The regional lockdown was lifted the day before our class, and so we were spoilt in being able to meet for our August class. BUT with the four-day lockdown leading up to this time, not many were able to see “From the Vine”, the film we had selected to discuss at the class. So, each class member was invited to talk about a film they had seen recently, or a favourite film, or perhaps a film they had not liked. This meant we had a wide range of films to share.
The following are the films that some of the class members talked about:
Dream Horse: A family drama based on a true story. There were moments of comedy with some good performances and cinematography. While formulaic, it was a very watchable film, with those who had seen it rating it as 3-4/5. If you have a chance to see it, do not rush off before the end credits.
From the Vine: A drama, with touches of humour. There was good development of characters. It was set in Italy and had some great cinematography showing the Italian countryside. There was some historical scenes and some animation which may not appeal to all, but which in retrospect were used for a purpose. Rated between 3.5 and 4.5/5.
Man in a Hat: basically a comedy, but elements of a travelogue. There was no dialogue, with only an occasional word or grunt. Good usage of facial expression, cinematography and music created the story.
The Wipers Times: A comedy drama based on the true story of a satirical newspaper published on the front lines of World War One. Generally good performances though there were some overdone stereotypes. The cinematography did a good job representing the front line though at times it was rather dim and dark and hard to see1 what was going on. Rated as 4/5.
The Bookshop: An excellent – exquisite – film.
A Quiet Place Pt 2: This is a horror film. It provides a precis of the first film in the series, but from a different perspective. The music helped build the tension. It was watchable, with quality actors and rated as 3/5.
Little Women (recent remake): Those who had seen this new version were not impressed and would not recommend it for viewing.
Looking at the upcoming films, there were a two that some class members were interested in seeing, but which one or more members of the class had seen. As there were some screenings of “From the Vine” later in the week, and “Dream Horse” was again screening later in August, we decided that we would each watch one or both for discussion at our next class on 8 September.
Joy Shirley
The following are the films that some of the class members talked about:
Dream Horse: A family drama based on a true story. There were moments of comedy with some good performances and cinematography. While formulaic, it was a very watchable film, with those who had seen it rating it as 3-4/5. If you have a chance to see it, do not rush off before the end credits.
From the Vine: A drama, with touches of humour. There was good development of characters. It was set in Italy and had some great cinematography showing the Italian countryside. There was some historical scenes and some animation which may not appeal to all, but which in retrospect were used for a purpose. Rated between 3.5 and 4.5/5.
Man in a Hat: basically a comedy, but elements of a travelogue. There was no dialogue, with only an occasional word or grunt. Good usage of facial expression, cinematography and music created the story.
The Wipers Times: A comedy drama based on the true story of a satirical newspaper published on the front lines of World War One. Generally good performances though there were some overdone stereotypes. The cinematography did a good job representing the front line though at times it was rather dim and dark and hard to see1 what was going on. Rated as 4/5.
The Bookshop: An excellent – exquisite – film.
A Quiet Place Pt 2: This is a horror film. It provides a precis of the first film in the series, but from a different perspective. The music helped build the tension. It was watchable, with quality actors and rated as 3/5.
Little Women (recent remake): Those who had seen this new version were not impressed and would not recommend it for viewing.
Looking at the upcoming films, there were a two that some class members were interested in seeing, but which one or more members of the class had seen. As there were some screenings of “From the Vine” later in the week, and “Dream Horse” was again screening later in August, we decided that we would each watch one or both for discussion at our next class on 8 September.
Joy Shirley
