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La vie est un long fleuve tranquille (1988)
Not a bad movie!
To me, this movie was all about how life is not a long, tranquil river. Anyone can disturb the peace by a simple action like the nurse did, first by switching the children and later writing to the parents about it. To her it was just an act of revenge towards the doctor, but the consequences were not limited to the doctor. Etienne Chatillier pokes fun at many different issues throughout the movie which is meant to be a comedy. Americans, without knowledge of all these issues, as well as the play on words and other humor aimed at the French, will not enjoy it to its full extent. Nevertheless, anyone will laugh at the doctor swearing scene. (La salope)
Most of the characters seem to be very stereotypical the Arab shopkeeper, the "poor family", the policemen, the doctor, the "rich family". In fact, the only truly realistic character is Mômo. His many sided character sometimes puzzles the audience. His romantic love for his biological mother, his stealing to help his other family, his spite in revealing the truth to Bernadette, his friendships with the children in both families and his childishness, create a curious mélange. In addition to these basic characters, there is also the priest. He is used to criticize the church and religion in general.
Parenting and upbringing of children is an important theme in this film. The children in the rich family are very polite, intelligent, religious, etc. while the children in the poor family act stupid, are rude and naughty. I noticed that this difference in upbringing was not really substantial because when Mômo became part of the family and introduced "naughty" ideas, the rich children just followed along with enthusiasm. The way they were convinced so easily, shows that their parents hadn't ingrained their education into the children. The only reason why they hadn't done the "naughty" things before was that they hadn't heard of such ideas. Once Mômo supplied them, they dropped all pretence of a higher education, morals, etc. and followed along.
The rich parents' method of dealing with the problems was heavily criticized in the movie. When Bernadette purposefully spilled the soup at the table, they just sat there in silence. They continue using this approach and we see how the children only get wilder and wilder, unrestrained, and with no solution in sight.
I felt that the ending scene fitted in with the movie really well. It summed up the idea that so many problems arise when one person simply pursues their goal, not stopping at anything. The satisfied nurse sitting, victorious, with the doctor completely broken. And this right after seeing how the rich family completely fell apart. A cruel type of humor.
La vie est un long fleuve tranquille is not an American comedy. There are few slapstick moments. Nevertheless, I think many Americans would enjoy this movie. I would definitely appreciate watching it once more.
Padal proshlogodniy sneg (1983)
A short, funny movie-" Zet's not enuf, y'see."
This movie has many Russian fairy tale elements. The story is all about getting a Christmas tree in time for Christmas. Of course, it's not as easy as it seems... The man's frustration is hilarious as well as the mess he gets into due to his incessant daydreaming. His wife is always there to remind him of his task and wipe the daydreams away. This is a good film for children- they will laugh and sympathize. The humour is not too subtle but is perfect for kids. Not that adults won't like it. If you like Russian fairy tales- Baba Yaga and the rest, you will probably enjoy this short movie. The clay animation is quite endearing. Another similar movie I enjoyed by Aleksandr Tatarskiy was Plastilinovaya vorona (1981) also using clay animation. I recommend watching it although I, myself, preferred Padal proshlogodniy sneg.
Sayat Nova (1969)
Beautiful-but hardly any action
This movie is rather difficult to understand unless you know some background. Those people who don't want to think while watching a movie should not watch this. Some say that there is no plot but if you read about the movie background you will see a plot. My advice is to read about it before watching the movie. Although this film has almost no action, it is very beautiful with many references towards cultural traditions and rituals. It's probably not the movie to watch on a sleepover with your friends, but I recommend watching it when you have time to sit and think. The beginning, I must admit, was rather confusing and therefore boring, but if I had read some background previously, I would have found it more comprehensive. Otherwise, the filming is absolutely fascinating and very beautiful - it's less of a movie than a set of paintings.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Wonderful movie and book although...
I have watched this film numerous times and enjoyed it immensely. However, I believe that the gruesome faces in this movie are not needed. In addition, I think that these faces are completely inspired by the Lord of the Rings and are almost the same.
Another thing that annoyed me while I watched this movie was that in the end, when they show the children as adults, they have hardly any resemblance with the four young children.
Otherwise, this is an enchanting movie full of bravery, humor, adventure and loyalty. I would gladly watch it over and over again. This movie is a classic and I think everyone should watch it, although I would advise reading the book first so you can imagine the characters yourself and then see how someone else imagined them.
C.S.Lewis has this heartwarming style of writing and the movie remains faithful to the book in this. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is a good movie for children, full of morals and values, but it is also a good movie for adults. It is actually really religious, since C.S.Lewis was a faithful Christian. But don't let this put you off, the movie is fun and adventurous without the religious aspect too.