At the Movies

Craig bathed his face with cold water, changed his shirt and went to see the Italian movie.

The movie was disappointing, plodding, serious and dull. It was about a group of immigrant anarchists in London, led by a Sicilian revolutionary in the beginning of the century. It was probably as authentic as the writer and director had been able to make it, and it was plain that the people who were responsible for the film had a hatred for poverty and injustice, but Craig found the violence, the shooting, the deaths melodramatic and distasteful.

The film was a bad one for a man to see just after he had told his daughter he liked to make films. It was stillborn from the beginning, worthless or evil as art, finally boring. It didn’t even have the true tragic advantage of reducing his own predicament to scale, of making his own small, private concerns, his entanglements with women, his professional drifting, seem inconsequential.

(From “Evening in Byzantium” by Irwin Shaw)

Exercises

1. Pick out from the text words and word-combinations characterizing a film. Discuss the text in dialogue form using them.

2. After studying the following short film reviews write your own impressions of a film you saw not long ago:

… Winner of the special Jury Prize at Cannes this film is compulsively interesting on many levels. It impresses greatly thanks to superbly directed set-pieces, strong performances and a nice line in subtle humour.

… And again there are the breathless, impressively naturalistic performances, sharp sense of pace and marvelous use of music to define mood, time and space. Not a great film, but touching, well-observed, unpretentious.

… Drearily predictable this film has neither credibility, nor sense. Routine scene follows routine scene, embellished by endless, shallow performances from all-star cast.

… An extremely good film, a throwback to an earlier kind of film-making that now almost seems brand-new.

… Strong, extremely moving and beautifully directed and acted.

… There are all kinds of movies. Movies that entertain, that frighten, that excite, that thrill, that move, that make you laugh and that make you think. This one cannot be accused of being any of these – although there are a few jokes at which you may find yourself smiling.

3. Which films that you have recently seen can be characterized as…

a) Every once in awhile, you get to see a movie you don’t know anything about and when it’s over, you want to make sure everyone else does know about it.

b) Packed with humour and charm, there’s so much overall zest and fun in it. I lost my heart to it.

c) I loved it from start to finish. It makes you smile, laugh and cry. I’m urging you to see it.

d) A stunning surprise – hilarious and touching at the same time. If you miss it, you’ll be cheating yourself of one of the most satisfying evenings of the year.

4. After studying the following dialogue advertise any film you like very much:

Pedro: What are you going to do?

Olaf: Oh, perhaps go to the cinema. Would you like to come with me?

Pedro: Certainly. I’m always ready to go to the pictures.

Olaf: Well, look here. I have two tickets for the new picture. I don’t know what it is like, but here’s what the local paper says about it: “This is the most wonderful picture ever made: more amusing that “Charley’s Aunt”, more exciting than “Cleopatra”, more expensive than “Waterloo”, more beautiful than “Romeo and Juliet”. I don’t believe it, but if you want to go, here are the tickets.

Pedro: Oh, that’s fine. Thank you, Olaf.

(From “Essential English” by C.E.Eckersley)

Task 18. To avoid the disappointment of a bad film it is recommended to read review in newspapers, magazines and TV guides. Read these reviews and decide whether these films are to your taste.

Antz

Director: Eric Darnell

What kind of life do you have when you are one of a billion ants living underground? This is the topic of this new production from the Steven Spielberg studios. Z, the “hero” of the film, is a male ant, unhappy with his life. He would rather give orders than obey them. One day he meets Princess Bala and falls head over heels in love. But trouble is not far away. Will Z conquer his princess? Will he beat his rivals?

Our young critics say, Nancy (14): “This is a great film. Really exciting! Don’t be put off by the fact that it is animation: it doesn’t mean it is just for kids. You simply have to see this brilliant movie. Full marks!”

Alex (14): “A very good film and the computer animation is good. But it’s for kids. Take your little brother or sister. Otherwise save your pocket money to see something more appropriate for your age.”

The X-Files

Director: Rob Bowman.

Starring: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.

A new virus threatens the Earth. Two agents, Mudler and Scully, have to save the planet. Their investigation is made more difficult by traitors within the FBI and false clues. Extra-terrestrials, a believable plot and horrible villains are the ingredients in this new film based on the TV series.

Natalie (16): “The movie is quite entertaining, but do films have to be so scary and violent to be good? The plot is unoriginal, but if you liked the TV series, you will like the film; it’s the same but on a big screen.”

Alex (14): “The film is very exciting. Duchovny and Anderson are first-rate actors – and here they are at their best. The terrific story will keep you glued to your seat. But be warned: if you are scared easily, you will probably have nightmares for weeks. This film really gets my vote.”

The Titanic

Director: James Cameron.

Starring: Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet.

Jack and Rose are two young lovers who find one another on the maiden voyage of the “unsinkable” R.M.S. Titanic. But when the doomed luxury liner collides with an iceberg in the frigid North Atlantic, their passionate love affair becomes a thrilling race for survival. It’s a tale of forbidden love and courage in the face of disaster that triumphs as a true cinematic masterpiece.

Jane (16): “The film is spectacular and I wish all my friends could see it. The film won 11 Oscars and to my mind it deserves every one of them. It sailed into the hearts of all the moviegoers around the world.”

Task 19. Read these people’s opinions. Choose the correct choice.

I. Nothing happened in the wedding scene.

1. I thought it was a bit dull.

2. For me, it was absolutely brilliant.

3. It was so funny.

II. I don’t like disaster movies but

4. they are nothing special.

5. I think they can be rather funny.

6. for me the plots are a bit silly.

III. For me the best thing in the film was the special effects.

7. Yes, I agree. For me they were nothing special.

8. Yes, I agree. I really liked the dinner scene.

9. Yes, I agree. I thought they were really fantastic.

Task 20. Match the word to the comment. The people are talking about the film “Titanic”. Jack is played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Rose by Kate Winslet.

1. plot a) “He played Romeo but this is what people remember him for”.

2. character b) “I think Kate Winslet looked beautiful in those 1912 fashions”.

3. dialogue c) “It’s a real story. There really was an Irish girl on board in 1912”.

4. part d) “The love scenes were easily the weakest. They sounded terribly false”.

5. costume e) “This was absolutely brilliant. Not only when the water came into the ship but the scenes when the passengers were in the sea, too”.

6. photography f) “OK. Jack can draw, but that’s all we know about him”.

Task 21. Think of a film in each of these categories and write the title.

Action ________________________________ (“The Terminator”)

Historical ______________________________

Thriller ________________________________

Cartoon ________________________________

Musical ________________________________

War ___________________________________

Comedy ________________________________

Romantic _______________________________

Western ________________________________

Disaster ________________________________

Science fiction ___________________________

Task 22. Give a review of a film you have recently seen and liked (disliked).

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