Culture in the English-speaking world

The Dark Knight Rises is the third and the last part of director Christopher Nolan’s Batman-trilogy. Other parts of the trilogy are Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight Rises has released in 2012. Leading actors of a film are Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Batman), Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (Catwoman) and Tom Hardy as Batman’s enemy, Bane. Also Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Morgan Freeman are playing important roles. Genre is action, and age limit is over 12 years. Duration of the film is 165 minutes. In my opinion, the movie is a little bit too long, but still it isn’t boring at all.

So that you can understand the plot, it is worth for you to watch The Dark Knight before watching The Dark Knight Rises. Bruce Wayne has went into seclusion and Batman doesn’t exist anymore. The setting is familiar Gotham City, which is going to be destroyed by Bane and his plans. Batman has to return and save the city and people of it. Police force and people of Gotham City don’t stand up for Batman’s return because they blame Batman about district attorney Harvey Dent’s death. Either Bruce Wayne’s headwaiter Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) doesn’t want Batman to return. Selina Kyle is teasing Bruce Wayne by stealing Bruce’s late mother’s necklace and Bruce’s fingerprints, but when the city is about to destroy Selina is a lifesaver for the city and Batman. Other helpers are chief constable James Gordon (Gary Oldman), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and police officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). I have watched the movie four times, and still at the fourth time there was things I understood newly now. The plot twist is really surprising and good and I like how the movie ends.

Colors of the movie are really dark and grey. The sun doesn’t shine, it’s only rainy or snowy. Still, the sunshine doesn’t maybe fit in to the movie like this. The music is just effects that with heighten the scenes. As usual in action films The Dark Knight Rises includes battle scenes. I think those battle scenes are executed successfully. They aren’t overly unclear like fighting scenes often are and they got awesome choreography.

The Dark Knight Rises had negative fame when 12 people died and 60 get hurt in shooting in Denver, where 24 years old man opened fire at premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. Because of the shooting, the movie’s internet advertising campaign interrupted in Finland. The motive of shooting is unknown, so it maybe hasn’t contact with the movie.

I would recommend the movie to everyone who likes the good plot twists and action films with happy endings. I also like this film because it includes pieces which spectator must click together in order to understand the plot. I also recommend to watch Batman Begins and The Dark Knight before watching The Dark Knight Rises.

The movie ’’Now you see me’’(Suuri puhallus) is an american thriller and it was released in 2013. Film was directed by Louis Leterrier and he is known for his international movies such as ’’The incredible Hulk’’. The movie is stared by four magicians, Woody Harrelson (Merrit), Isla Fisher (Henley), Jesse Eisenberg (Daniel) and Dave Franco (Jack). Mark Ruffalo (Dylan) and Melanie Laurent (Alma) are the agents who investigate the case. Morgan Freeman (Thaddeus) is the agents help and Michael Caine (Arthur) is the magicians manager. In my opinion the characters were picked up with care. For instance magicians are a bit weird and mysterious and in the movie those traits did came up.

The movie tells about illusionists, magicians, who rob corrupted banks during their shows and steal money from multimillionaires. After that they donate the money to the audience. The magicians don’t know why they are told to do all that, they just follow the instructions from the magical ’’Eye’’.

It all starts when four amateur magicians are invited to a certain place at a certain time. Only a year later they are known as ’’the Four horsemen’’ and they amaze the audience doing unbelievable tricks or what the FBI-agents who are chasing them would say, crimes. Their first mind-blowing task is to rob a bank in Paris while they are in Las Vegas. Morgan Freeman who plays Thaddeus tries to help the agents to expose them and reveal the secret: what they do and how they do it. The great part is that the illusionists seem to be one step ahead of them all the time and yet they have bigger surprises coming.

The film moves forward quickly but it is not hard for the viewers to keep up with the speed. The effects used in the movie create grandiosity. Money is flying from the sky and bright lights are flashing and dashing everywhere and the music suites the movie perfectly. All the effects create a certain state of mind and atmosphere. It almost feels like you are there yourself, watching the show with all the amazing magic in it.

It’s up to the viewers on the other side of the screen to decide whether it is really magic or just very skilled cheating. It certainly feels like magic because those kind of things don’t happen in real life. All of the tricks were revealed in the movie and after that  it was funny to see how wrong you can be when you are thinking about how the trick was made. The sentence which is repeated very often in the movie ’’the more you think you see the easier it will be to fool you’’ really proved itself right. Everything is not necessarily happening under your nose.

You would think that it made the movie poor when you saw how the tricks were made but i think it only made it more fascinating. When watching it feels so overwhelming that all you can think about is how it was executed. Your brain is on fire about all the wondering and it only feels good to finally know the truth.

The conclusion of the movie was a bit unexpected when you found out who the ’’Eye’’ was. When I watched the movie for the first time it did not really come open but after watching it for the second time it all came clear to me. Overall this movie was worth watching and it became one of my favorites so far.

Wild Child is a hilarious comedy starring Emma Roberts, Alex Pettyfer and Aidan Quinn. It was released in 2008 and directed by Nick Moore.

The film is about a spoiled teen girl Poppy Moore (Emma Roberts), who lives with her father (Aidan Quinn) and her little sister Molly (Lexi Ainsworth) in Malibu, California. Girls’ mom has died while Poppy was only 11. That’s why Poppy has a lot of troubles to get used to her dad’s new girlfriend. And at the start of the movie she totally ruins the girlfriend’s moving day to their house. That is too much to his father, who decides to send Poppy to an English boarding school to straighten her out. At first Poppy hates the boarding school, and she is willing to do anything to get herself out of it. But while she and her new friends are trying to get Poppy out of the school, she might at the same time get many reasons to stay. Among others a headmistress’ son Freddie (Alex Pettyfer).

Characters of the movie are interesting and It’s funny and entertaining to watch Emma Robert’s character Poppy grow and change to a better person and also learn how to let her mother go. The movie has also its own charmer who’ll take the teenager girls attention. Alex Pettyfer with his golden hair and delicious lips is a perfect British charmer.

The atmosphere during the whole movie is fun and happy and the soundtrack had really succeed. As a teenage girl i could easily identify with the main character Poppy. And I think the soundtrack and the good actors and actresses made it possible. The soundtrack was outright lively pop, which was right to this movie.

I would recommend this movie to a person who needs something to cheer him or her up. Maybe It’s a girls’ movie more but why not guys’ also? It’s a basic comedy movie; cheerful and easy to follow even though doing something else at the same time. You still won’t lose the main point. And It’s to remember enjoy your life’s’ each day like It’s the last one. It’s definitely worth watching.

Director Dome Karukoski’s and screenwriter Aleksi Bardy’s ”Heart of a lion” (Leijonasydän) is a Finnish movie, starring Peter Franzen, Yusufa Sidibeh and Laura Birn. The film have premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2013.

It tells about neo-Nazi Teppo who falls in love with a woman called Sari. Sari has a dark-skinned son Rhamadhan which is hard for Teppo and his Nazi group to accept.

Heart of a lion is a touching because it discusses themes of love and racism. The domestic film is also humorous, entertaining and evokes interest in the Finnish culture. For someone the movie might have too much violence and racism me for example. However, I could watch the movie again because awkward moments are easy to identify!

Karukoski’s directing style is excellent and he used actors who are sure of their actions. Especially unforgettable is Yusufa Sidbeh’s role Rhamu-boy who is the youngest one but still manages well. The Nazi group is convincing in an amazing way and will probably make people think that there is also similar action in Finland nowadays.

Heart of a lion is the best Finnish movie that I have seen, even it evoked more negative than positive thinks at first. The movie talk well about racism, without appraising anybody. That is a great attribute in a film director, and acts as a springboard to make Finnish films further better than before. I give number 9 for this movie and I can recommend for everyone to watch it, of course you have to notice the age limit ;D

Psycho is well-known horror movie. It is directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who is called ´master of horror movies´. And for a good reason! Personally I love all his works, but Psycho was the first one I saw. That is why I found watching the movie memorable and shocking experience. Alfred Hitchcock’s movies have complicated and surprising storyline, and Psycho´s storyline was really one of a kind. It led to a huge popularity and developed a brand new paradigm towards modern thrillers.

Psycho was a different movie compared to modern films I usually watch. It is made in 1960, but it´s black and white movie, which give it certain “thrill tone”. Psycho was a low budget film, without colors or fancy technology and effects. Some scenes were bit poor and unrealistic. But what was so addictive then? The sounds! Not only great violin music which gave me ridges of backbone, but the silence part too. They were on perfect places creating distressing suspense and when you least expect it: BOOM! Fast, intense violin music creating panic.  I am sure Psycho has the best sound effects ever made.

Movie was predictable, except dénouement. And that’s why the end of film was so startling. Women embezzle money from her employer. She, Marion, runaways but stops for motel thinking about the crime she had made. Marion is murdered by old lady, while she is in shower. (This is most knowable scene in Psycho.) Step by step it clears up, that the old lady is mother of motels owner. Norman, the owner of motel, gets rid of the body and the car. Marion’s lover, Sammy, and sister, Lila, start to solve what really happened to missing Marion. At the same time private investigator is figuring out, where the money went. Clues take them in dangerous and odd adventure, that none of them were prepared.

Actor/actress performance was typical. Beautiful women and breath taking handsome, charismatic men. Best presentation is made by Norman aka Anthony Perkins. Norman is shy and little psychotic, just like the name of movie says. It must have been hard to act that role. But he nailed it! Generally, great job from all actors.

I suggest this movie for everybody! It keeps you on your tiptoes from beginning to the last minutes. Forget Michael Jackson, this is Thriller.

Santa Claus and the Magic drum is an animation which is based on a same named book by Mauri Kunnas. The movie was released in 1996.

Main characters in the movie are Santa Claus, two elves Noora and Ville and 50- year-old shaman named Vekara. Also master elves, villagers and Grandma play major parts in the movie. Characters are simple and likeable which fits great in a children movie. Characters use humor that bites to the children and is entertaining also to the older people. Villagers looks are all like from the same mold:  Large features, big round eyes and warm essence.

In the movie Santa Claus gets a letter from a boy called Vekara. The letter is hard to interpret so Santa decides to ask help from master elves: What does Vekara want for christmas? Every master elf makes a different interpretation:  so is it a stuffed animal? Toy car? Or something else? At the same time in the village strange things are happening. Santa seems accident proneness and everytime something bad happens villagers can hear muffled drumming.  The Guilty one for the drumming is 50-year-old shaman, Vekara. And he is also the one who had sent the letter. What is the big wish that didn’t come true and makes him still feel angry after fifty years?

Movie’s genre is children’s animation movie. It’s light, joyful, little bit exciting and quite short, about fifty minutes. Plot is simple and movie has (of course) a happy ending.

Movie’s theme music is a song named ”Joulupukin töissä”. Its presenter is J. Karjalainen who is one of the most respected and long-term musicians in Finland. I think this song connects the whole movie’s feeling, it is racy, fun and joyful.

To me this movie is ”the thing” that create christmas mood, so I can’t help liking it. It is movie that i would recommend to everyone.