Paris 36

I just watched a film which I can describe as nothing less than spectacular.

The film was Paris 36, or Faubourg 36, as it was entitled in French. It was the story of a musical theater in the 1930's. Fascism and anti-Semitism are running rampant, strikes are happening all over France, and the theater gets caught up in the whole mess of things and is forced to close. A singing sensation, a comedian called Jacky Jacquet, and a lot of determined unemployed men try to save the theater and find happiness again.

All in all this was a typical, somewhat-predictable, mostly musical movie that some people groan at and other people love. I happen to be one of the latter kinds of people, so I thought this was great. Highly recommend it, no complaints!

4.5 de 5 étoiles

Entre les murs

New film review:

The Class ("Entre les murs" en français)

I watched this film in French without any subtitles. For that reason, I was extremely grateful for the typical teacher-inspiration storyline. Even without comprehending all the dialog, I was able to get the gist of the film (teacher in poor, urban district inspires students). The main character was a really good teacher, so not only was I watching the film for French comprehension, but I was getting teacher tips from it as well! Also, I liked the fact that this guy was playing the role of a French teacher, so I was benefitting from his grammar lessons as well.

4 de 5 étoiles

Seducing Doctor Lewis:

I watched this in Québec with Eva and Emily and loved it. This time, it was with English rather than French subtitles, but still a great film!

4.5 de 5 étoiles

On another note...

Applying to ethnomusicology grad programs is proving to be more difficult than I imagined. Most schools only want applicants who have done fieldwork in ethnomusicology, therefore I'm at a loss. BUT never fear, crazy ideas are here!

Fact: The current economy makes it difficult to find a job (especially when you're looking for a music teaching position!).

Solution: Look somewhere else!

The Plan: My study abroad advisor just told me about Fulbright Scholarships, which can be used to fund research and work efforts in foreign countries. So...there are lots and lots of volunteer teaching opportunities in other countries, and most are happy to take on music teachers. The guy who teaches Fine Arts at my summer camp actually spent time teaching art in Africa through one such program, so why can't I do the same? Teaching abroad would not only get my foot in the door for teaching, but also allow me to do fieldwork that could possibly help me get into an ethnomusicology program in the future, and once again gives me a good reason to travel. Too good to be true? Maybe.

More research to come...

Les films

I've watched quite a few French films recently, so I figured it was time to update my blog:

La cage aux folles

This was a ridiculous film. It was the story of a gay guy who owned a theater, and his parter was the star. It gets crazy when his son (from a previous marriage) is getting married, and his fiancé's parents want to meet his parents. It was alright, but I was hoping it would be funnier, since it was supposed to be a highly acclaimed comedy. It was also very difficult to catch all the words, since they spoke extremely vite (fast). 2.5 de 5 étoiles.

The flower of evil

This was a bit of a disappointment. I thought this would be a mystery, but it turned out to be the story of a family with a history of hooking up with each other. It ended strangely, but I won't spoil it in case you feel like seeing for yourself. 1.5 de 5 étoiles.

Le Samourï

This wasn't bad. Made in the sixties, it was the story of a good-looking hitman named Jef. The film was slow-moving, with little dialog and lots of watching Jef walk around doing little tasks throughout his day. Like most French films seem to do, this ended somewhat abruptly, leaving viewers to figure out the rationale tout seoul (on their own). The story wasn't bad, I was able to understand some of the dialog, and there was jazz music, so I give this 3.5 de 5 étoiles.

Man on the train

Best one yet! This was actually a good movie I would like to watch again, maybe without subtitles. It was the story of a gunman who comes to a small town to rob a bank. He meets a retired professor who offers to let him stay at his house. As they learn about each other, they find new meaning in life, and everything is tied up fairly well at the end. The characters were great, and I enjoyed the whole movie. 4 de 5 étoiles.