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Showing posts with label Lauryn Canny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lauryn Canny. Show all posts

Saturday, October 15, 2016

The von Trapp Family: A Life of Music (2015) Hollywood

I know this family, but from a different perspective.






Genre:
Drama.


Length:
Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     An American film about an Austrian family, which was based on a German book by Agathe von Trapp. This is a true story that takes place years before when Hitler's Nazi army marched towards the Vienna. So it is a pre world war two drama, and with its influence that focused more on the family to tell the story. This is one of the recent unexpected films, I also surprised to see how averagely it was received by the people. You don't have to accept it as the best film of the year, but it was rich in performances and screenplay with a good pace, particularly cinematography that makes it one of the best of its kind.

     A young girl Agathe, who is anger over her father for not keeping his promise, decides not to sing in her life ever. But this von Trapp family is gifted with the good singing voices. In her late teenage, her father remarries and that's not accepted well by the family, but they did not show it outside. The story is not between a step-mother and her stepchildren. Its about Agathe's, her struggle after her mother's death who took all the responsibility until a new woman who entered her family as a new member. It also reveals her childhood crush, but she was never sure and how it ends was quite emotional.

     How the political scenario changes in the nation affect this family takes the prime focus of the later half of the film. From lives threats to the financial struggle, how they manage to keep the family members in order was given preference. Towards the end, in the last half an hour, the film plot becomes tighter because of the new development. Though it did not turn as tense as I anticipated in those parts, and then it went back to the original timeline to bring a conclusion.

     This is not a very popular film, not everybody knows its existence. For me, the trailer impressed, particularly the locations. You know I love the Alps and its lash green grass turfs. The film did not disappoint me on that, besides, the colourful costumes were another highlight. These two were the reason I loved it. I would definitely give an award for the costume designer. But once the story reached its mid part, I started to feel, deja vu. Because I did know what this film is about like was it a real or fictional. And then very soon found its clone, I mean it was another version of 'The Sound of Music'. The perspective of the storytelling was different in here.

 The one thing we have in common is that we both love the old fool. 

     It was told from the eldest daughter of the Von Trapp family. I don't know how much true to the book this film is, but surely this is very close to the real events than the other title I mentioned above. So, according to the main character, I mean Agathe von Trapp, the Maria who is her family's new governess was portrayed completely in a different shade than what we had impression. That's really shocking, because it proves the people's opinion differs from place to person. But the entire story was pretty much the same, except what Agathe saw with her own eyes had the main preference.

     The Agathe character was played by three different people. As a young child, which is a very short span, but I liked that foundation to film to achieve its success. However the film opened around present time with the aged Agathe narrating her tale to inspire her young niece who decided to run away from home on the Christmas eve. Then the Middle aged Agathe, I mean the very younger one like in her pre 20s, which was played beautifully by a British actress that covers the majority of the film.

     The rest of the cast was not bad either, but none of them was dragged into the screen like Agathe was. On the other hand, it was not a music genre as it was stated, just a drama, a good drama. But there was very little music in few occasions and all are German verse. That's the very original of this tale, while the rest of the film was translated in the English language.

     Apart from this and the 1965 film, there are other versions too, but I haven't seen them. This is the most recent version and I liked it. So I think comparing between these two are useless, but I always like normal drama than the music or musical. Still, I liked both the films and if you are interested in the facts, then you should watch this, but the other one was a great entertainer. Overall, as I mentioned earlier, the perspective of the tale differs. The original source title says: Memories before and after the sound of music. That means it's definitely worth a watch even you have seen the 1965 film and/or a big fan of it. So recommended.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
The Sound of Music, Gone With the Wind, Seven Years in Tibet, The Book Thief.


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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

A Thousand Times Good Night (2013) Norway, Ireland

Caught between passion and family.




Genre:
Drama.


Original title:
Tusen Ganger God Natt (Norwegian)


Review:
     Frankly, I never knew what the movie is about. What I expected was a beautiful romantic drama and I got a movie that defined someone's struggle over her passion and its reality. After seeing opening scene I thought it would be another movie about war similar to the '5 Days of War'. I am glad it was so distinct which was partially based on the director own experiential story when he served as a photojournalist in the '80s. It is a jointly produced movie by Ireland and Norway in English language.

     Rebecca is a passionate war zone photojournalist and her daring attitude make her one of the finest on the field. Like always her latest journey takes place in the war torn city of Kabul, Afghanistan. She follows a suicide bomber to cover up the story where she gets injured. After the accident the whole story flips back to her home in Ireland where it chronicles the worried husband and the two children who are very affectionate of her. This is the time where she has to choose the side, the professional? Or the family? The stay at home during recovery makes her realize the worth of her life. So the movie's end strikes with the path she opts to travel forth.

‘‘Sometimes it's hard to stay at home.
I mean, the one who stays at home has the hardest job.’’


     Well, it served a message with the touch of melodrama. The story demonstrated family value on the right amount of each others love and care. The opening and the end scenes that take place in Afghanistan was so brutal and there's another one that takes place in Kenya. But bringing the reality on the screen as it happening some places of the world must be appreciated. It kind of makes you realize that someone is sacrificing their life to bring light on what's happening in the war zones. Like always, Juliette Binoche was good. It was her movie, her side of the story told when she was caught between the family who loves and the war that calls her.

     One of the fascinating thematic movie. Regarding the main role, you may think why she's not stopping the tragedy from happening. That's the journalism, when you have no power to act, just expose to the rest of the world. The combination of family drama and the conflict zone are like two different genres that brought together awesomely. The director's own experience helped to shape the movie well. Almost all the combat related scenes were so realistic as what he had seen is now letting us know through this film. I think this movie is a must see. The end scene makes us go speechless, woefully.



Similar movies:
A Mighty Heart, 5 Days of War, Changeling, August Eighth.


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


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