World Book and Copyright day 2014

 

 

Today is “World Book and Copyright day” and I´ve thought that it is a good idea to begin this entry with  Malala Yousafzai ´s words as they appear on the Unesco webpage:

“The history of the written word is the history of humanity. The power of books to advance individual fulfilment and to create social change is unequalled. Intimate and yet deeply social, books provide far-reaching forms of dialogue between individuals, within communities and across time.

Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons.”

Malala Yousafzai is the Pakistani  girl who was shot by the Taliban "because" she attended classes at school and these words belong to her speech at the United Nations.

As usual I can´t help paying attention to the importance of this day when I think of films.  What would the film industry be without books? Lots of the stories that we watch on the screen are based on the plots which were first devised by writers before they turned into scripts. Some months ago I wrote about Nick Hornby since I had the opportunity of attending one of his interviews. It was a very special occasion for me: rarely do readers have the chance of meeting their favourite writers, don´t you think? That´s why, I guess  it´s  understandable to treasure that kind of meeting. That day Horby shared with us some interesting ideas and explained to us that it is difficult to set rules when it comes to writing. For instance,  some people usually argue that you mustn´t start a book by speaking about the weather, however, Bleak House – one of the most famous novels by Charles Dickens – begins with a lengthy description of the weather. Anyway, this is probably one of the best days to underline the close tie between literature and cinema and funnily enough, I must mention Nick Hornby again because his novel A Long Way Down has become a film which has just been released. I explained the plot of the novel to one of the readers of the blog so most of you must already be familiar with this story, therefore if you feel like watching it on the big screen, here you can have a look at the official trailer of the film:

I really want to wish you a HAPPY BOOK DAY and I hope you take advantage of this special day to buy a book for yourself or to give it to someone you care for as a present because – according to the tradition – this is the best way of celebrating this red-letter day in many parts of the world and if exchanging books is also accompanied by exchanging roses as in Catalonia to celebrate St George´s Day or Sant Jordi´s Day, the tradition becomes even better, doesn´t it?  As usual, an alternative to a good book is a good film and if you wish to mark the celebration of this day, why not a good film adaptation of a written work?

How do you usually spend this day? What´s the last book you have read lately? What´s the last film adaptation of a book that you have seen on the big screen? Would you like to recommend any film that is based on a written work? Have you ever met one of your favourite writers at a book signing event on 23^rd April?

Mickey Rooney passes away

Today we´ve learnt about the demise of Mickey Rooney. Unlike Philip Seymour Hoffman´s death, Mickey Rooney´s passing away can´t be described as sudden, accidental or tragic as he was 93 years old. However, I feel that his death is also really meaningful because he belonged to that group of American film stars who were unique and irreplaceable:  the actors and actresses of the star system who performed in the golden area of the American cinema. Thinking about Mickey Rooney involves bringing to mind other unforgettable names: Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor… I don´t like remembering Mickey Rooney as the grumpy old man he had become over the last years, instead of doing so, I prefer recalling the image of the young actor in one of his comic roles or as a talented dancer and preferably in a black and white film, the sort of film I would watch when I was a child and I started to become fond of watching films. Even if the death of Mickey Rooney can´t have been unexpected, it makes us come to terms with the end of a period of time which was full of talented performers: actors, dancers, singers and musicians. In spite of that, Mickey Rooney had a prolific career and managed to adapt to the new times, actually, most young audiences must be familiar with him thanks to his recurrent role as one of the retired security guards in The Night at the Museum films.

Have you seen any of Mickey Rooney´s films? Do you associate him with any other actor or actress in particular? Do you remember him playing the part of the guard in The Night at the Museum films?

A sad demise and lots of awards

Last month we learnt about the sad death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Even if the official cause of his death hasn´t been offered yet, most media sources have pointed out a drugs overdose as the most likely cause of his demise. Apparently, the actor had to cope with abuse and depression for the most part of his life. I guess that most of us were unaware of this fact, however, I feel that there is nothing wrong with that, that is, why should all of us be entitled to know the most private details of the personal lives of some people just because we admire their work as actors? That´s just  food for thought for another discussion.

In my opinion, what is really important is that he won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance as the writer Truman Capote in the 2005 film Capote and also that he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar Award three times thanks to his role as a CIA operative in Charlie Wilson´s War, his role as Father Brendan Flynn in Doubt or his role as Lancaster Dodd in The Master. The three roles don´t have much in common but the wonderful performance of a gifted actor. In addition to his work in films, Hoffman starred in a 2012 Broadway production of Death of a Salesman as he played the part of Willy Loman – one of the iconic roles in American theatre – and his acting was then described as “heartbreaking” in his portrayal of a man who is broken and disillusioned.

To me, Philip Seymour Hoffman, will always be associated with the role of Freddie Miles in The Talented Mr Ripley. His appearance – unlike that of the typical Hollywood actor – came as a contrast to Jude Law in one of the best films which were released in 1999. Freddie Miles is not a nice guy but he is a good friend who cares about  Dickie  and he is the only one who sees through Ripley, a quality that draws the empathy of the audience and redeems our view of the character.

More recently, young film-goers have become familiar with him thanks to the role of Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and he was also due to appear in a two-part sequel: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay which is being made at the moment. In short, Philip Seymour Hoffman was  such a versatile actor that it´s up to us to choose the character that we want to remember.

But the show must go on, as they say in Broadway, and that´s why, now I must consider another event which makes us be in a better mood: the 86^th ceremony of the  Academy Awards which took place in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, a ceremony which was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres on 2^nd March. By now, most of you must be familiar with this year´s winners: Cate Blanchett, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong´o, Jared Leto, Alfonso Cuarón were probably the most important names of that night and 12 Years a Slave won the Oscar for Best Picture. However, despite the importance of the awards, I have the feeling that this year´s ceremony will be remembered for other reasons which are not merely cinematographic. For example, the way Ellen DeGeneres poked fun at Liza Minnelli´s appearance or the picture of  some film stars eating a piece of pizza or DeGeneres´ idea of gathering some members from the audience for a selfie which was star-studded: Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Kevin Spacey were in the shot. Bradley Cooper, who lost out on the Best Supporting Actor Award to Jared Leto, took the photo. DeGeneres broke the record for Twitter retweets that night by tweeting the memorable selfie. The snap seemed to be spontaneous, however, according to the Wall Street Journal, the idea of taking a selfie was triggered by the need to integrate the phone into the show as part of an advertising campaign. I guess that the company selling this sophisticated device must be vey happy because the selfie got viral. On the one hand, the ceremony reflected a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly popular thanks to social networks but on the other hand, I feel that this year we´ve paid attention to a part of the show that is important, but aren´t there other moments which are equally memorable and have gone unnoticed? 

 What do you think about this year´s Oscar Awards ceremony? Was Ellen DeGeneres really funny? What do you think about the way the ceremony was covered by the mass media?

What about crowdfunding?

The term "crowdfunding" is  usually associated with artistic expressions of every kind but it wasn´t coined so long ago. If we look it up in ihe Oxford dcitionary, for example, we can confirm our first impression.

At Christmastime ...

When I think of Chritmastime, I can´t help thinking of films and going to the cinema. When I was little, my father, who didn´t usually have much time to spend with us, used to take my sister and me to the cinema and that was a great treat. In fact, my first experience of watching a film in a cinema took place at this time of the year. Most people tend to have some time on their hands these days and that´s probably one of the reasons why the number of cinema-goers rises during the festive season. The film industry is aware of this and as a result, quite a lot of films are released during the Christmas break.

This Christmas offers us the opportunity of watching a wide range of films. If you´re into romantic comedies, Enough Said can be a good choice for you. The last film of Nicole Holofcener – director of Friends with Money and Please Give – deals with falling in love and the idea of making a new start without being biased and influenced by the prejudices of a  former relationship. The story rests on its witty dialogue and its wonderful cast, two factors which remind us of the old, classic comedies where the plot relied so much on situations that resulted from funny misunderstandings. This film can also be regarded as some sort of tribute to James Gandolfini who plays the part of the male protagonist. James Gandolfini died of a heart attack last summer and he will always be remembered as Tony Soprano, the Italian-American mobster of the TV series The Sopranos.

If you´re fond of Woody Allen´s films, you can watch Blue Jasmine, his last film which has received critical acclaim and is still on at our local cinemas. But if you aren´t interested in dramas, you may enjoy a story which is full of hope: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, directed by Ben Stiller who also plays the main role. Perhaps you are one of those people who read The Physician a long time ago and once you wondered what it would be like to watch this story on the screen, if that´s the case, you´re lucky: Noah Gordon´s story has been adapted for the big screen and it has just been released.

Regardless of whether you have the opportunity of going to the pictures or not, I feel that this time of the year is associated with watching films or, at least, a particular film that you enjoy. In the States watching It´s a Wonderful Life or A Charlie Brown Christmas has become some sort of Christmas tradition for everybody. 

 

It´s difficult to point out the same sort of tradition nationwide, but I believe that most of the people who love watching films have fostered their own tradition. Someone who is close to me enjoys watching Christmas Vacation, a film which – some would argue – cannot be classified as an unforgettable classic film but who knows? As for me, not every single year – but once in a while – I like watching When Harry met Sally. Most people would say that this is not really a Christmas film, however, I feel that this is the right time of the year to watch it. The film has a couple of scenes with the Christmas tree which are very brief but very meaningful at the same time, and besides, the story ends on New Year´s Eve, so the topic does appear in the film even if it is not a film about Christmas. Nevertheless, what makes this story suitable for the last days of the year is, in my view, its cyclic sense of life: regardless of the plot of the story, the film underlines the idea of passage of time and the personal events associated with it. And if we feel prone to positiveness we can also pay attention to the fact that no matter how hard the times are, no matter how difficult the year has been, Christmas will come, a new year will begin and despite our problems, somehow, we will find a way to make a new start.

                     Happy Boxing Day, Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year!!! 

What is your own Xmas tradition when it comes to watching films? Have you acquired the habit of watching a film which you inextricably associate with the festive season?

On short stories and films

I discovered Alice Munro some years ago. It was one of those random discoveries which usually take place in bookshops. I guess that´s one of the perks of visiting your favourite bookshops: you are bound to find something new, interesting or exciting. As I started reading,  I couldn´t help falling in love with her stories, stories about Canadian women who lead ordinary lives in – sometimes – remote places of Canada. Munro excels at depicting the lives of these women and, very often, she manages to convey an eye-opening picture of humankind just by paying attention to a simple anecdote about the life of one of her female protagonists.

I am happy to learn that she has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature: in my opinion, she is a master of the short story. That´s why, if you feel like learning a bit about this writer, you might like to know that in 2006, Sarah Polley made a film based on one of her stories: The Bear Came Over the Mountain. The film hit the big screen under the title of Away from Her. I fully recommend it to anyone who is interested in some of the issues that affect all of us: loving, getting old and learning to cope with one of the most nagging diseases of the 21^st century: Alzheimer´s. I really feel that it is a beautiful film shot with the delicacy and depth which are typical of Alice Munro´s stories.

 

Had you heard about Alice Munro before? Are you familiar with the film that I have mentioned? Do you know any other writer whose short stories have hit the big screen?

It´s such a difficult business

Last week I attended a very interesting interview. It was one of those rare occasions on which you have the opportunity of learning a bit more about a person whose work you admire: Nick Hornby. As I pointed out some months ago literature and cinema are closely linked and very often, it is impossible to understand films without the direct influence of literature. I dare say that this English writer has become a household name for the people who are interested in contemporary fiction but the work of this author has been influential in the lives of cinema-goers who are not familiar with his novels. In brief, most of his novels have been adapted for the big screen and perhaps the name Nick Hornby doesn´t ring a bell but what about the following films: High Fidelity, About a Boy or  Fever Pitch?

                                                  The official trailer for About a Boy.

If you´re into cinema and especially into comedies, I´m sure you´ve watched some of these films. Probably one of the reasons why Horby´s stories appeal to viewers/ readers is his ability to create characters whose concerns, emotions and attitudes are so universal. His novels may take place in England but the readers in Germany, in Spain or in the States feel moved in the same way as British readers do. And that´s why, his stories are usually adapted for the big screen by American people and take place in the States but as Nick Hornby recognises, it doesn´t matter because however British his characters may look, the important thing is to be able to translate the worries, aspirations, dreams and failures that define every character to the screen. In this sense, Nick Hornby feels grateful to film-makers, producers, musicians and all the people involved in making films for their effort and work because making a film is such a difficult business that it is not easy to gather the right group of people  - at the right time –  in order to work together on the creation of a  story . And that´s one of the lessons that I learnt from Nick Hornby: we often take films for granted. I must confess that I had already reached that conclusion myself but sometimes we do need to be reminded of the more obvious things. We have a look at the newspaper or on the Internet and we find out that there´s a new film at our local cinema and next week there´ll probably be another one but we must be aware that beyond the pictures on the screen which move us in very different ways, there are lots of people working really hard and those people are part of the film industry, the industry that trades in images and emotions, invisible but powerful currency, don´t you think?

                              The screenplay of An Education was also written by Nick Hornby.

Have you watched any of the films based on the novels by Nick Hornby? What do you think about them?