Sinking, a story told by the ocean

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.

Today, I would like to review the story of "Sinking" of which I had the pleasure to read and later interview the author.

We've heard so many stories above the ocean, the tales of pirates sailing the seas, in search of a lost treasures laced with curses, chanting, dancing with the ladies and living the life of a rebel.
But this goes beneath the surface of the ocean, deep down underwater, swimming between the beautiful multicolored plants and species.

"Sinking" has been a delight to read and a great distraction after having quite some busy days at work.
The title triggered my attention as it can have multiple meanings.

Paulo Coelho The Alchemist

Dear all,
After a very long hiatus, I come back to this blog that I missed incredibly.
I never intended to leave it like this, but life sometimes faces you with challenges that inquire you to focus 100% on it.
The main reason for my absence was actually my health, and I'm glad I gained it back.

Today's review is about Paulo Coelho's story : The Alchimist.

War horse

Book version:

A nice book to read from Michael Morpurgo.
As i used to do horse-riding, this book has brought many lovely childhood memories.
This is the story of a strong friendship between a Young man (Albert) and a horse (Joey) he's grown up with at the farm.

Broadchurch

In terms of intrigue, cliffhangers, surprises.. This serie has amazed me just as much as BBC Sherlock, even though the concept is different, I found it nevertheless to be a great story with a good cast.

The phantom of the opera

If i walked through the opera in Paris, would i possibly hear the angel of music?

Such is what i thought after i finished reading and watching the phantom of the opera.

The book was interesting to read, it is told by the writer himself who claims to have done research about the story of the opera ghost.
Christine Daaé has been blessed with a beautiful voice and she is convinced that her teacher is actually the angel of music of whom her father had spoken when he was still alive. Yet Raoul De Chagny, childhood friend, has another theory. The latter has loved Christine since he can remember and so a duel occurs between the angel of music and the young man. Still, he is faced with one issue, the angel of music is seemingly a ghost, the same ghost that occupies box five at the opera, and that curses anyone who dares to deny his requests.

As i kept reading, i did in fact fear the opera ghost because of his temper. Somehow i was bemused by the way his genius was described but i couldn't deny that he was quite unstable; i tried to unveil the secrets before they were revealed and all that were involved with the opera ghost, which made reading only more amusing.
Until the last moment, the result of the love triangle remained a mystery, but i found the end to be a bit accelerated.

Regarding the movie, there were quite some differences with the book, the opera ghost usually acted without revealing himself too much to the public because they would repel him for his ugliness ( in the book, the phantom has a much more frightening appearance than in the movie). There is a lot of singing during the movie ( more singing that speaking) but the words and the melody were quite enjoyable so it hadn't bothered me. The dances that were performed reminded me of Amadeus. As i watched, i remembered another story: Frankenstein from Mary Shelly.

The opera ghost and the monster of Frankenstein had similar feelings and had almost the same wish. The actors have done an excellent job and it was difficult to hold back some tears at the end. It's a brilliant, intriguing and touching movie regarding love and the passion for music, especially opera music. I believe it to be a great example of expressing emotions through music. If they had only spoken, i doubt it would have had the same result.

After discovering this story, I'm eager to go back to Paris, visit the Opera and remember the tale that highlighted this ancient theater. To think that i had been gazing at it thoughtfully and wondering what were behind those walls. I will certainly put it on my list.

Share your thoughts about the movie or the book in the comments.

 

See you soon! 

The Rock'N'Roll Diaries

I just finished reading  the "Rock'n'Roll Diaries".
Once i started, it was difficult for me to stop because it reminded me a lot of my adolescence.
The story is brilliant, or as the characters would say: "bloody brilliant"!

When you read the book, you sympathize with the characters, if your older than them, you'll probably see little you while reading.

The RockAteers is a band of four young teenagers, with different life styles, different education, different personalities, who decide to become the best rock band in the history. It looks like a mission impossible at first thought but it's like the magic of music can bring them together.
Not only is it about music but also about the daily life of teenagers who have to fight through the unpleasant period between childhood and adults, i believe each of us will recognize themselves in these four characters.

I find the writing quite realistic, either from the band or from the record label; which is a bit obvious considering the fact that Jamie Scallion is a performer and has toured in a band; he wrote the story while he was on the road. There are funny parts that will make you laugh, some sad parts and basically, we get to know the feelings of each characters because they hold a private diary.
The language is close to what i would describe as: teenage street language. There is some swearing but i believe it's part of a teen's life.

But to be clear, it's a great story! and I do enjoy rock bands and concerts, so this universe isn't very blurry to me.

Either they will succeed and make this a dream come true, or they will kill each other on the road.
It's a great gift for youngsters from 15 to higher!

If you want to know more and jump in the adventure of the Rock'n'Roll Diaries:

Find the book's page : http://www.therocknrolldiaries.com/

You can order the book, listen to music samples, an extract of the audiobook and more.

You can order the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DE9NTDE

Frankenstein

I finished reading the book ( author : Mary Shelly ), and found that there was a movie version produced by Francis Ford Coppola, with Tom Hulce and Helena Bonham Carter, three artists from whom i enjoyed their work. So i definitely wanted to take a look at it.

Of course, i noticed the differences between the book and the movie but they had both expressed the cruelty of men and the consequences of gaining too much power.

Victor Frankenstein is an aspiring scientist who travelled to Ingolstadt to pursue his studies in science. Through his research, and his skills, he discovered that he could achieve a creation that none had ever dared to experience. Obsessed by the idea, he looses track of time, and spirit to complete his work: a human being.

But, a second after, the creature has opened its eyes, he realizes his mistake, and is overwhelmed by fear, shame and misery. he aborts all his work, leaves the creature, believing it's dead, and travels back to Geneva, to his family and his love Elizabeth. What he didn't know, was that the creature lived, and was left alone in an unknown world where he would be obliged to survive. But there's no use running away from the past, it always comes back to force you to look it, and Victor Frankenstein shall face the consequences of his act and take his responsibilities that he tried to deny.

To my opinion, i pitied the monster a lot and Frankenstein afterwards. all the monster desired was love, but people judged him by his appearance and chased him away like the pest. yet beauty can be reflected through the beauty of the soul.
When there is beauty in a soul, you'll find beauty on the outside.
In the book, movie and theater play, i felt this desire to hold the creature and hush him to calm. Because he was banished from feelings, rejected before given the chance to speak, his thoughts became dark, which led him to become "the monster" that all people fear.

So, i'd be happy to hear your thoughts about the movie or the book if you read it !

Take care!

Memoirs of a geisha

The tale of a geisha who dreamed to live her life freely.
The young chiho was taken away as a child with her sister from her family ( or rather sold by her father who could no longer feed them ) to work at an okiya ( geisha house ) for a living.
Raised by a woman known by all as Okâ-san ( mother), she does the house cleaning with her friend Pumpkin and obeys to the orders of their geisha : Hatsumomo.
In the course of months, she will try to escape this okiya to go back to her village until she will understand that she can no longer run back to the past but have the face the future.

In the process of her growing up, she will learn the geisha skills and afterwards gain notoriety for her peculiar beauty ( especially her blue eyes that reminds her tutor of water and it's power ).
Her talent will be noticed and she will be exposed to okinawa as the next geisha that will dazzle everyone with her beauty and skills.

All of this seem quite enjoyable, yet to achieve such status, sacrifices will be made, challenges will be set, she will have to face lust, jealousy, desire and defend her only wish for freedom in this road she had taken to reach for that hand she had longed for. Yet, can a geisha ever gain the gift of love?

I'm already fond of japanese culture, and was bemused by the mystery surrounding the geishas, I would compare them to living puppets and watch them dance in silence.

Sadly, the word "geisha" has inspired quite a debate regarding their profession, some comparing them to prostitutes. It is indeed true that some have used the geisha status selling their bodies for sexual favours.

However, the true meaning remains that a geisha is a performing artist, a hostess that usually entertains business men with chats and dances.

The soundtrack is a true pleasure to listen to, one of my favourites is Sayuri's theme, and the one used when she performed on stage for the first time.

The storytelling is sometimes poetic, we can feel the geisha's journey; the story of a strong woman who fought to live and who whispers us to never give up.

" A geisha does not sell her body but her talent"

Nowadays, most geishas reside in Kyoto and leave the Okiya once they decide to get married to focus on their family.

I find this art fascinating. During the performance, we remaing silent to enjoy the geisha in action. I had the joy to

watch a dance troup called kikunokai at the theatre. It was years ago but I kept the book in memory of that evening. The chants were beautiful, the stories were amusing and the shamisen had reminded me of the samurais. After the show I had met the artists to congratulate them and it made me want to have a moment to perform a geisha dance, just to know how it feels to perform such different art.

For those who watched the movie, what did you think of it? Have you ever seen a live performance,

please let me know in the comments :)

The Perfume

This is a movie that I highly appreciated for its originality. It based on the novel " the perfume" by Patrick Süskind.
The story of Jean Baptiste Grenouille ( Ben Whishaw ) who switched his gift and passion for scent into an obsession that drove him to crime. Born on the streets of Paris and abandoned by his mother at birth, he grew up in an orphanage and rapidly understood that he was gifted and that it is his only satisfaction. One day, as he was strolling in the streets, he smelled a peculiar scent, that excited him..the scent of a young woman, still in full bloom. He follows her in order to inhale her scent but ends up accidently killing her. The instant she dies, the scent fades aways, and he grows frustrated. Frustrated of having lost it, not having conserved it, he vows to look for it, to find a way to sustain this scent that plunges him into another world. When Jean Baptiste becomes a perfume seller's novice, he becomes engrossed by the idea that he will reach his goal, no matter the sacrifices.

This movie kept me focused until the end. I had no idea of what was to occur, several events kept changing the way the story was going to end. Now, I am curious to read, maybe some details have been put aside.
If you've watched the movie, I'd love to hear your reviews.

Sail Away pirates!

Imaginez-vous à bord d'un bateau, naviguant les océans à la découverte du monde, à la recherche des trésors et pour vivre cette adrénaline en explorant l'inconnu, avec un équipage loufoque.Voilà la vie du capitaine Jack Sparrow ( interprété par Johnny Depp ), un pirate qui s'est proclamé capitaine du Black Pearl. Il se lance dans divers aventures, que ce soit pour récupérer son navire, affronter Davy Jones, trouver la fontaine de Jouvance, ou encore devancer son rival, le capitaine Barbossa ( Geoffrey Rush ) en passant par la conquête des demoiselles, Jack Sparrow ne recule devant rien ( bien sûr il pourrait prendre la fuite lorsqu'il se sent dans une situation bien trop risqué) mais c'est un homme qui ne reste pas en place bien longtemps. L'océan est son terrain de jeu, tant qu'il y a du Rhum à sa disposition.

Cela nous fait rêver, mais c'est bien le but des histoires en général. Qui ne voudrait pas être un pirate pour une journée? Je pense que je ne pourrai pas résister!
Il y a eu un super travail sur la construction des bateaux et des décors et le mystère plane durant tout le film que ce soit sur les légendes, les lieux que l'on découvre ou encore les histoires des personnages ( Will Turner, Davy Jones ou encore le capitaine Jack Sparrow ).
Allez préparez-vous, retenez le language des pirates et jetez-vous dans l'aventure, à vos risques et périls! Le capitaine Jack Sparrow vous emmène dans l'aventure!


A ce propos, un nouveau chapitre des aventures de ce fougueux capitaine est en préparation! La distribution aurait lieu en 2014 ou 2015.

Qui est un fan de cette saga? et que pensez-vous des films? Avez-vous lu les livres?

The hobbit

J'ai trouvé du temps pour aller voir le Hobbit: an unexpected journey. C'était très agréable de plonger dans cet univers d'elfes, d'ogres et de magie.... On dirait un monde similaire à Harry Potter.
Bilbo ( Martin Freeman ) a grandi dans un endroit douillet et calme et rencontre un jour Gandalf, un magicien qui lui propose une aventure palpitante. Après avoir longuement hésité, il finit par rejoindre les nains, pour le meilleur et pour le pire. Malgré les combats et les moments difficiles, il y avait des instants drôles, des scènes où je demeurai silencieuse à observer ce lieu imaginaire. Je suis tentée d'acheter le livre pour pouvoir connaître tout les détails de cette histoire.
Martin Freeman a , à mon avis, un regard tellement inoffensif, tel que son personnage au début, quelqu'un de calme, d'hésitant, solitaire et petit à petit il devient plus sûr de lui et est prêt à courir des risques.
Ian McKellen me rappelle à plusieurs reprises Albus Dumbledore ( Harry Potter) avec sa sagesse, sa délicatesse et son instinct de combattre au bon moment.
La bande son ( composé par Howard Shore ) est un vrai plaisir et je serai tentée de l'écouter tout en lisant le livre. Ce film fera certainement partie de mes favoris. Je me réjouis déjà pour les deux prochains films.

Qu'en pensez-vous?

the king's speech

Have you seen the movie " The King's speech"?
I had watched it during filming classes where we had to analyze the movie. Based on a true story, the Duke of York is confronted with the idea that he might succeed to the throne instead of his elder brother.
He suffers however of stuttering, which causes a huge block to his status as the future king of England.
His father will have none of it and brings the best doctors to assist him, yet all of them fail to find the remedy to stop the stuttering permanently.
It is an interesting story, that brings to the light a well hidden secret from the royal family. During the movie, I acknowledged the pressure of protocols ( how a duke comes to address a doctor, and how little girls would speak to their father differently the moment the latter becomes king), the weight of responsability that rests on the man's shoulders for his country against an immenent war that is about to open fire: World War II.
In those moments, I saw how a high status demanded sacrifices and how crushing it felt towards a man who felt vulnerable.

This movie is quiet special because in the end it has a strong message : we can be anyone we want if we choose to believe, and even that the impossible is non existent if we choose to keep moving on.

Among the actors, we have a great cast composed of : Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush and  Michael Gambon .

Sense & Sensibility

Une histoire romantique ça vous dit? Ou plutôt les phases de l'amour jusqu'à trouver la personne à qui on dira : je t'ai trouvé.

Sense & Sensibility, est un film, du roman de Jane Austen ( livre que j'achèterai ). Il s'agit de la famille Dashwood dont le père est décédé. La mère et ses 3 filles se retrouvent dans la pauvreté, et déménagent dans une maison plus appropriée. Les deux ainés : Eleonor ( Emma Thompson ) et Marianne ( Kate Winslet ) sont différentes et pourtant de même sang. Eleonor est un peu réservée, calme tandis que Marianne est spontanée et ouverte à ses sentiments. Chacune vivra une histoire d'amour différente. On y retrouve également Alan Rickman et Hugh Grant...Plusieurs acteurs du cinéma britannique. Un mélange d'émotions et une histoire qui  trouvera une place dans votre coeur. J'étais très émue par divers scènes, je vous laisse découvrir.

Qui l'a déjà vu et qu'en pensez-vous?

Le portrait de Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray est une adaptation du roman " the picture of Dorian Gray" par Oscar Wilde.
Dorian Gray s'installe dans sa nouvelle demeure, et fait la connaissance avec plusieurs
personnes, dont Henry qui influencera sa vie. Dorian possède un portrait de lui-même, réalisé par un ami.
Lorsque Dorian se lance dans les plaisirs et détruit son innocence pour laisser place à l'hypocrisie, son portrait change. Son visage demeure éternellement jeune mais il ne peut échapper l'horreur qui se reflète sur son portrait : sa véritable nature.

J'ai apprécié l'histoire et sa morale. En plus nous retrouvons de bons acteurs tel que Colin Firth ( gambit, king's speech, love actually, ...) qui joue le rôle d'Henry, celui qui fera basculer la vie de Dorian.
J'ai appris que cette histoire provient d'un roman d'Oscar Wilde. Je l'ai acheté récemment et je le lirai
une fois que j'aurai fini ce que j'ai commencé.

Si vous l'avez vu ou lu , qu'en pensez-vous?

Dracula

Aujourd'hui est l'anniversaire de Bram Stoker, le 165ème pour être précise. Il est l'auteur du roman Dracula. J'ai étudié ce film en cours d'audio-visuel. Etant fan des histoires de vampires, celui-ci est classé numéro 1. Bram Stoker a créé l'histoire de Dracula, c'est à dire de sa vie d'humain à sa transformation en créature des ténèbres. Avec Gary Oldman dans le rôle de Dracula, Anthony Hopkins dans le rôle de Van Hellsing, on peut déjà dire qu'il y a de bon acteurs dedans. L'histoire présente deux opinions différents. A vous de choisir.
Le vampire souhaite faire de Mina ( fiancée de Jonathan Harker ) sa femme, il parcourt l'océan pour s'emparer d'elle, laissant Jonathan, emprisonné dans son château. Cependant, Mina, tente de résister, étant déjà promise à un homme qu'elle aime. Mais le vampire possède des atouts qui bouleversent la jeune femme et lui font douter de sa personnalité.
Van Hellsing se présente, promettant de sauver la vie de ces femmes qui courent un grave danger face à cette créature de la nuit.
Je tiens à dire que j'ai été séduite par le personnage grâce au talent de Gary Oldman.

Entre une histoire d'amour passionnante et le danger d'une aventure dans le monde nocturne, ce film ne manquera pas de vous marquer.N'hésitez pas à partager vos avis!

The game is on!

Good evening everyone, I hope you're doing great.

Two weeks ago, I finally got to watch BBC Sherlock on the telly and I loved it. The actors' performance are marvelous. I began to develop interest in it when a friend spoke about it in her blog. When it broadcasted on Dutch TV, I was happy to watch it in english.
The serie is a modernized version, but yet loyal to the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), John Watson (Martin Freeman) and of course the detective's opponent, Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott).

In this series, Sherlock has kept his intriguing personality. His entire being is focused on cases. It would seem that it is the only way for the detective to go through his days, and worthy enough of being stored in his memory.
John Watson on the other hand, is a retired army doctor due to a bad experience during a war in Afghanistan. Despite failing sometimes to understand the sleuth's way of living, including his brilliant deductions and his clumsiness in social relationships, John knows to be present at the right time and to be the friend that Sherlock never had.

As for Jim Moriarty, his character is at the same time fascinating and frightening. His calm temper in expressing his brutal desires makes his dark side quite disturbing.

The writers did their truly best to respect Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work, while adjusting the characters to our time ( Sherlock and John have their own blog : The science of deduction & Dr.John Watson's blog ) , the excitement of never being entirely sure of the case's outcome (The great game, reichenbach fall and his last vow) with cliffhangers that keep up on the edge of our seat, and of course the touch of humour that allows us to breath through.

What I enjoyed a lot is the way the episodes were filmed. The audience has the chance to participate in solving the case and trying to connect each clue to create a pattern through the eyes of Sherlock.
The episodes are short films, not too long, not too short, with a great dose of excitement, cliffhangers, humour that will leave the audience in awe. A great job to Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss ( who also plays Sherlock's brother : Mycroft Holmes) for the outstanding achievement!
This is a great detective story and I believe one of the best since the granada series with Jeremy Brett and David Burk.

What is your opinion about the series?

Driving lessons with Ron weasley

Ce ne sont pas vraiment des leçons de conduite avec Ron Weasley mais plutôt un film avec le titre : driving lessons ( leçons de conduite ).

Après avoir partagé avec vous " The woman in black" avec Daniel Radcliffe, j'ai décidé de vous parler d'un film où nous retrouvons deux personnes de la saga Harry Potter Julie Walters ( misses Weasley) et Rupert Grint ( Ron Weasley ).

Ben, incarné par Rupert, est un jeune garçon, timide et amateur en poésie, qui cherche un travail ( ordre de sa mère ). C'est là qu'il rencontre Ivie, jouée par Julie Walters, ancienne actrice vivant seule, dans une maison assez désordonnée. Avec le temps, les deux personnages, malgré leur différence, deviendront de véritables amis.

Je me posais des question sur le sens du titre du film. Driving lessons signifie en fait des leçons sur la vie. Il fallait apprendre de la vie pour avancer, cette leçon aura aidé Ben et Ivie. J'ai apprécié le côté humouristique, chaleureux et morale de ce film. En un mot : agréable.

Qui l'a déjà vu ? Si non, c'est l'occasion de découvrir :)

Gladiator

Aujourd'hui, je vais parler du film Gladiator.

J'ai beaucoup apprécié l'histoire, le talent des acteurs, les paysages et la musique de Hans Zimmer.

Il s'agit d'un commandant de l'armée de César appelé Maximus, qui a perdu son statut, sa famille, à cause de la jalousie d'un homme qui ne devait pas succéder au trône. Réduit à l'esclavage, il affrontera les dangers jusqu'à ce que justice soit faite.

Je ne suis pas fan de scènes violentes, mais pour ce film, je me suis retenue. L'histoire est émouvante, intrigante, morale et une réussite à mes yeux.  Je peux toujours revoir ce film sans m'en lasser. Les dialogues sont enrichies, on parle de l'amour d'une famille, d'un père, de la cruauté de la guerre... La fin a été inattendue pour moi. Mais après réflexion, j'avais trouvé la raison. Je vous recommande ce film. Dites moi ce que vous en pensez.

Truly Madly Deeply

Bonsoir tout le monde, j'espère que vous allez bien.

Aujourd'hui, je vais vous parler d'un film anglais.

Il s'agit de Truly Madly Deeply.

Avec les acteurs principaux : Juliet Stevenson et Alan Rickman.

Etant fan d'Alan Rickman, j'ai décidé de le regarder. Il s'agit d'une histoire poignante qui n'a pas manqué de me faire verser quelques larmes.

Nina ( Juliet Stevenson ) est une femme qui ne sait plus quoi faire depuis le décès de son mari Jamie ( Alan Rickman ). Sa maison est désordonnée, infestée de rats, et renferme tout ses souvenirs avec Jamie. Jusqu'où jour, où à sa grande surprise, son mari revient d'entre les morts.

Ma review : Comme je l'avais mentionné, l'histoire est poignante. Juliet Stevenson a fait un très bon travail. Sa façon d'exprimer le chagrin d'une veuve est remarquable. Je pouvais ressentir cette douleur, sans oublier sa réaction lorsque Jamie réapparaît.
Et Alan Rickman... On va dire qu'il est difficile de rester de marbre. Jamie est un personnage fort attachant. On comprend pourquoi Nina avait des difficultés pour tourner la page.
A sa place, je me demande comment j'agirai. Certes, j'aurai des difficultés à m'en remettre. Et vous comment pensez-vous gérer ça?

Je finis avec une petite vidéo que j'ai réalisé à leur sujet. Dites moi ce que vous en pensez (^_^) à bientôt.

Chapter 27

Any Beatles fan among my readers?

Many have probably known that John Lennon had been killed by a fan outside his appartment in New York.
This event has been filmed and broadcasted with the title : Chapter 27.
The movie is narrated by none other than the killer himself, Mark Chapman.
It begins with his arrival in New York from Hawaii and his search for John Lennon's appartment and anything related to the Beatles.

Mark Chapman is a die hard John Lennon fan. The purpose of his travel was initially to have an autograph from his favourite artist.

I found the movie quite intriguing and during some scenes suffocating. Mark Chapman, played by Jared Leto from 30seconds to mars, had during some scenes a creepy look in his eyes. He seemed to be very calm, yet at some point, he gives you this odd feeling that he might snap suddenly and throw a tantrum.

Alongside Jared Leto was Lindsey Lohan who played a huge John Lennon fan, who was acompanied by a friend in the hope to meet the artist at his hotel appartment. During their wait, she met Mark Chapman with whom she had a few conversations during his stay.

The character appears to be a confused man, lost in a sea of thoughts and deeply ( if not sickly ) obsessed with a person, forgetting eventually that the man he worships so much is merely human. I believe that when it finally struck him, it triggered the huge frustration, jealousy and anger that had been building up inside him for such a long time.

The entire analysis, the characters' thoughts, the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes gave me goosebumps especially until the shocking moment when John Lennon was shot. It is sad that such tragedy occured, blood spilled for nothing.

I was impressed by Jared Leto's acting, I believe it was the first time I had seen him. His transition to Mark Chapman is almost shocking. Of course, the make up artists deserve an applause for getting as close as possible to the real person. In some shots, Jared and Mark almost looked like twins.

Although I enjoyed the movie, personally it is not something I would watch again to spend an afternoon with friends. In the end, I found it a sad story. Rest in peace John, he will be remembered as a peaceful man and artist.