Leticia San Juan says:
Ladies in Lavender is a film directed by Charles Dance, starring screen veterans Judi Dench as Ursula and Maggie Smith as Janet, alongside Daniel Brühl in the role of Andrea.
The story is set in the summer of 1936 in a quiet coastal town in Cornwall.
Ursula and Janet are two elderly sisters who live in a peaceful house near the beach. One day, after a storm, they find a badly injured Polish boy, Andrea, on the seashore. They take him to their house and nurse him back to health. They even teach him some English words. The boy is an utterly gifted violinist whose presence in the house changes the two sisters’ lives until one day Olga, a painter who is on holiday there, takes Andrea to London to introduce him to her brother, a famous musician with important connections.
The strength of the film lies, on the one hand, in the quaint, marvellous, coastal scenery, whose choppy sea contrasts with the peace and quiet of inland Cornwall. On the other hand, the two sisters’ feelings give strength to the film by showing different kinds of emotions towards Andrea that are in stark contrast. Janet shows a kind of tenderness and maternal instinct, whereas Ursula has feelings of passion and longing.
Ladies in Lavender is a really interesting film with regard to its plot. Moreover, the landscape is impressive, as it moves us with its beauty, gentleness and quietness. This film wouldn’t be the same in a different scenery.
Felicidad Gómez says:
When I really want to see a film just for pleasure, regardless of whether I know it or not, I almost always turn to a classic directed by Michael Curtiz in 1942: “CASABLANCA”. I must have seen it at least three times, but I never get tired of it, on the contrary, it relaxes me.
The extraordinary performances by the two main characters, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, seems masterly to me. I admire Humphrey Bogart’s gallantry as much as Ingrid Bergman’s beauty. Their presence completely fills the screen and they make me believe what they say and do.
If, besides all this, I add that I love films which, like this one, have a twist in their plot, whenever I see Casablanca again my satisfaction is indescribable.
While for Bogart this film was a turning point in his career, for Bergman it became her most famous, enduring role.
“Casablanca” is absolutely sublime, with a magnificent screenplay, top-class dialogues and an extraordinary cast. Not surprisingly it won three Oscars (Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay) and another five nominations. Some critics consider it an icon of film history and I totally agree. I suppose you have ever seen it, but if you haven’t, I strongly recommend it.
Another film with a twist is “DES HOMMES ET DES DIEUX” (Of Gods and Men), directed by Xavier Beauvois in 2010.
Based on real events, it shows a true story of faith and heroism. Beauvois tells this moral fable admirably, without sentimentality.
The film casts a marvellous, yet relatively unknown, group of actors. The most important are Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Oliver Rabourdin, Jacques Herlin, Sabrina Ouazani and Goran Kostic.
The scenes I liked best were the one where an abbot is at a lake to find some inspiration for the tough decision he has to make (to leave the country or to stay) and also the last supper, with the close-ups of the monks’ faces and the backdrop of the ballet music from The Swan Lake. By this time the film reaches an extremely beautiful climax.
I love how, in a serene way, the director treats the fim's subject: Eight French Cistercian Monks share their lives with an impoverished Algerian community in Tibhirine, under the threat of a group of fundamentalist Muslim terrorists, so they must decide whether to stay in the country or return to France. Doubts and contradictions as well as choices emerge in the dialogues. What's best for the community and their mission there? The answer is in the film so you will have to see it.
Perhaps “Of Gods and Men” is not too well known, but if you see it one day you'll agree with me that it is a must-see film, really worth watching.
Encarna Carrasco says:
Cinema occupies a very important place in my life and exerts a big influence over my mind, especially at very specific moments.
Most of the films I have watched have made me think, laugh, gasp, cry … but only a few have stood out in my memory. My choice basically reflects that I grew up in the 80’s.
I remember the first time I watched “IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER”. Based on a true story, it shows the life in prison for 15 years of a father and his son (Daniel Day Lewis), accused of a terrorist attack in London that they had not committed.
I think the film is powerful, profound and bravely scripted, although the facts have been manipulated for the sake of drama. In my opinion, the director (Jim Sheridan) shows a very convincing and responsible film. I also consider the importance of sustaining the interest of the story.
That was known in advance. I have to say that the movie turns into an exemplary play about both the right and the wrong way to respond to distorted portraits of the Irish.
Finally, I think this film is a masterpiece because all its ingredients, such as the script, the cast and the great music by U2 make a perfect unity which grabs the audience till the end.
My second - and difficult - choice is “THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS”, directed by Jonathan Demme in 1991, starring Jodie Foster and the always talented, from my point of view, Anthony Hopkins.
This film blends elements of the crime and horror genres and achieves high levels of suspense. Personally, Hopkins, in the role of doctor Lecter, a manipulative cannibalistic killer imprisoned after committing a crime, performs a brilliant face to face with the character of Jodie Foster, a brave policewoman. Initially, Lecter is portrayed as a pleasant and courteous man, who then becomes impatient and very agressive.
In my opinion, it is impossible to pin one label on such an excellent performance, as it is simply fantastic.
Finally, I could not forget on my list what I consider the best film by Ridley Scott,” THELMA AND LOUISE”, a classic feminist film performed by one of my favourite actresses, Susan Sarandon, and her partner Geena Davis. I really feel that, despite being considered as a road movie, the film offers much more.
The plot, which involves a search for freedom, introduces two women, who are very close friends, in their daily universe. Both of them are different, both in their attitude and behaviour, but one day they decide to control their life and start a journey through several states, but this journey will change their lives for ever.
The plot, which involves a search for freedom, introduces two women, who are very close friends, in their daily universe. Both of them are different, both in their attitude and behaviour, but one day they decide to control their life and start a journey through several states, but this journey will change their lives for ever.
Personally, despite the action-packed script and other aspects in the film, I certainly find Thelma & Louise both hard and moving. Besides, the ending is spectacular (featuring a very beautiful scenery, The Grand Canyon), yet unconvincing.
To sum up, the soundtrack is a good mix of songs, from rock to country, and a final one by B. B. King. The music is very effective throughout the film. As it is a journey to the protagonists’ own thoughts and hopes, you can perhaps identify with either of these women by means of the sad ending, which symbolizes the movie’s message.
