Scent of a Woman

Source：http://movie.mtime.com/13695/posters_and_images/262159/

Director： Martin Brest

Writers: Giovanni Arpino (novel),Bo Goldman

Leading characters:

                                           Al Pacino       Colonel Frank

                                   Chris O'Donnel       Charlie Simms

Years: 1992

The story talks about a young man who study in a exclusive school, and depends on scholarship to pay for his expensive tuition fee.  He decides to look after a retired blind colonel Frank to get three hundreds to buy a plane ticket, so he can go back home to celebrate Christmas with his family. He thought it could be a normal thing. Unexpectedly, When the colonel's family left, the colonel asked Charlie to go to New York City as an accompany with him. Then they have a fantastic travel.  The colonel spent his pension to enjoy a really luxuriant life, and in the end of the plan that he decided to suicide, because he thought he is blind and incapable. While Charlie doesn't think so. As time passed by, Charlie knew colonel little by little, and he felt that there is lots of good behavior on the colonel. When he knew that Colonel decided to suicide, he try to save him. Finally, he did it. Meanwhile Charlie had his own mess. Because he do not want to betray his friend, he is going to face be expelled from school. At the end of the movie, the school had a meeting of him and another student who avoid punishment depending on his rich father. When Charlie is going to be expelled, the colonel gave a amazing speech to praise what Charlie did for his friends. Then the committee made a right decision to let Charlie continue his study.

This is another story talks about two people helped each other to find their life, like the first movie that I mentioned in my blog. Charlie helped the colonel live, while Colonel got back Charlie's future. But there is a different thing that it is Charlie's kind-hearted to change every thing. He change the colonel's mind, change the committee's mind, and his classmates' mind. The colonel was influenced by him, then he also hoped that Charlie can affect more people, so he did it for Charlie.

There are some shot that attracted me. 

This is a 4s' shot that shows the colonel is driving a Ferrari, which is one of his dream. It starts from a long shot and ends at a mid shot. The most interested thing is that when the car is moving, the camera is moving together in a similar speed at the other side of the building, so the audience can see they crosses many building. It shows how fast they are.

This tow shots is ingenious too. In the first shot, because the colonel is blind he asked what are the committee doing. Charlie told him, but the movie doesn't let audiences to listen clearly about what Charlie said. The editor directly show it in the next shot, which from the audiences' view. It is a great way to catch the audiences' attention making the movie successful.

Interview

My interviewee talked about a movie called Das Boot, which is his favorite movie, and he said that he has watched it more than twenty times. But I never watched it, also never heard this movie since it is really old. So I asked him what the movie is talking about. He told me that it is a historical film based on World War II, and it's talk about  a soldier's life at a German's submarine. He mention that it's sort of introspect, and anybody involved in the war is still human, whether they are “good guy” or “bad guy", they still just human in forced drafted into the situation that is not ideal but still have to do the best that they can. When I asked him does he think there are something could be improved. He said he thinks it has done very well, and he could not improve it. He also don't know who could. He told me that he was attracted by the fact that the movie is demonized by humanize's character. In addition, he thinks the leading character did a very excellent job.

At the beginning of the interview I didn't explain clearly what am I going to do, so he felt a little bit confused, which made me feel nervous too. And I exactly have no idea about the movie that he mentioned. So most part of the reviewing I didn't understand clearly at that time, and I didn't give him my feedback. That's why he kept asking did he make sense. And I also realized that when I wanted to ask a question that I didn't prepared, I can't say it in a right way, if the sentence is complicated.

Norah: What the movie that you have seen recently?

James: Drive

N: How do you like it?

J: I enjoyed it.

N: Do you like this category of movies?

J: You mean genre?

N: Yes!

J: It’s a dramatic movie.

N: Can you explain to me what the dramatic movie is?

J: Sure. Dramatic movies would be something has a lot of characters. That their dealing with something that risk?

N: Ok. So what’s your favorite movie?

J: Wow. That is a tough question. …Uh…Das boot.

N: Would you like to review the movie for me?

J: It’s a historical film, World War II. It's a drama, tragedy? I guess. Dealing with a soldier’s life.

N: How many times have you seen it?

J: Das boot?

N: Yeah.

J: Maybe twenty or thirty times?

N: Oh! I never watch a movie twice.

J: You never watch a movie twice?

N: Even I like them.

J: Really!

N: Because I don't want to repeat something.

J: You don’t feel that you find something new?

N: I think I will, but I just don't like it.

J: Ok.

N: And…any comments about the movie.

J: Uh…comments about the movie…feel a lot pressure dude...Uh…It's based on World War II. So it’s movie that follows the crew of a German submarine crew. During the World War II, the submarines were very effective. And affecting in this dismantling, the American and the English sending over ships with materials and men from the United States and Europe. Add one point they had coats that was cracked. That was very important. In one side of coat was correct the American's allies was able to counter act the submarine crews in the Germans, It can't follows soldiers and humanize them. Humanize away that most movie at time in United States do not humanize the Germans in that war. It's a sort of introspect into a…anybody involved in war is still human, whether they are “good guy” or “bad guy”, you still just human in forced drafted into the situation that is not ideal but still have to do the best that you can.

N: Do you think there are something could be improved.

J: No, I really don’t know you could improve them, I think it’s done very well.

N: Perfect.

J: Well, nothing is perfect, but I guess…uh…if you saw the movie I don’t know how to change it. I could not improve it. I don’t know who could.

N: Ok, which part had attracted you?

J:  The part that was most attractive about the movie I guess would say the fact I guess the earlier that the humanize character that usually demonized and history and in a lot of movie in Hollywood.

N: Do you like the leading character in that movie?

J: Uh…Yeah! I like the leading character. He did a very excellent job. He is a great actor. I can remember his name, it is a point, but he did a very good job.

N: Have you noticed the director?

J: Yeah, the director I would have to look up. But…Yeah, the director has been…he had some awards in the past. He is a recognized actor in the film industry.

N: Do you like other movies directed by him?

J: Not especially, Das boot is the one that I like the most.

N: So…
J: So no, I’m not a fan of…no.

The Brooklyn Art Book Fair

We went to the Brooklyn Art Book Fair in September 20^th. There were lots of people waiting beside the entrance when we got there, because we arrived a little bit earlier than their open time.

When I went into the Fair, there were a large tabernacle in the middle of the ground, beside it is a big room. I felt so excited that looked around in this room to search a book which is attracted me. Most book in this room is handmade, and these books author set behind their table. Some of them were introducing their books to the customers. Some of them were just enjoying their handmade process. All of their handmade books are very elegant. A lots of beautiful patterns was drew on papers. People stopped at tables where have their interesting books. Then they devote in browsing those books earnestly.

There were more than twenty-five rooms in the Book Fair divided by publishers. I found a book I am interested in, called The Whole Earth-California and the Disappearance of the outside, which has many writers working on it in a room on second floor. The book mainly talks about changes of the earth through many photos, paintings, and some posters. The layout of the book sometimes has many pictures with few words, or sometimes is words on a whole page without any pictures. From an overall perspective, the book puts words in four parts, and between a part and another part has space during it, which helps the article easy to read. While sometimes a big picture will occupies two or three part even the whole page. The book on a table that also has some other books, like one book which about travel. In fact, it is a photograph album, because the whole book has a large picture on every page with few descriptions under the photo.

I was enjoyable of this experience, because I am so happy that almost forgot the time. I just kept walking and looked around and searched books I am interested in. Otherwise, one thing that I realized was many books in there are picture album, and I hope that they can add some other kinds of books like movie or history at their tables.

Reign Over Me

 First, I would like to talk about some basic information about this movie:
              Director : Mike Binder
              Writer : Mike Binder
              Stars : Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith
              Year : 2007

        The story talks about a man, named Charlie, who lose his wife and three daughters in the 911 accident. Once Alan who is his college roommate meet him on the street. Alan finds that Charlie gets serious infantile autism because of the accident, and Alan decides to help Charlie. But Alan has his own problem though he looks like having a very beatific family. During the helping process, Alan, himself problems are appeared. They help each other together. In the end they figure out who they are and what they want. 

There are several phases:

a.     Charlie rejects Alan.

b.     Charlie starts to accept Alan.

c.      Charlie wants to be friend with Alan.

d.     Charlie decides to accept the helping from Alan.

e.     Charlie open his heart to Alan.

f.      Charlie walks out the dark side.

g.     Alan realizes what he wants.

      There is clearly hint about Charlie’s mood. On the beginning, when Alan first is invited to Charlie’s home, the movie has a special shot showing a long and deep corridor. In the end of one side, Charlie sets in his sofa and plaies a game alone. There are several times showing this shot. Also, a word “in the back”said by Charlie many times. This shot expresses Charlie do not want to open his heart to any people. On the contrary, Charlie moves to a new house with a big and bright living room in the end of the movie. It shows that Charlie has opened his heart and decides to start a new life.

       Finally, Alan goes back to home by Charlie’s electric scooter. That means Alan gets free. He is helped by Charlie too during the helping process of Charlie. I think this movie talking about the friendship between two men from unusual view, which attract me to watch it. And I also like the beginning of the movie that the fluent cutting with suitable background music brings me into the characters life.