In French this time :)

I've just found out that François Busnel of France 5, a TV channel you probably know, made an interview with my favorite writer - Philip Roth. Unfortunately I cannot understand much of it because of the French translation ;) but I hope it's worth listening to. Perhaps you'll find it interesting? It seems some of it links well with our current topic - lifestyle. At the beginning of the interview Roth discusses living in his two different residences -  the 18th century farmhouse in Warren, Connecticut, and his apartment in New York.

I would be grateful if you could summarize the interview for me in class (in English of course).

Philip Roth's writing has caused a lot of controversy over the years of his long and prolific career, but some of his literary ideas are absolutely brilliant, and he implements them with perfect mastery. What I love most of all about his writing, however, is his English - so rich and powerful that sometimes I just need to pause my reading for a few seconds to let it sink in. My favorite books by Roth include Counterlife and The Human Stain - quite different from each other, but equally gripping. Nemesis, published only last year, is also one of the best. 

The Chorus

To give you a little encouragement I've decided to give it a try and write about a movie too:

Recently I saw a French film of a few years ago, which I somehow never got round to seeing before. Its title in English is The Chorus, and the original is Les choristes. Perhaps you know it?
It is a story of a failed musician who tries to begin a new career as a teacher. His first job is a tough one - he arrives at a provincial boarding school for troublemakers, all boys, and struggles with the school's very strict and narrow-minded principal, as well as with the boys' numerous problems and crises. He does find a way to reach them, and that is - as the title clearly indicates - through music. Fortunately, it is neither a tragedy nor a comedy, just a convincing story of a devoted, kind man who wanted to make a difference. Although there have been quite a few films with a similar theme (including the American-made box-office hit Dead Poets Society), this one stands out as less sentimental and a bit more insightful. I admit some characters are too black-and-white and stereotyped, but on the whole the story struck the right note with me and moved me deeply. If you haven't seen the film yet, I strongly recommend it to you.

Movies

Since we are talking about the media these days, I thought we could move part of our activity to the blogs again. How about a film review this time? Have you seen an interesting movie recently? Or perhaps it was a while ago, but you still remember it well and want to share your opinion about it with us? It does not need to be a British or American production. French would be great, too. Anything you feel strongly about - in either a positive or a negative way. It would be even better if you managed to find a clip or a trailer for the movie you have chosen and added it to your post. You can use the "Insert a video" option in the Blogger post editor; it's very easy to use! Have fun with the task. :)