Film Review #4

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire
Director: Baz Luhrmann

Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Genres: Drama, Romance


"The Great Gatsby" iscolourful, acute, sincere film, the screen version of the novel of Scott Fitzgerald.

20th years of the last century. America. The young man by the name of Nick Karruey moves to New York. He had a dream to be rich. He lodges near the lavish mansion of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious business magnate who holds extravagant parties. The Nick joins this unceasing fun and having made friends with Gatsby. Gatsby  is surprisingly young and rather aloof, in person. Gatsby seems to take a liking to Nick and the two become mutual friends.

Jay Gatsby asks Nick to arrange him a meeting with Daisy. Through Jordan, Nick later learns that Gatsby knew Daisy from a romantic encounter in 1917, and is still madly in love with her.

After party Gatsby’s car has struck and killed Myrtle, Tom’s lover. Tom tells Myrtle’s husband, George, that Gatsby was the driver of the car. Jay is abruptly shot and killed by George, who immediately turns the gun on himself.  

No one came to the Gatsby’s funeral.  Back in the sanatorium, Nick finishes his memoir and titles it, "The Great Gatsby."

Cast was perfect.
Leonardo DiCaprio is the only actor of our generation that could play Gatsby. DeCaprio's Gatsby is forceful, decisive; he is a determined man of significant accomplishment and great ability. He has a plan and he is going to execute it and as far as he is concerned, for all the right reasons. For myself, it is DeCaprio's best and most powerful performance.

Carey Mulligan has showed class once again. Although not definition of beauty, there's something in her that makes you want to hug and protect her, and love her. Perfect for the role she played. Tobey Maguire - I just love this guy. His performance was maybe crucial to gluing the entire cast and making it all fluid and connected.

Joel Edgerton was fantastic. I could not hate him even though I wanted to, so much. He is Gatsby's antagonist. He and Daisy were married when Daisy could no longer wait for Gatsby to prove himself worthy of her. Tom is as rich, maybe even richer than Gatsby, but his money is old, he is an aristocrat with a deep sense of entitlement.

Soundtrack of this movie is most talked thing about, and it's deserved. It had huge influence on the entire movie and the atmosphere. Using modern music in this movie wasn't a bad idea, I should say it was brilliant idea! Jay-Z was a brilliant choice.

My opinion. I think this story has survived the test of time so well because it is basically a love story. Whatever the viewers or readers opinion of the characters are, Gatsby and Daisy do love each other.
All in all I enjoyed the film production value.I think "the Great Gatsby" is an amazing film. It tells the interesting and important story just as well as the novel, but Luhrmann has added even more glamour and excitement with his visually creative choices. That makes it not only a satisfactory adaptation of the classic novel but a completely fantastic film. Beautiful, emotional, well-acted, unique and thought-provoking it truly is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen.

Individual Reading Part 6

When Mr. Strickland married the Tahitian girl Ata, and they moved to the uninhabited part of the island, Ata gave birth to a boy.

Ch.Strickland had suffered from a grave disease: it was leprosy. Everybody knew about it and tried to avoid his house in order not to be infected. Only his wife and children were devoted to him. Living his last days Ch.Strickland paint on the walls, before his death he had asked her to burn his house after his death. That's why the painting of his life would never be shown to audience.

The narrator left the Tahiti for England where he decided to meet Mrs. Strickland and told her the life story of her now world famous husband Charles Strickland!

Individual Reading Part 5

It was their last meeting when the narrator came to artist’s workshop to look at his paintings. The pictures seemed to be awful, but at the same time there was something magnificent in them. They were strangely tantalizing.

There had come many years when he again heard about Charles Strickland. But he had already died and his paintings were very famous. The author of the story continued his narration in Tahiti. He met people who shared their recollections about Charles Strickland. He found out that having left Paris Strickland went to Marseilles, and he lived from hand to mouth. In Tahiti the narrator met Captain Nicholas, who knew Strickland. They made acquaintance during the better part of the winter following the narrator’s last meeting with Strickland in Paris.

When there was a chance to go to Tahiti Charles Strickland went away and married there a young girl Ata.

Individual Reading Part 4

Dirk still hoped that his wife, quarreled with Strickland, would come back to him, but that was just a dream. Blanche tried to commit suicide. Dirk Stroeve tried to talk to his wife but she didn't listen to him. One day the narrator got to know from Dirk about the suicide of Mrs. Stroeve: she had drunk oxalic acid after Charles's leaving. She was very week and died in some days. It was the great loss for her husband he made a decision to move to Holland. It was hard time for him.

Soon after the death, the narrator met Charles Strickland. Charles was calm and quiet, as it turned out he didn't consider himself to be guilty of Mrs. Stoeve's death. Moreover, he even didn't remember her, she was just a beautiful sitter for him. He presented Strove Blanche’s portrait.

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The article published on the website guardian.co.uk on May 9, 2013 is headlined Keith Richards: the Stones don't want fans to 'starve their babies' for tickets. It was written by Daniel Martin. The article is dedicated to the world famous musical band The Rolling Stones. 

The guitarist of the group, Keith Richards, has admitted he would prefer people did not have to "starve their babies" in order to afford tickets to see the Rolling Stones current US tour. I fully agree with him. It's not a secret that the cost of the tickets for the music concerts is cosmic. 

The band were reportedly forced to cut prices for the opening night of the tour in Los Angeles to guarantee a full house.The rock'n'roll veterans are back on the road in the US again following their reunion shows last year. The Stones taken steps to make the gigs affordable. It's strange for the present showbiz because money talks in our spoiled world. 

The tour's gross profit is being projected at £65m. The Stones may claim that they need the money, since Michael Eavis has insisted that the band will not be getting their usual fee for headlining Glastonbury this year, instead being paid the "bog standard price for a headliner".

to sum up I'd like to say that I deeply appreciate such humanistic approach to the music culture. In all culture spheres of our life it's really difficult to buy tickets for concerts, perfomances, shows being an ordinary person. So It's very good, that Stones give the chance to their funs to watch them one more time without any difficulties!

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The article published on the website nytimes.com on May 7, 2013 is headlined If You Like the Sex Pistols, Try Green Day or the Gaslight Anthem. It was written by Val Haller. The article is dedicated to the pop-punk movement, its development and the impact on people's lifes.

I think that punk it's not only a music movement, but a state of the soul. The author of the article emphasezes that It's More than a particularly loud and rebellious musical style. A fashion anti-style. A lifestyle. "It's a concept like "freedom" or "the one true Church" or "real Americans": to invoke it is to advance a vision of what it entails, and duke it out with competing visions." The soundtrack is scowling, screaming music, raging against the establishment.
You may onle accept punk or get rid of it. The punk movement was born in England and the United States the 1970s. It's interesting to note that punk rock fans look as devastating as their music sounds. also the author gives an examples of the original punk sound: Sex Pistols, the Ramones, the Clash, Social Distortion, Iggy & the Stooges...

It's good that the author of the article gives some information about punk groups. For example Greenday. It's a band that formed in 1987 as part of the Berkeley, Calif., punk scene. One of the world’s best-selling bands of all time (more than 75 million albums sold worldwide, five Grammy Awards), they’re noted for popularizing and reviving a mainstream interest in punk music in the United States.

Modern punk actually has many fans. I can't say that I'm a fan, but sometimes I like to listen to such groups as GreenDay, Sex pistols, SUM 41, Good Charlotte, The Offspring...Everything depends on my mood and state.Some people say that punk movement is old and died. Punk is still around, in dress and culture and sound.

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The article published on the website chicagotribune.com on May 2, 2013 is headlined Russia's new Mariinsky theatre woos the doubters.  It was written by Elizabeth Piper.  The article is dedicated to the opening Mariinsky theatre designed to silence critics of the starkly modernist building erected in the heart of Russia's imperial capital.

It should be mantioned that the new building of the theater is really significant: the $700-million glass and limestone building, which critics have dubbed the "Mariinsky mall". President Vladimir Putin told the guests that We need breathe life into the theatre. We want it to live, so that people are attracted and can feel the charm of modern technology. But not only the modern technology brings the fame to the "Mariinka"(as people call it), but famous world wide conductor and the main person in the theater - Valeriy Gergiev, whose 60th birthday coincided with the gala. Without any doubt he is a greate, uninimate talent!

It's important to note that the theatre had always preserved the best traditions of the Russian arts, never losing "its shine". I think it's not an easy task!

It should be expected that many guests of the gala were impressed. Light bounced off wall panels made of Italian onyx that stretch several storeys high and the sound was excellent.

The simple light wood of the balconies and aisles was a world away from the original Mariinsky Theatre, which was sumptuously decorated in gold and red. Only the VIP box in the Mariinsky II has a slight nod to extravagance - a modern chandelier to make prominent guests feel at home. Everything tells about the splendour of the new theater. 

It's not strange that the gala opened with a dramatic excerpt from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet ballet and included the coronation scene from Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov. To my mind Prokofiev is one of the best Russian composers. 

In conclusion I should say that the opening of the theater is one of the most expectable events not only in Russia, but also in the whole world! Many international guests were invited to the gala to Mariinka. I think such theaters as Mariinka, the Bilshoy theater, are our treasure! We are proud of them!

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The article published on the website guardian.co.uk on May 7, 2013 is headlined Abba fans take a chance on Sweden's newest museum – and declare it a hit. It was written by Alxis Petridis and dedicated to the legendary music group of all times "Abba".

The article conteins the information about Abba's museem. The museum offers an extended director's cut of the Abba World exhibition, which arrived at Earls Court, London, in 2010, offering not merely a full-size replica of the office of their late manager Stig Anderson, but full-size replicas of the band's studio, their dressing room, the cabin on the island of Viggsö where Ulvaeus and Andersson would repair to write, and even the kitchen of Ulvaeus and ex-wife Agnetha Fältskog's home, the latter noticeably more spartan than you might expect for two people who were selling millions of records a year.
There is a piano in museem apparently linked to one in Andersson's own studio, which will spring into life any time he sits down and plays. There is also a telephone to which only the band's ex-members have the number: if it rings and a museum-goer picks it up, they will find themselves in the disconcerting position of holding a conversation with one of Abba. I find it really amazing.
The author emphasizes that it's "a fun and swinging museum to visit" as the Abba's members proclaimed.
It should be noticed that the museem is equiped with new and extremely hi-tech, with its opportunities to remix Abba tracks and belt out Dancing Queen alongside 3D cartoon holograms of the band.
It's important to notice that the museum's gift shop is fascinating! It includes not merely the usual T-shirts and keyrings but a children's pencil case emblazoned, a little improbably, with the title of Slipping Through My Fingers.
I like this article because of the author's approach to it. The reader watches it in the point of view of the diehard Abba's fan Charles Patrick.

I can't say that I deeply admire this music group. But it is fact that I can't be indifferent to their creative work.  My mood is raising when I listent to such hits as "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia", "Voulez-Vous" and many other amazing songs. 

Individual Reading Part 3 (21-30)

The meetings of Charles, Dirk and the narrator continued. Strickland undoubtedly had a great talent to art, but he was very poor and that's why no one bought his pictures.

One day Charles fell ill. Being very courteous Dirk Stroeve invited him to his home to recover quicker. At first Mrs.Stroeve's attitude to Strickland was very nagative, but soon she accepted the situation. It is strange, but while taking care of Charles she fell in love with him.Charles got used to work in isolation and he wanted to leave Stroeve's house, but the homemaker didn't allow him to do so. As Dirk Stroeve loved his wife very much and was extremly proud he left his house. Dirk Stroeve let Charles and Mrs.Stroeve be together at his own house. The situation was really serious and the narrator tried not to interfere to Stroeve's affairs.

Individual Reading Part 2 (11-20)

When the narrator arrived to Paris he spoke to Ch.Strickland. The narrator knew from their conversation that Strickland wasn’t indifferent to art and that’s why he left his children and wife. Once he understood that he had been born to be an artist, so he decided to spend the rest of his life drawing pictures. He was totally absorbed by art. When the narrator returned from Paris and told Mrs.Strickland everything that he had found out about her husband  she didn’t believe in it. About five years later, the narrator moved to Paris to live there for a while. At the same café he met Ch.Strickland, who was very poor and looked very gloomy. Also in Paris the narrator met his old friend - Dirk Stroeve who somehow had already acquainted with Mr. Strickland and was fond of his paintings.

Film Review #3

Argo (2012)

Cast:  Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin
Director: Ben Affleck
Writers: Chris Terrio;  Tony Mendez ; Joshuah Bearman;
Genres: Drama, History, Thriller

Sinopsis: It's a political thriller directed by Ben Affleck. The plot of a picture is based on the real events — operations of intelligence services on rescue the six American diplomats from Tehran. They unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis, focusing on the little-known role that the CIA and Hollywood played—information that was not declassified until many years after the event.

The story opens on November 4, 1979 when Islamist militants took control of the U.S. Embassy in Iran. 52 Americans were taken hostage and held for 444 days until their eventual release. But six American's were able to sneak out of the Embassy and find refuge unbeknownst to the Iranian rebels. The CIA, lead by agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) hatched a plan to rescue the house entrapped Americans by posing as producers of a fictional science fiction film. The idea was that Mendez would land in Iran and then convince the six Americans to assume roles as screenwriters, directors and co-producers of the film and they would all fly out of the country together once location scouting was complete in 48 hours. In an effort to have the mission legitimized, Mendez recruited Hollywood producer Lester Siegel and Special Effects man John Chambers to green-light the script and give the entire project credibility. Privacy of operation remains up to the end. The role of intelligence services of the USA doesn't reveal in any way. At the end the management of CIA is going to note Tony Méndez's merits the highest award of CIA at the closed ceremony.

"Argo", without any doubt is very interesting and good movie with courageous and witty dialogues. Certainly it is heavy for viewers to remain indifferent to those real events. I appreciate this film because there is no long preface and delays, everything flashes at once as the flame and only inflames more strongly and strongly.

Also I like "Argo" for its atmosphere. Certainly it's marvellous.Affleck and all his team managed to transfer mood of that time, a make-up, suits, hairdresses, mass meeting reaction, a situation — it is simply amazing! That's why it's not casual, that the film won three Oscars forBest picture; Best adapted screenplay; and

Best film editing. To my mind "Argo" s worth for watching! It is a masterpiece in its genre.