Saturday, March 31, 2012

We Bought a Zoo

It is a comedy-drama film that was released on December , 2011 and reached the box office at about 103 million. The movie was directed by Cameron Crowe . After the death of his wife, a widowed father decides that his family needs a fresh start, so he and his two children move to the most unlikely place : a zoo.

Benjamin Mee (played by Matt Damon) and his two children , fourteen-year- old Dylan and seven- year- old Rosie have been having a hard time since a family member had passed. Benjamen's wife ( the children's mother) had died six months earlier. Since she passed Dylan has been acting out and has been expelled in addition to that there has been a lack of communication between him and his father.In order to receive a fresh start their father looks for new locations for them to live which he finds a suitable place that turns out to be a zoo. He purchases the large property which delights Rosie but causes Dylan to retreat to his artwork.

The zoo staff lead by the head zoo keeper, Kelly ( played by Scarlett Johansson ) help Benjamin with renovating the zoo and making it safe so that zoo can pass the inspection and open.
After all the spending Benjamin puts into the zoo , he soon sinks into deep financial trouble which turns the staff against him. Later on he is saved by his wife because she left him an investment account and his staff regains trust in him. Dylan has regained the trust in his father and they started to talk again. A week before the zoo's opening day a great storm rainstorm strikes (worst rainstorm in one hundred years and may last weeks) . There was a clear,sunny sky on the opening day of the zoo but later on they were disappointed because no one arrived. They later realized that a tree had fell during the storm and has blocked the road. They help the people to pass and the zoo tickets were all sold out.

Later on Benjamin takes his children were he met their mother and told them their story and the children feel that their mother is there.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Tragedy of Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a Shakespearean play that takes place in medieval Scotland. The play begins with a brief encounter that includes witches and then to a military camp where the Scottish King Duncan hears that Macbeth and Banquo have defeated the armies of Norway and Ireland. During crossing a moor,Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches. The three witches have a prophecy that Macbeth will receive a higher rank(Thane of Cawdor) of nobility and will eventually be the king but his companion,Banquo won't be king although his descendants will.

After the witches leave, the two men become skeptical about the prophecies until the king's men come to inform Macbeth that he's become the new Thane of Cawdor since the previous one has been condemned to death due to his treason. They start to believe the witches since the first part of the prophecy has come true. Macbeth visits King Duncan and they plan to dine together. Macbeth write to his wife about all the previous events. Lady Macbeth is certain that her husband must be King and tries to persuade him to murder the king when he arrives at Iverness. Macbeth objects at first but later he's persuaded and plan to get the guards drunk and kill the king then put the blame on the guards since they won't be able to remember the events that occurred. Macbeth kills King Duncan while he is asleep and since everyone thinks the guards killed him, Macbeth murdered them out of wrath . The King's children flee for their life since they're terrified that whoever killed their father will murder them as well.Since King Duncan is dead, Macbeth seizes kingship.

Macbeth becomes paranoid that his companion's descendants will become kings so he sends a group of men to kill Banquo and his son Fleance . Banquo gets murdered although Fleance flees. Macbeth becomes angry since Fleance is one of Banquo's descendants and may seize power and become king. During a feast Banquo's ghost visits Macbeth and he acts fearfully so he startles his guests and Lady Macbeth tries to keep natural. He leaves to go to the witches and receives more prophecies that make him feel more empowered and secure. When the witches tell him to beware from Macduff who fled to England, he kills his wife and children and takes his castle.
Macduff in England wants revenge for his family and Duncan's son , Prince Malcom has started an army in which Macduff joined and Scottish nobles sided with. Since they were all afraid of his homicidal behavior. Lady Macbeth commits suicide since she started sleepwalking and imagining blood stains in her hands. He comes pessimistic after he hears the news of her suicide and since the witches say he is invincible, he becomes more confident because no man born from a woman can kill him. Macbeth fights violently but they surround his castle in which Macduff encounters Macbeth and tells him he was “ untimely ripped ” from his mother’s womb ( in other words,it's medical term is birth by cesarean section ) . They fight but Macduff wins and Malcolm becomes the King of Scotland.