A film review

Here is your first task:
Write your thoughts on a movie you have seen recently. Give us some basic information about the production (director, cast, etc.) and a short plot summary - no spoilers please! :)
Then express your own opinion on the movie: how it made you feel, whether it was what you had expected, and whether you would recommend to your readers. If you can find a trailer somewhere online, try to embed it in your post. You can use the "Insert a video" option in your blog editor.
You need to complete the task by the end of this week (Sunday, 1 April).
I'm looking forward to your posts!

A new chapter

A new semester is just beginning and so I am meeting my new students tomorrow. I hope things work out OK :)
Just to give you a little bit of practice in everyday English, and to tie in with current events, I would like to share a short video of yesterday's Grammy Queen - Adele. It is a preview of a longer program with Adele, aired by CBS just before the Grammy Awards show on Sunday night. I know EVERYBODY loves Adele these days, but she really is something special. There has never been a star so open about herself, so honest and so friendly. Not to mention her incredible voice, of course. Anyway, I hope you like it:

Merry Christmas!

Best Christmas wishes to my dear French students of English. May these special days bring you a lot of joy and a good relaxing time with your families and friends.
And here is a nice Christmas song for you :)



All the best!

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. :)

Paris vs. New York

I've come across a very interesting project today. It is an artist's impression of similarities and differences between two wonderful cities: New York and Paris. I thought it might be of interest to my Francophiles learning English :) The design is very simple but extremely appealing, and catches the most characteristic features of the two metropolises. Take a look!

Paris vs. New York

Which one is your favorite? Mine is this:

Speaks for itself, so I won't spoil it with a comment. I just love it! :)