©CINE DOPE
Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you enjoy watching musicals? Why or why not?
- What musicals are famous in your country?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- complex /KOM-pleks/
- trope /trohp/
- vast /vahst/
- melodrama /MEL-uh-dram-uh/
- engaging /en-GEY-jing/
[adjective] – not easy to deal with or understand
The siblings have had a complex relationship.
[noun] – something such as an idea, phrase, or image that is often used in a particular artist’s work, in a particular type of art, etc.
Robots are a trope in science-fiction movies or novels.
[adjective] – extremely big
Alma was the sole heir of their vast estate.
[noun] – a story, play, or film in which the characters show stronger emotions than real people usually do
She doesn’t like melodrama. She prefers to watch horror films.
[adjective] – pleasant, attractive, and charming
How was the new TV show? Was it engaging?
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
We all enjoy a good film, and this year’s Cannes Film Festival’s opening-night movie does not disappoint, though it was a bit strange. It was a rock opera directed by Leos Carax, and the first hour of the movie shows the complex relationship between two actors, focusing on their contrasting careers. It can be comparable to the “Beauty and the Beast” trope, but things get more bizarre as the story goes on.
Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) is a grumpy comedian who loves to wear a dressing gown and slippers in his stand-up show, The Ape of God. His girlfriend, Ann (Marion Cotillard), is an opera singer who’s “too good for him.” Despite their vast differences, the two marry and have a child, Annette. But she isn’t a normal “girl:” Annette has the appearance of a hideous-looking wooden puppet with ET’s glowing heart. In the first half, it features Henry and Ann singing in almost everything that they do. But the second half of the movie gets a little strange. Annette begins singing in short and high-pitched noises along with Ann’s miraculous voice. The film evolves from a melodrama to a gloomy fairy tale.
“Annette” is an interesting mix of crowd-pleasing Hollywood charm and European weirdness, and it’s an engaging piece that adults must see. Avant-garde rock operas are few and far between, but that is sometimes for the best.
Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) is a grumpy comedian who loves to wear a dressing gown and slippers in his stand-up show, The Ape of God. His girlfriend, Ann (Marion Cotillard), is an opera singer who’s “too good for him.” Despite their vast differences, the two marry and have a child, Annette. But she isn’t a normal “girl:” Annette has the appearance of a hideous-looking wooden puppet with ET’s glowing heart. In the first half, it features Henry and Ann singing in almost everything that they do. But the second half of the movie gets a little strange. Annette begins singing in short and high-pitched noises along with Ann’s miraculous voice. The film evolves from a melodrama to a gloomy fairy tale.
“Annette” is an interesting mix of crowd-pleasing Hollywood charm and European weirdness, and it’s an engaging piece that adults must see. Avant-garde rock operas are few and far between, but that is sometimes for the best.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- Who directed “Annette”?
- What is Henry McHenry’s stand-up comedy show called?
- How is Annette described in the article?
- What does Annette do by the second half of the film?
- According to the article, what rock operas are rare nowadays?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What current musicals have you seen?
- What are the most popular musical genres in your country?
- How would you react if a wooden puppet joined you while you are singing?
- Do you think satire musicals are suitable for a broad audience?
- After reading the overview, what is your overall impression of “Annette”?