Graduation movies
This month, I (finally) graduated from the two different acting programmes I have been following since I moved to LA.
The very much beloved Taylor Acting Studio, where Alex Taylor taught me and my class the Meisner technique for two years, sharing his passion, discipline and love and making us shed blood, sweat and tears towards our ultimate victory!...
...and UCLA, which has been an incredible opportunity to bring my craft in front of the camera and learn from the wisdom of my fantastic teachers Elizabeth, Katie, Megan, Lainie, Scott and Tim!
In loving memory of a year that didn't allow me to ever have a proper dinner (thank you 7-10PM schedule), I wrote an article honoring my favorite student-related films of all times - making you travel to Spain, England, India and France! Have fun!
L’Auberge Espagnole aka The Spanish Apartment aka The Pot Luck
How can a single movie hold so many names, you’ll ask?
Well, L’Auberge Espagnole is probably the most international film I’ve ever seen, and it looks like it received a different affectionate title in every country it traveled… So, what’s the deal about it? The story follows Xavier, a mediocre French post-teen looking for the best shortcut towards graduation. He ends up enrolling into the European exchange programme Erasmus and spends a year in Spain’s party capital, Barcelona, with a bunch of other wacky Europeans. There, he learns to drop his prejudices, love life and find who he truly is.
Drop the tissues: this is a hilarious comedy! And yet, so much more: every day, I ask myself if movies truly have the power to change people, and this is solid proof they do. After the film release, Erasmus registrations doubled and, considering the fact that over a million babies come from Erasmus couples, there is little doubt that Cedric Klapisch, the film director, directly affected a few lives.
So here’s another movie idea to bring us together: The Mexican Apartment, featuring a house with NO WALLS!
Three Idiots
This week, French teachers were forced to provide fake grades at the national baccalaureat exam since the administration had lot the items… When refusing to do so, they were threatened to lose paid work days… Talk about being an example for the younger generations!
So yes, we don’t really believe in authority figures anymore, and Three Idiots masters this topic. In this Bollywood movie (and whoever has this prejudiced idea that Bollywood is crap, please show your face and get ready for a highly heated debate!), we follow Rancho, a genius student, and his two best friends as they navigate the strict Indian engineering system. Although Rancho tops all grades, he’s always ready to prove his teachers wrong and make them face the contradictions of the university system. After all, is life about ranking or about sharing?
Heartwarming and funny, this epic film (considered the best Bollywood film by many) might restore your trust in life. Show it to your children and let them trust themselves a little more - it will pay off!
FLet’s Get Those English Girls
If you just failed your final high school exams and were sent to an obscure tiny town in England instead of Saint Tropez, how would you make the most of it?
For Alain and Jean-Pierre, the answer is simple: remind yourself of the very progressive reputation held by British girls and try to “crack” (ie. bang…).
This classic 1978 French film makes fun of French cliches as much as British ones, and always brings me back to this nostalgia of high school, playa and flirts. In our Tinder/Bumble/Hinge days, maybe we need a little bit of fun IRL one-on-one failures and fun!
ON THAT NOTE, I WISH YOU A SUMMER OF ROMANCE AND HAPPINESS!