Once again, it’s that time when the blockbusters grace our screens.
Undoubtedly, the highest earner will be the final installment of the Harry Potter series. The Deathly Hallows part one grossed over a billion dollars at the box office, with part two expected to exceed that figure.
There seems to be a deficit of screenwriting brilliance in the new releases, though a few exceptions exist.
Most new releases feature a “two” in the title. Hangover 2 offers some laughs and successfully continues the trend set by Hangover 1. Pirates of the Caribbean part 75 is enjoyable mainly due to its female lead, Penelope Cruz—an actress who can really be described as a Cruz missile, a true bombshell. She delivers a commendable performance, although she could enhance her English skills, though it’s unlikely many would notice.
In our senior schools, courses on sex education are being conducted. The goal is to better equip our teenagers to become responsible adults and, ideally, better parents, husbands, and wives. Additionally, a new film should be screened in all schools to enhance teenagers’ understanding of history and the involvement of their parents and grandparents in past wars.
This film would enable a new generation to comprehend the evil present in some disturbingly crazy leaders. (Is this still relevant today?) It would also shed light on the necessity for our parents to fulfill their duties and strive to save the world.
The film is titled The Round Up, and I strongly encourage everyone to make it a must-see film for 2011. It may not be suitable for children, but those over sixteen will be undeniably shocked.
In advance of next year’s Oscars, many films featuring parts two, three, or even more will likely be released. Perhaps we’ll see titles like True Grit no trois, Brokeback Mountain part Deux, Rocky 76, The Terminator part sex, or The Fokkers… well, maybe not again. And what about Lawrence of Saudi Arabia and Bridge on the River Tyne?
Recent polls indicate Errol Flynn as the best screen actor and Marge Simpson as the best screen actress. We can only hope that the Oscar goes to those who truly deserve it on screen. Many accomplished actors never received one… nowadays it seems that the fewer films you appear in, the more likely you are to win an Oscar. For instance, Jennifer Hudson—can you name at least three other Oscar winners who featured in fewer than three films prior to winning?
Actors once possessed distinctive voices and articulate speech. Today, however, modern actors seem to belong to what can only be called the whispering majority; you could name at least ten leading actors who wouldn’t be audible beyond the third row of the stalls.
The surge of reality shows is largely responsible for the decline in standards; where are the stars and entertainers who once dominated our screens?
And please don’t suggest television… I need a drink… and a lie down…
The next review should be ready just in time for the film previews of 2011.
Here’s a trick question: which film won the top prize at Cannes this year? And secondly, will anyone actually go to see it?
See ya
by Helena Bryanlith
