Directed by: Woody Allen
Released: 1985
Country: United States
Genre: Romantic comedy, Fantasy, Drama
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
''The Purple Rose of Cairo'' tells the story Cecilia (Mia Farrow), a working class young woman stuck in an unhappy marriage. She finds solace in movies. She loves movies, and goes to the cinemas whenever she finds some time. One day, she watches a film called ''The Purple Rose of Cairo''. She falls in love with the film, watching it again and again. Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels) is a minor supporting character of the film. From behind the screen, the character suddenly notices Cecilia, sitting among the audience. Impressed by the fact that Cecilia loves the film so much, Tom Baxter just... steps out of the screen! He gets out of the film and steps into the reality. Cecilia helps him to run away, and over the course of time, falls in love with him.
On the other hand, the actor who played Tom Baxter, Gil Shephard (also played by Jeff Daniels) is worried because Baxter left the screen. Shephard is a rising star, and he is afraid that Baxter, whose face, obviously, matches his, may do such unlawful things that may become an obstacle in his (Gil's) path to success and reputation. He tries convincing Baxter to go back to the film, and meets Cecilia, who falls in love with Shephard.
In this complicated love triangle involving two worlds, the world of reality vs. the world of fiction, whom will Cecilia choose? The fiction, where everybody from the real world wants to go? Or to the world of realities, where everybody of the fictional world wants to come to?
I really loved the concept of the film, I really did. The entire film is so lovely, so sweet. I was really impressed with Mia Farrow's performance! She looked so sweet, so innocent, so lovable! Jeff Daniels's performances as Tom Baxter and Gil Shephard were both really good, really very good.
The film is sweet, cute, lovely, and beautiful, funny and romantic, but the only thing that I found rather unexpected was the ending. Was that a bad ending? Definitely not: any ending that makes you overwhelmed with emotions is a perfect, or a near-perfect ending. The ending of ''The Purple Rose of Cairo'' is so strong and so unexpected that for me, it will always be one of the most unforgettable endings I have ever come across. I won't discuss the ending in detail, but I will definitely say that compared to the overall film, the ending was unexpected, and while the entire film kept me uplifted, I ended up with a lump in my throat, overwhelmed with emotions, when the film ended.
It is a near-perfect film that I would recommend to everybody, and, I think, after ''Manhattan'', it is my favorite Woody Allen film.
4.5 out of 5
Author: John Green
Published: 2012
Genre: Novel, Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
''The Fault in Our Stars'' made me heartbroken and sad, but it also made me smile, laugh, and love. It made me love the characters, it made me love the story. It is a beautiful young adult romance that is sad but optimistic, a tearjerker, and strangely, heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.
Hazel Grace is a teenager suffering from cancer and because of that, she is always required to carry an oxygen tank with her. When attending a support group consisting of teenaged cancer victims, she comes across Augustus Waters. Augustus's cancer caused him to lose a leg. The two become very close, and with the passage of time, their bond turns into deep love, as they understand each other, support each other. But their lives are shadowed and followed by cancer itself.
I loved Hazel. Our protagonist. I really admired her. I really appreciated her strength, her humor, her easygoing nature, which she could maintain in spite of the fact that she had cancer. She was a strong protagonist, she indeed was. Augustus Waters is also a strong character, and I really liked the things that he did for Hazel, even sacrificing something so that Hazel could meet her favorite author.
The book is so well-written and irresistible that it's easy to fall in love with it. While the love story itself is beautiful and emotionally intense, the overall novel has a great depth. While it indeed is a tearjerker, it has humor even in it's darkest moments, it is witty and sad, heartbreaking yet optimistic and heartwarming. Strange, isn't it? While the book left me heartbroken, I was overwhelmed by the time I had finished it. It was romantic, it was sad, it was emotionally intense, yet witty, optimistic, and to sum it up, beautiful.
4.5 out of 5
Directed by: Elia Kazan
Released: 1951
Country: United States
Genre: Drama
Cast: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is an intense and powerful film, with two of the most powerful performances I have ever seen. Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando, two of the greatest film stars of all time, give extremely powerful performances as Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski, respectively. Vivien Leigh's performance is simply so strong that by the end of the film, I was literally in tears, seeing the fate of her character, Blanche. On the other hand, Marlon Brando's character, Stanley Kowalski, is so excellently-developed that by the end of the film the only thing that I felt for the character was pure hatred and outrage.
The film's protagonist, Blanche DuBois, arrives in New Orleans to stay with her sister, Stella (Kim Hunter) and her (Stella's) husband, Stanley. Blanche claims that she has taken a leave from the school she works at, because she has been suffering from depression. In reality, there are secrets that she has been hiding. Dark secrets. The short-tempered, violent and wild Stanley doesn't let things go on smoothly. He often treats Blanche with contempt, and then decides to look into Blanche's past. He finds out about the circumstances that caused Blanche to move to New Orleans.
I was greatly saddened, greatly shocked, and literally terrified seeing the torture and the difficulties that Blanche has to go through. Sure, she might not have had an agreeable past. But HOW can Stanley treat her, torment her in the way he does? How can a human treat somebody in this way? Stanley Kowalski is definitely one of the most hate-able movie villains I have ever seen. I mean, this character is inhuman and savage. And how excellently the character development is done! It takes time. Initially I felt only a mere loathing and even pity for Stanley, but by the end of the film, I felt pure hatred towards the character. For all the things that he does to Blanche.
The most memorable line from the film is definitely ''Stella! Hey Stella!'' These lines, spoken by Brando's character, are spoken twice during the film, when Stella, tired of her husband's violent nature and torments, decides to leave her husband (twice). The first time this happens, I felt pity for Stanley, because of the circumstances, and because of the way he calls Stella. But by the second time he says this, at the very end of the film, my heart was filled with pure hatred, extreme loathing for the character of Stanley. The character development is done gradually, and I couldn't possibly feel any sympathy for him after the things he does over the course of the film. By the end of the film, I was left with tears in my eyes, having been shocked and saddened seeing Blanche's fate, and outraged and terrified seeing the inhumanity and savageness of Stanley. Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh both give extremely memorable performances- perhaps two of the most powerful performances in the history of cinema.
This is indeed one of the most powerful, one of the most intense, one of the most shocking, and one of the most excellently-acted films that I have ever watched. Elia Kazan's direction is, definitely, excellent, while Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh's performances are unforgettable and powerful enough to be called two of the greatest performances in film history. Besides the direction and the acting, the cinematography and the background score are great as well, and overall, this is a powerful film, a must-watch.
Directed by: Delbert Mann
Released: 1955
Country: United States
Genre: Romantic drama
Cast: Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Esther Minciotti, Augusta Ciolli, Joe Mantell, Karen Steele
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
''Marty'' is one of those simple, lovely little films that are so charming that you can never forget about them. It is a film that is a must-watch for those who are fond of sweet love stories.
The titular character, Marty (Ernest Borgnine) is a 34-year-old man. He has never been married. All of his siblings have already married and settled down. His mother is quite worried for him. Marty is also worried for himself, as his friends constantly insist him to get married. At his mother's insistence, he goes to a dance one evening, and there he meets Clara (Betsy Blair), a 29-year-old schoolteacher whose date abandoned her. Marty asks Clara to dance with him, and she does, and spending the entire evening together, they gradually discover that they are in love, and that they are loving the time that they are spending together.
There is also a subplot as Virginia, wife of Marty's cousin starts complaining about her mother-in-law. Virginia thinks that the presence of her mother-in-law is ruining her privacy. This subplot deals with the problems and conflicts that both mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law tend to get through. The mother suffers from a kind of insecurity that her daughter-in-law is poisoning her son against her, while the daughter-in-law strongly feels that her mother-in-law is an obstacle to her leading a happy life,
But more importantly, ''Marty'' is a great love story! I mean, it is so sweet that it will definitely bring a smile on everybody's face! The scene in which Marty and Clara walk after the dance and Marty cannot even stop talking- that scene was so lovely! The way in which the two characters come to understand each other- in spite of having known each other only for a short time- is really amazing. Perhaps this understanding is because of the fact that they can identify with each other's problems and insecurities. Neither Marty nor Clara is glamorous, but what they possess is good heart, what they possess is love. The chemistry between the two main characters was excellent! Betsy Blair is so cute and charming, and Ernest Borgnine's performance is really great. I admit it is not a great film that emotionally overpowered me or something, but yes, it is an excellent love story that brought a smile on my face and left me impressed- it is a beautiful film, well-written, well-directed, and well-acted.
4 out of 5
Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
Released: 1952
Country: United States
Genres: Western, Drama, Thriller
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
In ''High Noon'', Gary Cooper plays Marshal Will Kane. The film tells a story that spans just a few hours- and within these few hours, a lot of things happen: tension, disappointment, fear, thrills, apprehension. It is a western thriller full of thrills and tension- and one that I would highly recommend.
Marshal Will Kane marries Amy Fowler (Grace Kelly), but just a few minutes after their marriage, they get a terrible news: a man, Frank Miller, whom Will had sent to prison, has been released, and is coming back to take revenge on Will. Everybody advises Will to get out of the town before Frank arrives, and Will initially agrees, but soon returns to the town. Amy is furious at him: she wants him to leave the town with her, but when he disagrees, she decides to leave the town on her own. She waits at a hotel near the station, waiting for the train. On the other hand, some friends of Frank are waiting for him at the station, ready to welcome him back. Will starts looking for help, looking for people who would help him face Frank. But nobody agrees to help him: some out of fear, and some because of their dislike for Will (ironically, the only people who want to help Will are a one-eyed man and a teenager). And as the minutes fly by, Frank's train keeps approaching...
One of the things I loved about this film is it's simplicity: it tells the story that spans just a few hours, and within those few hours, the characters go through such incidents, such fear, such thrills, such tension. Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly are definitely excellent in their respective roles, and I should also mention Katy Jurado, who plays Helen Ramirez, who had been the lovers of both Frank and Will.
''High Noon'' is a thrilling film with excellent screenplay and performances. I'd highly recommend it.
4.5 out of 5
Directed by: Charlie Chaplin
Released: 1936
Country: United States
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Stanley Sandford, Chester Conklin
Genres: Comedy, Romantic comedy, Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Charlie Chaplin's ''Modern Times'' is set during the Great Depression. It tells the story of a tramp, who, with the help of an orphaned young woman, dreams of a better life, a life without hunger and poverty, and struggles hard for it. ''Modern Times'' is really very funny like other Charlie Chaplin films, but it is also really sweet, it also has an excellent emotional depth, and yes, it is heartwarming and inspirational.
Charlie Chaplin plays a factory worker who starts suffering from mental depression that ultimately causes him to lose his job and go to a hospital for some days. After he is discharged from the hospital, he is left without a job, a home, and means to support himself. Circumstances cause him to meet a Gamin (played by Paulette Goddard), whose father died recently. Her younger siblings were taken to an orphanage, but she ran away from the authorities as she didn't want to be in an orphanage. Chaplin's character and the Gamin become great friends, and decide to get a better life, a home, to get rid of the poverty and difficulty they have to face because of the Great Depression.
''Modern Times'' reminded me how much I actually love silent films. The film is mostly silent, but there are scenes where there are spoken dialogues, and a song that Chaplin's character sings near the end of the film.
''Modern Times'' is hilarious and funny. It kept me laughing. But at the same time, it is no mindless comedy film. Instead, it deals with a very serious subject matter: poverty, sufferings of the poor people, dreams and hopes for a better life, and the struggle for it. While it is definitely a funny film, it is, at the same time, heartwarming, emotional, and beautiful. Charlie Chaplin's performance is definitely excellent, and Paulette Goddard, as the Gamine, is beautiful and equally amazing. My favorite scenes from the film are those in which Chaplin's character is released from the prison, and the Gamine is waiting for him outside the prison, and when they are meet, they look so happy, and the looks on their faces and their smiles and their reactions are so beautiful, so heartwarming! The final scene is also really very beautiful.
Overall, '"Modern Times'' is an excellent film, definitely recommended. It is funny, it is sweet, it is cute, it is emotional, it can make you smile, laugh, and cry. It is a beautiful film.
5 out of 5
Published: 2013
Author: Veronica Roth
Genres: Novel, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review
''Allegiant'' is the final book in the ''Divergent'' trilogy.
After the death of Jeanine Matthews and the victory of the factionless, Evelyn takes up the duty of leading the city and the people, and abolishes the faction system, much to the displeasure of many people. Evelyn also declares that nobody will be allowed to go outside the city, defying the instructions found in the Edith Prior video at the end of ''Insurgent''. However, members of a rebel group, led by Cara and Tori, known as ''Allegiant'', defy the tyrant Evelyn's authority. Instead, they plan to go outside the city and discover how the people outside the city's borders need their help. Tris, Tobias, Christina, Peter, Caleb, Cara, Uriah and Tori decide to go outside the city's border, and they manage to do so. Outside the city, they come across shocking revelations: the greatest secrets about their entire lives, about their city. They come to know that what they had seen, their lifestyles all along were nothing but lies and made-up things. Throughout their lives they had believed, they had known certain things, but after leaving their city, they come across such strange revelations that makes them realize the truth behind everything, the truth behind the city, the confinement, the factions, and above all, the truth about themselves.
''Allegiant'' contains revelations, extremely important revelations. We come to learn the backgrounds of everything in the series in this novel. We come to know about the background of the city, the background and history of the things in the trilogy.
''Allegiant'' is indeed a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. While I really liked it, I didn't exactly love it in the way I loved it's predecessors. There are important revelations in this one, and it was wonderful to know get an insight on the past of the city, the real reason the city was formed, and the truth behind the faction system. The romance between Tris and Tobias is great in this one as well, with nothing becoming sappy, but is really emotional. The character development is excellent like it's predecessors.
I have loved the ''Divergent'' series. I really admired the storytelling, the character development, the excellent emotional depth, the endless secrets and mysteries and the revelations! The ending of ''Allegiant'' was really good- I was in tears several times while reading the book. Overall, it is a good conclusion to the wonderful series. I really liked it.
3.5 out of 5
