The real-life struggle of
brilliant minds with paranoid schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease may not sound like the ingredients of an (1)____________ (ENTERTAIN)
afternoon's (2)__________ (VIEW). But Russell Crowe's (3)_____________(STUN) (4)______________ (PERFORM) as (5)______________ (MATHS) genius John Nash
in A Beautiful Mind and Judi Dench's (6)_______________ (MOVE)
(7)_____________ (PORTRAY) of (8)___________ (PHILOSOPHY) and
(9)_____________ (NOVEL) Iris Murdoch in Iris, will have you
rushing out to buy the books on which these two (10)______________ (OSCAR) films are based.
It is in their (11)________________ (THEME) content that the two films (12)____________ (RESEMBLANCE) each other most.
Both focus on the (13)_____________ (WITHDRAW) of the protagonists into their own (14)___________ (IN) world and
the effect this has on their long-suffering but devoted marital
partners. Also common to both films is the fact that we witness the two (15)_____________ (ACADEMY) in their youth and old age. Hats off here to Crowe's make up
team- he is (16)_______________ (REMARK) (17)______________ (CONVINCE) as the sixty-six-year-old Nash
receiving his Nobel Prize in 1994.
Iris (18)__________________ (DIFFERENT) from A Beautiful Mind in this respect, (19)____________ (RELY) instead on other actors to play the (20)____________ (VIVACITY) young Iris - a very (21)_____________ (CREDIBILITY) ( Kate
Winslet- and her (22)_____________ (STUTTER) (23)________________ (COMPANY) John Bayley. In addition, (24)_____________ (LIKE) the more linear
American film, (25)____________ (FLASH) are used to good effect to switch (26)_______________ (BACK) and forwards between the two (27)___________ (CONTRAST) stages
of Murdoch's life.
The (28)____________ (STRONG) of Iris lies in its (29)___________ (POWER) acting
and mundane (30)____________ (REAL), with the novelist seen doing the (31)____________ (SHOP), or watching children's TV in her (32)__________ (CLUTTER) Oxford house. However,
if, as I do, you (33)____________ (FAVOURITE) something more (34)____________ (VISUAL) (35)______________ (APPEAL), but no
less (36)___________ (PLAUSIBILITY), then A Beautiful Mind is a (37)___________ (DEFINITELY) (38)_______________ (SEE).
KEY
1. entertaining
2. viewing
3. stunning
4. performance
5. mathematical
6. moving
7. portrayal
theatrical representation of [sb]. Sp. representación, interpretación, actuación. E.g. His portrayal of the great fighter won him an Oscar. Sp. Su representación del gran luchador le hizo ganar un Oscar.
8. philosopher
9. novelist
10. Oscar-winning
11. thematic /θɪˈmætɪk/
connected with the theme or themes of something
- the thematic structure of a text
12. resemble
13. withdrawal
14. inner
15. academics
16. remarkably
17. convincing
18. differs
19. relying
20. vivacious
vivacious: /vɪˈveɪʃəs/ (especially of a woman) having a lively, attractive personality. Sp. vivaz.
- He had three pretty, vivacious daughters.
- She appeared to be her old, vivacious self again.
- Olga has a vivacious personality and is full of energy
vivacity noun /vɪˈvæsəti/ [uncountable] (approving) the quality of being lively and attractive. E.g. He was charmed by her beauty and vivacity. The photograph captures the vivacity of the children.
21. credible
22. stuttering
23. companion
24. unlike
25. flashbacks
26. backwards
27. contrasting
28. strength
29. powerful
30. realism
/ˈriːəlɪzəm/ a way of seeing, accepting and dealing with situations as they really are without being influenced by your emotions or false hopes
- There was a new mood of realism among the leaders at the peace talks.
31. shopping
32. cluttered
33. favour (prefer)
34. visually
35. appealing
attractive or interesting
- Spending the holidays in Britain wasn't a prospect that I found particularly appealing.
36. plausible
plausible adjective /ˈplɔːzəbl/ (of an excuse or explanation) reasonable and likely to be true. Sp. creíble, verosímil. E.g. Her story sounded perfectly plausible. The only plausible explanation is that he forgot.
OPP: implausible
plausibility noun /ˌplɔːzəˈbɪləti/ [uncountable] the quality of being reasonable and likely to be true. Sp. credibilidad, verosimilitud. E.g. This new evidence lends plausibility to the theory that she was murdered.
37. definite
38. must-see
TEXT WITH EXPLANATIONS:
The real-life struggle (a hard fight in which people try to obtain or achieve sth, especially sth that sb else does not want them to have. Sp. Lucha) of brilliant minds with schizophrenia /ˌskɪtsəʊˈfriːniə/ and Alzheimer's /ˈæltshaɪməz/ disease may not sound like the ingredients of an entertaining afternoon's viewing.
Russell Crowe's stunning performance as mathematical genius John Nash and Judi Dench's moving portrayal of novelist Iris Murdoch will have you rushing out to buy the books on which these two films are based.
It is in their thematic content that the two films resemble each other most. Both focus on the withdrawal (the act of moving or taking sth away or back. Sp. Retirada) of the protagonists into their own inner world and the effect this has on their long-suffering but devoted marital partners. Also common to both films is the fact that we witness the two academics in their youth and old age. Hats off here to Crowe's make up team- he is remarkably convincing as the sixty-six-year-old Nash receiving his Nobel Prize.
Iris differs from A Beautiful Mind in this respect, relying instead on other actors to play the vivacious (having a lively, attractive personality) young Iris - a very credible Kate Winslet- and her stuttering (having difficulty speaking because he cannot stop himself from repeating the first sound of some words several times; stammering) companion. In addition, unlike the more linear American film, flashbacks are used to good effect to switch (change from one thing to another) backwards and forwards between the two contrasting stages of Murdoch's life.
The strength of Iris lies in its powerful acting and mundane (ordinary) realism, with the novelist seen in her cluttered (full of a lot of things and untidy) Oxford house. However, if, as I do, you favour something more visually appealing, but no less plausible, then A Beautiful Mind is a definite must-see.
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