X-Men: First Class / X-Men : Le Commencement

X-Men: The Beginning

When this film came out, I got all excited because of James McAvoy, who looked like he was doing his first decent role in a while (No more of that "Wanted" nonsense, please James); Michael Fassbender, whom I really really liked recently in Jane Eyre and A Dangerous Method; and Rose Byrne, who is just great.

I really liked this film. Not only because of the actors, but I found it to be the right blend of action, chit-chat and good funny lines. 

X-Men: First Class, is basically about Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr and Raven before they become Professor X, Magneto and Mystique, and about how the X-Men started. 

I guess the First Class is just a reference to how Xavier teaches his first group of mutants and also a play on word on how they are top notch. Yeah, first class :P

So obviously the joke is lost when translated to “le commencement”, or “the beginning”. 

I don’t deny that it is an accurate description of the events, but why bother changing when it’s a straight translation to “première classe” in French, and when it also means top notch? (Well, if you discount “Première classe” hotels which are cheap and cheerful and cheap) I have no idea!

Mind, France is not the only country that went with the beginnings - Portugal (X-Men: O Início) and Italy (X-Men: L' inizio) chose this theme too. Other countries went for a first generation theme, Argentina and Colombia(X-Men: Primera Generación) or Serbia and Croatia (X-Men: Prva generacija).

Special mention to Brazil (X-Men: Primeira Classe), the Czech Republic ( X-Men: První trída), Quebec (X-Men: Première classe), Lithuania (Iksmenai: pirma klase) and Poland (X-Men: Pierwsza klasa) for getting it spot on!

News Round-up 26 May 2012

The News Round-up is sort of back again. I am finding it increasingly difficult to find anything interesting these days, it seems. Well, it’s Cannes this and Cannes that - so mainly boooring.

- Lovefilm ran a poll about Brad Pitt’s haircuts. Read Stuart Heritage’s hilarious take on the story.

- India annoyed with its representation in Hollywood films. Welcome to the club, India. I get annoyed nearly every time some American film pictures France.

- Morgan Freeman is cool.

- Food as a new dimension in cinema? Is this suitable for vegetarians?

- Staines changed its name to escape the stigma left by Ali G

- Something about Carrie, by Stephen King - Carrie the film is one I like.

- The loveliest word in the English language?

- The story of the man who wanted to make films but ended up in the video game industry. Part 1 and part 2.

Ideas, Ideas...

Conversation at lunch today with my (smoker of a) workmate about a last minute meeting we both had to attend:

“Is there a chance this meeting will over-run?

- Why, are you afraid you’d have to wait too long to smoke?

- Yes. I wake up every morning and check the news to see if there is still tobacco on earth.

- Wouldn’t it be great if they did a film where suddenly all the tobacco on the planet disappeared, and all the smokers became sort of murderous?

- A bit like zombies?

- Yeah, a little bit. 

- No. No, it wouldn’t!”

Some ideas are just too painful to contemplate, I guess, but I am convinced it would make an awesome film.

News Round-up (of sorts) 1 May 2012

Today, I feel slightly gutted because if I lived anywhere else in Europe, I'd get the day off!
The lack of posting these past 2 weeks means my news are a bit old, but still interesting...

- Mel Gibson is still a lovely lad himself.
- 5 things you might have learnt from watching Hitchcock's films
- SF and art should be friends.
- Where the word Troll comes from
- Crowdfunding for indie films?
- American Psycho could be a musical? No, it couldn... Oh?
- The Hobbit looks too much like real life?
- What to watch this summer? Answer here.
- Mockbusters, the best thing since...
- And I nearly forgot the rise of the zomcom

Happy Election Day! - part 1

In case you didn't know, today is the first day of the 2 round French presidential election.
First round today, between 10 candidates, and the second round in 2 weeks between 2. 
It's like a death match, but better.
There's a little blurb on wiki if you'd like to know more. Or on the BBC website.
Aux urnes, citoyens!

The Lincoln lawyer / La Défense Lincoln

The Lincoln defence

When I said to one of my friends that I’d just watched The Lincoln Lawyer and really liked it, he blurted something that was a bit like “But... But... There’s Matthew Whatshisface in it!”.

Matthew McConaughey. And I never thought I would say that he was actually good in the role. Like I never thought I’d praise Chris Evans (Twice, actually, in Scott Pilgrim and in The Losers).

Following summary courtesy of wiki (sorta):

“Moderately successful criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller (Matthew Whatshisface) operates around Los Angeles County out of a Lincoln Town Car driven by a former client working off his legal fees. While most clients are drug dealers and gangsters, the story focuses on an unusually important case of wealthy Los Angeles realtor Louis Roulet (Ryan Philippe) accused of assault and attempted murder.” He appears to be set up by the female victim.  (and no more because of massive spoilers)

So the novel and film are called the Lincoln Lawyer because the Lawyer works from the back of a Lincoln car. The car even is on the film poster. 

I don’t get the French title. I googled it to see if I was missing anything - you know, a special chess move or something, but I don’t think I am.

There are a lot of references to Abe Lincoln, but nothing more than that.

So I am still trying to make sense of it. The fact that the book title was translated as La Défense Lincoln too by a professional translator (you know, people who translate books for a living?) is quite worrying.

My suggested title? “L’Avocat en Lincoln”. I know it’s not the best title ever but at least it’s true to the original.