The review of the film "The Artis"

Basic facts about the movie

Title – The Artist                       

Directed - Michel Hazanavicius

Starring - Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo

Genre - romantic comedy-drama

Setting - The story takes place in Hollywood, between 1927 and 1932, and focuses on the relationship of an older silent film star and a rising young actress as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by the "talkies".

Plot overview - Outside a movie premiere, enthusiastic fan Peppy Miller literally bumps into the swashbuckling hero of the silent film, George Valentin. The star reacts graciously and Peppy plants a kiss on his cheek as they are surrounded by photographers. The headlines demand: "Who's That Girl?" and Peppy is inspired to audition for a dancing bit-part at the studio. However as Peppy slowly rises through the industry, the introduction of talking-pictures turns Valentin's world upside-down. Written by L. Hamre

It's 1927. Arguably Hollywood's most admired movie screen idol, George Valentin, is enjoying the success of his latest picture, The Russian Affair. He enjoys his work and the adulation he receives by being a movie star, as witnessed by how he hogs the spotlight during The Russian Affair's post-premiere bows. Peppy Miller is an aspiring young actress, who literally and figuratively runs into Valentin at the premiere, which ends up being the launching pad to her Hollywood acting career. The advent of talking pictures brings a reversal to their fortunes as Kinograph, the movie studio where Valentin is under contract, is looking for fresh faces such as Peppy Miller to star in their talking pictures, while Valentin resists the entire notion of talking pictures. Peppy, who appreciates everything that Valentin did for her career, tries to help him as much as she can, but Valentin may have to decide on his own where and if he fits into the Hollywood machine, one where he doesn't think people want to hear him speak. Written by Huggo

In 1927, in Hollywood, the star George Valentin is the pride and joy of the president of the Kinograph Studios Al Zimmer and worshiped by a legion of fans. Among them is Peppy Miller, who stumbles into George Valentin after the premiere of a silent film. Peppy kisses George and the photographers take pictures of them. The next morning, the headlines read "Who is that girl?" and Peppy is selected in a dancing audition to be an extra in a film. Over the next few years, Peppy climbs positions in the Kinograph Studios until the advent of talking pictures. Proud George Valentin does not believe in the 'talkies', breaks off with the studio and decides to produce and direct a silent film. The film is a complete failure and with the Great Depression, George Valentin falls and is bankrupt. Meanwhile Peppy Miller rises as new star of Kinograph Studios. But she never forgets her idol George Valentin.

Direction

If we are going to speak about this element we are to say that the director chooses an unusual way to portray the events in the story. Because it is something new - silent movies nowadays. The movie was presented to the audience in a very strange way for the era of cinema because it is black and white film. I think the movie was not slow and it included things which were necessary. Unfortunately I've not seen other movies directed by the same person, that’s why I can’t compare them and determine which I like the most. But it’s in the short run of my life to do it, because Michel Hazanavicius is a great director of our time.

Writing

The second thing we are to mentioned having made a review it’s writing. I felt like the plot was inventive and unpredictable. There are two facts which helped me to think so: they are black and white movie and a silent film. In this case it is hard to predict the future, when there is nothing to hang on. The characters' words didn’t seem credible to me, because there were not any words of characters’, but their actions, movements and deeds were so. In this case it is true when the lack of words is replaced by play of actors.

Editing

Personally I think the editing of the film is shown in this way. The movie rather flew smoothly from scene to scene than was choppy. The director tries to put us to the atmosphere of the Hollywood of the 30s. I may say that the use of lighting and other ambient effects are on the same level. But at the same time Hazanavicius wants us to pay attention to each subject which is on the screen. The movie doesn’t have computer-generated graphics because of the historical frames of that period which it illustrates.

Costume design

To my mind it is impossible to imagine any film without good costumes. The clothing choices fit the style of the movie. There were the same jackets and shoos, cars and piaces of furnuter and the whole situation mirrors the era of the end of the silient black and white cinema. They contributed to the overall tone, rather than digressing from it.

Set design

The setting of the film is a very important part of the understanding . It influenced its other elements. Because each of them depend from each other. It added the experience for me. The movie was filmed in a real place and this location was well-chosen. But it was a hard work to the director to transform the place from the real life into the past.

Background music

It worked with the scenes. It was under-used. It was suspenseful especially in amusing and irritating moments of the film.

In conclusion I would like to say that the movie was intriguing and exciting. I recommend you to watch it. It won The Oscar Award, don’t you think that they gave it to the bad film, mmm?

Individual Reading: "The Moon and Sixpense" #4. Champters 31 - 40

Mr. Dirk Strev doesn’t want to leave his wife what ever the weather. He used to ask the narrator to write letters to Blansh Strev. The reason is that she doesn’t want the husband to speak with her. He has place where to go: his parents live in Holland. When one day they have met Blansh gives a slap to him. The narrator believes that there are lots of controversial things which are in Dirk. By the way the story teller has difficulties to understand relationship between Strickland and Blansh. The narrator has not seen them for a month. He doesn’t know what to think.

One day the bad news comes suddenly – Blansh and Charles separate and the woman takes acid to kill herself. She is put to the hospital. She keeps silence. Her voice has been damaged by the acid. She doesn’t allow anybody attends her. She dies in a short run. Dirk has nothing than to go to his workshop. But it is a hard examination to him, because there are a lot of things which remind his death wife. That’s why the widower decides to go to the Netherlands.

His parents are sure that he will be a carpenter, but his talent is shown in the school. After that Mr. Strev has been sent to Amsterdam to improve his skills and to study painting. The mother has been the first man who has bought him colors. Dirk remembers quite well how the whole family comes to his first exhibition.

Having prepared for the future departure Strev finds a picture by Strickland. Naked Blansh has been depicted on it. At the first sight dirk wants to destroy the picture, but then he understands that it is a masterpiece. He has no choice than to invite Strickland to Holland with him. It is a great surprise for the narrator.

When the story teller meets Strickland he has nothing to say. Charles seems to be the worse creature all over the world our hero has ever seen. Strickland’s behavior is insolent.

Individual Reading: "The Moon and Sixpense" #3. Champters 21-30

Charles Stricled used to be a translator of drugs and work as decorator. These things help him to survive and eat something in his poor life. He is a typical ragamuffin. There is an interesting fact – he doesn’t recognize his own pictures believing in their insolvency. But nevertheless he is a romantic in the bottom of his soul – he dreams about isolation in a desert island.

The friend of Mr. Strickland – Mr. Dirk Strev takes the narrator of the story who is writing his new collection of stories in Paris. Dirk is the unique person who is found of Charlie’s creation in the sphere of painting. Though they say that the main thing about any kinds of art is success, but not the talent or something likes that.

Charlie has lack of money. That’s why he faces problems with his health and life. The painter has nothing to eat. He can drink only water for days. But one day it seems that fortune has smiled at him – he has received an order for 200 francs. But neither the fortune nor the future well-served table can not be come true.

Our hero catches a cold. He doesn’t go out even to buy something to eat. He is searched by his friends – the narrator and Mr. Strev. All in all they bring him some food and drugs to support his health. But the level of temperature is on the high spot. The friend understands that Mr. Strickland needs comfort and protection. The idea is to put the painter to dirk’s home. The only one problem is Mrs. Blansh – the wife of Dirk. She is sure that Charlie will bring trouble to their house.

Nevertheless Dirk manages to persuade his wife who suddenly changes her mind – she is a nurse and spends all her time besides him from morning till night. But this is not Mr. Strickland’s business. Dirk gives up his job to be with his friend all days round. But it is also out of Charlie’s sight.

When the narrator is in the Louvre Museum he meets disappointed Dirk. The reason is that Mr. Strickland doesn’t want him to be his companion having expelled him from Dirk’s own workshop. But the true idea of the conflict is that Blansh falls in love with Charlie. It is a hard strike for Dirk Strev. Having known the fact the future-bachelor leaves them half of his money and home to the new-formed couple.

According to Dirk’s words it has begun two months earlier. The wife used to feel anxiety when Dirk kisses her. By the way she has hated hours when the husband is at home. The narrator is also shocked by this fact. Dirk spends the night in the narrator’s apartment. Because the lonely man has any place to go. He leaves his home to them as he doesn’t want his wife to live in awful Charlie’s room. To sum all these up the narrator comes to know that Mr. Strickland has no connections with such feeling as love.     

Rendering 14: about V.S. Vysotsky's 75 birthday

The article which was published by Alexander Bratersky in The St. PetersburgTimes on 30 January, 2013 reports at length that at the Jan. 19 is commemorated Vysotsky’s 75th birthday.

It carries a lot of comment on that in a grim Soviet reality, he lived the lifestyle of a playboy, but his real face is that: he wrote ballads about World War II and was a symbol of patriotism for many Russians. I’m very proud for my country that Vladimir Vysotsky, a bard singer, poet and actor still remains one of the nation’s most outstanding icons: his birthday was widely marked by Russian and foreign fans over the weekend.

Speaking of the way it is celebrated wу are to say that several concerts and exhibitions in honor of Vysotsky took place across Russia in Tambov, Penza, St. Petersburg and Moscow. It’s necessary to note that Vysotsky’s son, Nikita, attended the opening of a museum to his father in Yekaterinburg, where locals and visitors can see the poet’s restored Mercedes.

Analyzing the situation in the TV sphere of the event it’s important to emphasize that Russians could watch a variety of Vysotsky-related television programs to mark the day. Channel One showed the film “Vysotsky: Thank God I’m Alive.” Meanwhile, Kultura and TV Tsentr broadcast his documentary footage.

It’s very likely that the celebrations were not limited to Russia. The staff of Poland’s Vladimir Vysotsky Museum in Koszalin held an international festival of documentary films and organized an exhibition of archived materials: footage of Vysotsky rehearsing his role in “Vishnyovy Sad” and photographs from his Taganka Theater’s French tour in 1977.

There is every reason to believe that Vysotsky, who died in 1980, has cult status in Russia. That’s why the legendary Soviet chess master Boris Spassky never crossed paths with the singer but explained his appeal the best: “He was able to find a path into every heart. This unique gift made him the people’s singer.” Also Vera Shirokaya, a retired railroad company employee from Irkutsk, said: “His songs made many people think, ‘Do we really live in the world’s best country?” There is a general feeling to believe that she remembers retyping a short book of Vysotsky’s poetry, which was published by the underground press because it was not possible to obtain it officially. Shirokaya gave the book to her colleague, who later lost it.

It’s an open secret that the critic, Yury Saprykin, lamented in an article in Afisha magazine that the younger generation doesn’t recognize a lot of the famous quotes from the poet’s songs. To his mind it’s necessary to point out that: “There are no playlists combining his songs on Vkontakte.” It’s unlikely when trying to present Vysotsky to a younger audience, movie producers have depicted him as an action hero of the “drugs, sex and rock-n-roll type.” One such depiction can be seen in the 2011 film “Vysotsky: Thank God I’m Alive,” which collected $27.4 million in theaters but disappointed critics: Vysotsky seems to focus more on his romantic relationships and love of racing his Mercedes than on his songs.

The reporter gives no details to his personal opinion, but I’d like to add that Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky is our legend of art. Personally I think that his songs, many of them I know, are the mirrors of our culture.

Rendering 13: the rendering of the article: "Commemorating Vladimir Vysotsky - Russia's best-loved bard poet"

The article reports at length that RBTH met the son of Soviet prominent artist Vladimir Vysotsky and several other Russian performers at the Jan. 19 tribute concert at Crocus City Hall commemorated Vysotsky’s 75th birthday.

For what would have been his father’s 75^th birthday, Nikita has brought together a sprinkling of famous performers to sing. That’s why we may say that Vladimir Vysotsky continues to draw crowds in Moscow. The singer’s motto was: ‘I want people to remember me.’ Nikita Vysotsky he has honored his father’s wishes to the letter.

Speaking of this event it’s necessary to note that Vladimir Vysotsky recalled: “When I recited poetry at the age of six, my parents’ friends said that I had the voice of a real drunkard. My imitators had quite a difficult task...”

It’s important to emphasize that he was an actor at the Taganka Theatre in Moscow. It’s very unlikely that Vysotsky’s songs were never officially permitted in the Soviet Union; he was only recognized officially as a theatre and cinema actor.

There is every reason to believe that he gave a revolutionary performance of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” and he made a lasting impression on the big screen with “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed” (1979).

There is a lot of comment that “Even without posters and leaflets, everyone knew when and where his next underground concert would take place,” says actor Sergei Bezrukov, who played Vysotsky in the film “Vysotsky, Thank You for Being Alive” (2011).

Giving appraisal of the situation we are to point out that Vladimir Shakhrin, leader of the group Chaif, was taught by his father used Vysotsky’s songs to play guitar. It’s an interesting fact that Shakhrin will turn 54 this year, and his group continues to fill concert venues. Shakhrin says: “Each of his songs is like a whole drama: a piece of theatre that can be read, again and again…” By the way, there is every likelihood that Shakhrin worked on the construction of a new district in Yekaterinburg according to which his friends and he himself insisted that their street should be called Vysotsky Street, and they succeeded! He was very proud that this address was in his internal passport. By way of summing up, Shakhrin makes an interesting comparison Vysotsky with the Beatles: “Europe had its Beatlemania. We didn’t have the Beatles at that time – but we did have Vysotsky.”

Ilja “Chjort” (a devil) Knabengof is impressed by Vysotsky’s legacy, as well. “Chjort" emphasize that: “Through his attitude and his deep, intellectual lyrics, he created Russian rock in the way it exists today. Vysotsky was the first Russian rocker.”

The reporter gives no details to his personal opinion, but I’d like to add that Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky is our legend of art. Personally I think that his songs, many of them I know, are the mirrors of our culture.

Rendering 11: the rendering of the article “Ancient Redwood Forests Evoke Look of Future in 'After Earth'”

The article which is titled “Ancient redwood forests evoke look of future in 'After Earth'” was published May 22, 2013 in “Los Angeles Times” by the journalist Richard Verrier carries a lot of comment on how Will Smith and his son, Jaden, was filmed in Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Northern California.

This article reports at length that When producers of the movie "After Earth" wanted to create an image the planet 1,000 years in the future, location manager Dow Griffith knew just the place. Speaking of this decision it is necessary to note that he immediately thought of the mystical redwood forests in Northern California where his parents had taken him on a camping trip as a child. The article discusses the situation when filmmakers had to take special precautions to film amid groves where trees are 1,100 to 1,600 years old.

Analyzing the situation in "After Earth", it is interesting to emphasize that the film faces tax credit problems and as a result its budget exceeded $75 million. Nonetheless, California did offer something of value not available anywhere else — ancient redwood groves where some trees reach nearly 380 feet and are more than 20 feet in diameter.

It is an open secret that the coastal redwoods of Humboldt and Del Norte counties have appeared in many movies, among them the 1938 film "Valley of the Giants," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," "Outbreak" and the 2001 movie "The Majestic," starring Jim Carrey. By the way "After Earth" represents the first major feature film in many years to shoot in the area, which makes profits, indie features and nature programs.

There is a general feeling to believe that Hesseltine spent a week in April 2012 visiting more than two dozen redwood groves in Humboldt and Del Norte counties with Griffith. It is very likely that the images helped convince Shyamalan and production designer Tom Sanders that the park would be the ideal setting for the place where the characters played by Will and Jaden Smith crash-land and confront an evolved animal species that rules the planet.

The article concludes by saying that filmmakers had to follow strict guidelines to minimize their impact on the largest collection of old-growth redwoods in the world.

Personally I think that this problem is very important today for the industry of movie-making. It is not an easy way to a director to find a good place to make a film.

Rendering 10: the rendering of the article "The Golden Orion : Who Did Win The Major Prize of Russia" ("Zolotoy Oryol: comu dostalas glavnaya premiya Rossii?")

The article reports at length that the annual ceremony of the presenting the Gold Eagl Award was held again in Moscow. The article discusses the situation about such an award which is given by the national Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Russia. It was a difficult task to come to know who supports this or that actor.

Analyzing the situation in “Mosfilm” studio it’s necessary to emphasize that Nikita Mihalkov was the last to occupy his place. By the way he is recognized as the spiritual leader of the festival.

Speaking of the moderators of the award it was really hard to predict Victor Vasiliev and his pregnant wife, the actress Anna Snatkina to be them. It’s very unlikely that they run such a performance at first time. That’s why they lost ground and were substituted by Alyona Babenko.

Giving appraisal of the situation it’s important that there was an unusual way to present treilers of the movies to the viewers in the hall: children tried to tell them about the films their own opinion.

It’s an open secret that the award for the best leading actor went to Daniil Kozlov (Duhless) and for the best leading actress was Anna Mihalkova (“The Love with Accent”). The film “Orda” had the more awards by Karen Shahnazarov.

In conclusion the author didn’t give his personal attitude, but personaly I think that this festival should be translated on TV.