Film review by Lali Zumaquero

FILM REVIEW by Lali Zumaquero

I am going to tell you about one of the best British comedy I have seen lately and one of the more highly promoted films of 2001. The film itself is a great movie because it will make people happy. Cut from the same cloth as “Notting Hill” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, Bridget Jone’s Diary is based on the succesful novel by Helen Fielding, which itself was based on her popular newspaper column of the same name from the 1990s.

Film Tittle: BRIDGET JONE’S DIARY

Country: UNITED KINGDOM

Language: BRITISH ENGLISH

Year: 2001

Genre: Comedy

Director: SHARON MAGUIRE

Main Cast: Renée Zellweger (as Bridget Jones), Hugh Grant (as Daniel Cleaver) and Colin Firth (as Mark Darcy)

PLOT SUMMARY

Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is an average woman struggling against her age, her weight, her job, her lack of a man, and her many imperfections. As a New Year's Resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. But, can a single woman over 30, who smokes too much, drinks too much, and has a tendency to say whatever comes into her mind, find a place in the world? She’s desperate to find a man who will be truly committed to her and she worries about dying alone. She is convinced that if only she could lose weight and stop smoking then all would be fine.

The story starts when Bridget goes home for the Christmas holidays and her mother tries yet again to fix her up with a man. This time it’s a lawyer, Mr. Darcy. After a disastrous first meeting with Mr. Darcy, Bridget returns to London with a list of new year resolutions. She starts a diary and starts to record all the disappointments in her life. Back in the publishing office where she works she starts flirting with her boss Daniel Cleaver. She then meets Mark Darcy again and discovers that he was once a good friend of Daniel’s and that they now hate each other…

ANALYSIS

The film is sold as a comedy and contains some great chemistry between all three main characters. Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Renée Zellweger. Director Sharon Maguire does not break any new ground in this film. She captures the many comedic scenes in a delightful and touching way and makes the audience experience some great laughs. The movie has the same flair as did 'Notting Hill', of course that can be because it is from the same producers but I don’t mind because I always liked British comedies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral or Notting Hill .

There is a great soundtrack with this movie which helps to keep the whole thing moving along. Some examples are “It’s raining men” by Geri Halliwell or contributions of Robbie Williams and Sheryl Crow.

On my mind, Renee Zellweger plays the titular character in a quite surprising way. You forget she is an American after about 30 seconds and she is entirely believable in the role. Even her accent is pretty good. During the film, you feel sorry for her, and you laugh at her and with her.

The reason I enjoyed this movie is Bridget Jones's Diary has good enough jokes to make you laugh, but not too much to make you just plain annoyed that the storyline is not moving forward in good time.

This is a very enjoyable and funny movie and I absolutely loved it, so I recommend this film to everyone who likes romantic comedies. But you need to know before yo see it that I would not recommend it for anyone under 15. Sometimes the language can be offensive because of the strong language and sexual content.

film review - by Nacho Sandoval

Fim Title: A walk to remember ( Warner Bros.)
Country / year: USA / 2002
Genre: Drama / Romantic
Director: Adam Shankman
Cast: Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote, Darryl Hannah.


Plot / Synopsis: Landon Carter (Shane West) is a rebel adolescent who does not think of his future and does not care about his studies at the High School. He lives with his mother Cynthia ( Darryl Hannah) who is divorced her husband and Landon hates his father for that reason. One night, he slips in into a factory with some friends and he got into a mess when he is caught by the police and made to do community service, helping other students with problems at school, and also he has to do a play in it, where he meets Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), his classmate since he had gone to nursery school. Jamie has a diferent character than Landon. She has a lot of faith in her believes and she has planned her future very carefully, because of that they had ignored each other until that moment. During the play they fall in love with each other, but Reverend Sullivan ( Peter Coyote) does not accept her daughter´s relationship with that boy whom is considered a bad person by Mr. Sullivan, although gradually he realises that Landon is changing and has to resign. But Jamie has a dark secret which will change Landon´s life forever.

Opinion: This is one of the most romantic films I have ever seen and maybe it might make you cry, especially if you are a sensitive person because it has some shots very emotional and sad. You will not imagine what it happens until almost the ending, so perhaps it is the best part of the film. Maybe women would enjoy more than men.

Type of language used: American English with some colloquialisms.

"It´s like the wind, I can´t see it but I feel it. I feel wonder, beauty, joy, love... It´s the center of everything", or also "Love is always patient and kind, it is never jelaous, Love is never boastful or conceited, it is never rude or selfish, It does not take offense and it is not resentful" are two sentences which are in tune with the film.
This film is based in a novel by Nicholas Sparks. In it you can enjoy with the sweet voice of the famous singer in the United States Mandy Moore, who sings songs like: One way or another, So Real , I wanna be with you, Candy; Stupid Cupid ( one of the many versions) and the three included in this film; Only hope, It´s gonna be love and Cry ( the ending song which encloses the credits ). Mandy combines her musical life with her intervencions in some films like: The princess diaries, Doctor Dolittle 2, Saved and Because I said so, film that it is coming soon in Spain on the big screen and it seems it might be a promising film in our country, at least in the USA it will be.
This film shows that the power of love can change a person´s life and give everything for the person you really care. One boy who does not believe in his future, learns to live being in love with a girl who teachs him to dream about beautiful dreams, and makes him change his future.

Wild Life (extended)

I woke at down and inmediately saw the gun in her hand. She was sweating so much that even her hair was wet. I thought that my pathetic life was ending and I started to cry like a sassy and I prayed for it. I told her I had ten children and three wives. She shouted at me "three ? " and then she laughed. I noticed I knew her. I realised that I had a big problem at that moment, because I had recognised her. But for a moment I would preferred not to live in that country, because she was my first girlfriend Helen.

Helen had blond hair, a pair of beautiful eyes, a snub nose, two small ears and a normal mouth with a splendid smile. She was not very thin but was very atractive. I started to go out with her when I was only sixteen years old and our relationship lasted about six years more. I left her when I discovered that she was pregnant by another person whom I can not remember his name.

I asked her about a deal. If she gave me freedom I would give her some carpets as a present. She laughed strongly. Then she gave me a stare and jumped out of the window and came back inmediately. She had an arsenal in the tree house !. She took a flamethrower...Why had she chosen that weapon so destructive?

She wanted to reduce me to anything very quickly shooting twice. That place where we were, started to burn. The fire was increasing minut after minut. She shot the weapon again and I could dodge a long and painful death. I thought in a solution to keep myself alive and suddenly I remembered that the night before that day I had hidden a gun beneath my bed and it might help me. I tried to go to my bedroom, when someone knocked at the door and I could scape using the backdoor to avoid being seen. I climbed the iron gate and arrived in the lonely dark street. As everything was in darkness, it was very difficult to see something but the lights into the houses.

I run as fast as I could and arrived in a place near the river. There were two seats and I sat down in one of them trying to breath a bit and think what to do. A loud alarm started to sound. There was a blue light and another red, lightening behind myself. It was a police car. Two policemen got off of it. One of them had a torch and switched it on and lightened up the way. I knew that they were looking for me. I decided to dive into the river, so I took a deep breath, all I could, and swam under the water until I was so far away. I got to another place which it had a lot of graves and I realised in one second that I was in the cemetery of the town. As it had rained two days ago, there were still many puddles on the wet ground and I slipped and fell down into a deep hole. I was very frightened because although I tried to get out of it, I could not achieve it. Suddenly I heard a noise. Someone was coming to me. I stopped moving for a moment trying not to be heard by the other person. But I could not get it. He listened to me and showed his face over the hole.

- What are you doing there?- asked the man-. Have you fallen down or are you looting bodies?.
- I have fallen - I said -. I think my leg is broken.

The old man took me and carried me like if I was a rag doll. He left me in his home, laid on the sofa. Then he brought me something for dinner and ten minutes later I fell asleep. The next day I woke up and realised that I was in a bed...in prison.

xinuglalaleona

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