He is too proud and
treats her badly until she gets really angry. Finally, the teacher discovers that he also has to
learn some lessons about life. The end of the film is a bit ambiguous reconciliation.
I really recommend My Fair Lady. It makes you laugh, sing and dance. This film shows the true
value of language.
INGLOURIOUS BASTARDS
Noelia Vicente, NI1E
Inglorious Bustards was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
It stars Brad Pitt as Aldo Raine, Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa and
Melanie Laurent as Shoshanna. Christoph Waltz won an Oscar, a
Golden Globe, a BAFTA in 2009 for Best actor.
The film was filmed on location in Berlin, several towns in
Branderburg and in the Saxon Switzerland.
Two stories converge. On the one hand, a group of soldiers, whose mission is to kill
Nazis. This mission is led by Aldo the apache Raine, who is a first lieutenant in the U.S.
Army, who recruits a group of soldiers to instil them something: to kill Nazis with
methods as long as possible to be remembered. Bastards always leave one survivor,
with the intention that they tell Nazis of the brutalities they commit, but before letting
them go, they mark them with a swastika on their forehead and cut the dead´s scalps.
On the other hand, Shoshanna a young Jewish woman who seeks revenge for the death
of her family at hands of Standard leader Hans Landa. Landa is dedicated to persecute
Jewish families in a French region.
I strongly recommend Inglorious Bastards although this film is the most criticized of
Tarantino. Among the criticisms we find that it is an unreal story of Second World War
with almost cartoonish representation of Hitler. However, I consider it a masterpiece
with a memorable soundtrack and a cast of excellent actors.
AVATAR 2009
Ester Sancho Martín, NI1 G
Avatar was directed by James Cameron and produced by him too. It stars Sam
Worthington as Jake Sully, who plays a paraplegic marine, and Zoe Saldana who plays
Neytiri Omaticaya, a local inhabitant of Pandora Planet. Another important star is
Sigourney Weaver who plays Dr Grace Agustine, a biologist.
The film is set in a strange and wonderful planet called Pandora in 2154. It is a science
fiction film and most parts of the film were created by computer.
This film is about a paraplegic marine who is selected to enter in a special scientific
project, Avatar. In this planet, where live the Návi, a local inhabitant with blue skin and
cat-like characteristics, human scientists work with the Omaticaya (Návi), to know their
culture and lifestyle; but at the same time, a private mining company, comes into
conflict with to obtain a coveted mineral: the unobtainium. This special mineral is
under the mother tree, a magic tree that has an special connection with all inhabitants
in the planet.
I strongly recommend Avatar. It makes you excited and marvelled at the story and it´s
special effects. It is moving. My favourite scene is when all Návi are connected with the
mother tree. It is wonderful.
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA
Emiliano Acera Bolaños , NI1E
Big Trouble in Little China was directed by John Carpenter in July of 1986. It stars Dennis Dun as Wang Chi, Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, the main character who plays the part of a truck driver and Lo Pan, the malicious magician. The film is set in the Chinatown of San Francisco (United States) at the beginning of the 20thcentury. The film is about a truck driver, Jack Burton, who transports goods from San Francisco to Chinatown. He is very fond of betting at a game called Mahjong and he gets a big amount of dollars from Wang Chi, who is the loser. Before Wang Chi has to pay his debt, Jack is convinced for leading to the airport where his wife is waiting. At the same moment that they arrive, the woman is kidnapped by Chinese Gangster. Jack decides to help her and he finds, in this way, with supernatural fighters with magic powers whose names are “The Storms”. Little China is converted in a place where battles and murderers happen frequently. “The Storms” are managed by Lo Pan, a magician who is two thousand years old and he governs the immortal spirits of the world. He needs the blood of a young woman with green eyes to come back to life from hell. But Jack, Wang Chi and his uncle, Egg Shen, who has special powers get to beat street fighters they find in their way. They are being able to access the Lo Pan´s palace and kill him at the same moment the woman is being scarified. Due to Lo pan´s death, allthis unreal world disappears and little China continues being a peaceful city. I recommend this movie because it is a combination of different kind of genres such as action, comedy, martial arts and magic and it is very important to entertain the audience and let all the audience of different ages enjoy watching this and their special effects are extraordinary unsurpassable for the year the film is set.
In the Name of the Father
Manuel Verdejo In the Name of the Father was directed by Jim Sheridam. It stars Daniel Day Lewis as Gerry Conlon, Emma Thomson as lawyer Gareth Peirce an Pete Postlethwrite as Father Giussepe Conlon. The film was nominated for seven Oscars in 1994 but the film did not win any. The film won Bear made Gold of Berlin in 1993. The film is set in Belfast and London in 1972, It is based on the book "autobiography of Jerry Conlon". The film is about Jerry Conlon, a young Irish that didn't work, he was a burglar. The police and IRA wanted to catch him. Then his father decided to send him with her London's family. There Jerry was a hippy an only spent the time enjoying. One night he and one friend robbed a prostitute and they came back to Belfast with the booty. There they were accused of setting a bomb in London. First they were imprisoned and then his family; this family was named "The seven of Macguire". He and his father spent a lot years in the jail until his father dead, then he started to fight for prisoner's rights. Thanks to a lawyer he got a freedom for a crime with he had never committed. I strongly recommend "In the Name of the Father “ as it makes you know a part of Ireland's history and the IRA's problem. Don't miss it!!
THE FIRM
Beatriz Fernández, NI1G The Firm is an American legal thriller which was directed by Sidney Pollack in 1993. It stars Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn. The rest of the cast are: Gene Hackman, Ed Harry, Holly Hunter, Had Holbrrook and David Strathairn. The Firm is based on the novel The Firm by the author John Grishman in 1991. This movie won two Academy Award nominations including Best supporting Academy Actress for Holly Hunter and Best original score for Dave Grusin. The Firm was set in 20th century. It was filmed on
location in Memphis, Tennessee and Arkansas. This film is about a young man called Mitch McDeere with a promising future in Law when he graduated from Harvard Law School, he was approached by Bendini Lambert & Locke. The Firm make an offer he can’t refuse. He and his wife Abigail move to Memphis where The Firm is located. Avery Tolar is his mentor in the company. Mitch at first is totally unconscious about the sinister acts which were happening in the Firm. Then, suddenly two members or associates were murdered. The FBI contacts with him and ask him for information. The Firm is connected with the mob and every member who has ever tried to leave the company ends up murdered. He has two choices: working with the FBI and risking of being discovered by The Firm and losing his law licence or saying to The Firm that he had violated his personal code of ethics from revealing confidentiality client’s information and going to jail when FBI cracks the firm. My favourite scene is when Mitch devises a plan that allows cooperating with the FBI by finding proofs that all partners in the firm were guilty of overcharging, while at the same time reaches an agreement with The Mob Morolto brothers. At the end he manages to do it without breaking any laws and he is able to keep his status as a lawyer. And the McDeeres leave their house in Memphis to return to the old house in Boston. I definitely recommend The Firm. There are some scenes of thriller and action, fantastic actors and actresses to the character which they had to perform. The soundtrack is amazing. Finally, this film shows the reality of legal corruption.
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
Manoli Pineda NI1C
“Life is beautiful” was directed and starred
by Roberto Benigni. It’s based on the book
“At the end I defeated Hitler”. The film
won three Oscars in 1998 for the best
soundtrack, best star and best foreign
Language film.
The film is set in Italy in the 1940s during
the Second World War. It was filmed on
location in Arezzo (Italia)
The film is about a young Italian Jewish
called Guido. He meets a young teacher
and falls in love with her at that precise moment. Guido gets her love with his
friendliness and romanticism to her. They get married and have a son. The family was
very happy until they were arrested and taken to a concentration camp. There Guido
does everything possible for his child not to be aware of the situation. Therefore he
tells him that they are in a game ant they must win points to get a tank. Later the war
ends and the allies come to the concentration camp to liberate all the prisoners, but
the Nazis want to kill them before. Guido is captured and shot. When the boy sees the
allies’ tank, a soldier picks him and he believes that he has won the tank.
I recommend this film because despite being a drama, it also makes you laugh. It offers
much sensitivity, humor and a great love for family.
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Beatriz Nogales, NIG
Shakespeare in love was directed by John Philip Madden. It stars Joseph Finnes as William Shakespeare and Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays the other part, Viola de Lesseps. The film won seven Oscars and it was the most nominated film in 1998 with thirteen nominations. The film is set in London in 1593. It was filmed on different locations like Banbury, Holkham, Richmon and London. The film is about the loving relationship between William Shakespeare and a noblewoman, Viola de Lesseps. At the beginning of the film Shakespeare is blocked with the writing of his new novel. He hasn't finished it yet, but he begins the auditions for Romeo. The role is for Thomas Kent. But he hides a secret; Kent is a young noblewoman, Viola de Lesseps. She dreams of acting, but women can't. After Shakespeare discovers the true identity of Kent, they begin a passionate secret affair. Viola is his new muse, and he starts to write a lot. They live a love that is similar to Shakespeare new story. William is married and Viola is arranged to marry. At the end the Lord of Revels discovers the identity of Viola and she has to go to the colonial settlement in Virginia with her new husband, Lord Wessex. Viola and Shakespeare never meet again. I strongly recommend Shakespeare in Love. It shows you the real situation of women at that period of time, and it is a beautiful but tragic film about two lovers. You can also see how he wrote one the most famous theatre plays by Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.
Saw
Sergio Valero, NI1E
Saw was directed by James Wan. It stars Leigh Whannel as Adam Faulkner-Stanheight,
and Cary Elwes as Laurence Gordon. It is based on the short with the same name, Saw.
Although the film didn't win any Oscar, it collected $103.096.345 when its budget was
$1.1 million.
The film is set in USA in the present. It was filmed in Lacy Street Production Facility in Los Angeles for 18 days. The film is about Adam and Lawrence, two men who are chained in a nasty bathroom and are each given instructions via a microcassette recorder on how to escape. Adam is told he must escape the bathroom, while Lawrence is told to kill Adam before a certain time, otherwise Lawrence's family will die. Meanwhile, police detectives investigate other similar incidents to catch the mastermind behind this game. I strongly recommend Saw. You think that it is another thriller, but its end is incredible. This film is comparable to Seven, well Saw is even better.