My Advanced students' favourite films (part 4)

Rosa Cuesta says:

My three favourite films are "Out of Africa"," Pride and Prejudice " and the "The lord of the rings" trilogy.

I must say I love all kind of genres but to me the most important thing in a film is the plot, which has to be not only perfectly built but also moving. As the aforementioned are well known, widely discussed movies, I am going to focus on others.

Less famed is "Letter from an unknown woman" (1948), based on the novel by Stefan Zweig and directed by German filmmaker Max Ophüls. It stars Joan Fontain as Lisa and Louis Jourdan as pianist Stefan Brand.

The movie is a flashback report which starts with Lisa writing a letter on her deathbed to the man she loves, Stefan Brand. It’s a secret love, unknown to anyone except her, almost obsessive and faithful to her last breath.

The man in question is a vain famous composer who hardly remembers the woman he met occasionally. Lisa confesses she has loved him since she was a teenager and she tells Stefan they had a son.

"Letter from an unknown woman" impressed me by the strength of Lisa's love, whose life is centered around the pianist despite his cold indifference. It is a touching film with an unexpected ending and I strongly recommend it.

Another film I’ve always kept in my memory as one of my favourite is "The African Queen" directed by John Huston in 1952 and starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. I find this movie completely charming and outstandingly performed by its cast. 

Aboard an old boat, "The African Queen", arises the love between a stiff, sanctimonious, middle-aged woman (Rose) and a rude, piggy-looking, alcohol-addicted sailor (Charlie). They both meet in a village and have to get away from the German soldiers in the second World War. In spite of their differences, they get to understand each other and show what they are actually like.

A marvellous touching film that is a demostration of how love can emerge anywhere and that people aren't what they seem at first sight.

Antonio Avila says:


It's almost impossible to choose just a pair of movies from all those I like. So I'll try to give you some examples of the most significant to me.


The first film I want to remark is Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction". I was 14 when I watched it for the first time, and since then I have seen it like a million times. I love this movie because of the dialogs, the non-linear narrative and its wonderful soundtrack. 

I have to say I like other Tarantino´s movies such as "Reservoir Dogs" or "Four Rooms", which are simply fantastic.

The second movie I have selected is "American History X". It tells the story of two brothers, the elder a neo-Nazi who kills two black men and is sent to jail. When he leaves prison he realizes that his teenage brother is totally influenced by his ideology and actions, so he tries to set him away from that path.

"The Fight Club" is another amazing film, directed by David Fincher in 1999. It's about a man who has a great job for an automobile company and owns a gorgeous flat with expensive furniture, but suffers from insomnia. The only way he can relax and sleep is visiting all kind of support groups. One night he meets Tyler Durden on a flight, and when he arrives home, he finds his house has exploded. Thereafter all his life changes drastically.

Last but not least, I want to briefly highlight three awesome movies written and directed by Guy Ritchie:


"Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"

"Snatch":

"Rocknrolla". This below is an interview with Guy himself about the film

They are all crazy movies, packed with action and humor as well as featuring plot twists and lots of characters - all of them belonging to the underworld: from gangsters and thieves to gamblers and cheaters. If you dare watch these films, you will have a great time.