Movies watched recently 6

New York Stories: These three stories are very different in all aspects, and they make an interesting puzzle. Martin Scorsese's segment is perfectly directed and excels at portraying obsessions; the acting here is also very good, and the relationships between characters are affecting. Coppola's part lacks in content what it has in style: the story and acting are pleasant, I really don't care for the direction, but the visuals are arresting. The last story, Woody Allen's is simply hilarious. The acting is very good, the story is absurd, filled with clever lines and interesting characters. This is worth watching.

La Messa È Finita: This movie lacks the joy, humanity, and positive feeling of other Nanni Moretti films. I found it boring and the leading character annoyed me, but as a social portrait it's good. The story is too sketchy and I didn't find it gripping but some if the secondary dramas are interesting. The acting was good, all the actors were believable. The direction adopted a gritty, very fitting style, it was probably the best thing in the movie. Technically, this is decent and the soundtrack is good.
Les Quatre Cents Coups: This is an unique movie about growing up misunderstood. It is subtle, poetic and beautifully told. It feels honest and realistic: the screenplay is very simple but thoughtful and with strong characters and true emotions. The direction is breath-taking, with amazing shots that convey a lot of thoughts and feelings. The acting is brilliant: Jean-Pierre Léaud is incredibly natural and poignant and all the supporting cast is perfectly chosen. The simple, fluid editing fits and pulls you in, the touching soundtrack makes you relate to the characters and the cinematography is simply amazing.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: This movie is worse than the book, as expected, and I didn't like all of it. The screenplay follows the main lines of the book, even if it doesn't live up to its potential. The acting is very good:Imelda Staunton delivers the best performance yet in a Harry Potter movie, being deliciously malicious and wholly capturing her character. She eclipsed everyone else every time she was on screen. Evanna Lynch, Helena Bonham Carter and Matthew Lewis also capture their characters well, which was quite difficult. Rupert Grint keeps the same awkward charm of always, and Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson's acting is getting better. The direction has some great moments, such as the beginning, but it gets worse and the ending has way too much CGI and not enough magic. The art direction, is, as usual, gorgeous and the cinematography is very good.The pace is fast, and the editing is pretentious. This is just for Potterheads like me.

Shrek the Third: This is probably the worst of the Shrek movies, though it's still funny and very watchable. The biggest problem is that the story should have been simpler. Other problem is that the jokes are getting repetitive. Even so, the animation and voice work is good, and most of the jokes work. This means it's enjoyable and quite fun to watch.

New York Stories

Books read recently 2

The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin: This is an enjoyable summer read. It's not too sugar-coated, the plot is simple but with substance, the characters are believable and the writing is straight to the point. The leading character is sympathetic and her struggles feel true, the kid she takes care of is realistic and Mrs. Ex is enkoyably mean. The mesage is positive and it's really upbeat. Even so, sometimes the story drags and gets repetitive and the writing can feel like a telegram.


Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre: I really didn't like this book: to say the truth, it annoyed me a lot. The leading character is stupid and doesn't seem to have feelings, so his writing style is really irritating. The story was silly and not subtle at all. The turns of the story felt forced and the supporting characters didn't have dimension. It's boring and disinteresting.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson: This is a delightful memoir that's huge fun. Bryson's writing style is addictive: he has a great sense of humor, he transmits the feeling of being a kid while describing America precisely. There are many funny scenes and it's easy to relate to the characters, so this is never boring. I really recommend it, it's a treat!

Skin and Other Stories by Roald Dahl: This book has some brilliant stories, with remarkable twists, dark humor and hilarious characters: these are chilling and terrifically enjoyable. Other stories are unremarkable, but still quite nice reads with interesting concepts and ideas. One or two stories aren't good, frankly: they aren't any fun to read and the story is messy. There isn't a connection between stories. If you get a chance, pick this up, but it's not Roald Dahl's best.


The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: This is a unique, incredibly original love story that's profoundly touching. The science fiction concept is easy to follow but it makes you think and creates a lot of suspense; you really care for the characters and understand them. Their development feels real and all the situations they face are well-described, even if sometimes they could have been more developed. The plot has a lot of heartbreaking moments and the ending is very poignant. The writing is simple but effective, and both voices used are distinctive and beautiful, as they change and develop. A very good read.