MARGARET'S MUSEUM

Release Date: 1995
Director : Mort Ransen
With : Helena Bonham-Carter , Kate Nelligan
Country : Canada / Gr.bretagne

This movie has won many Genie Awards:
Best Achievement in Screenwriting
- Gerald Wexler, Mort Ransen
Best Achievement in Music/Original Score
- Milan Kymlicka
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
- Helena Bonham Carter
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
- Kenneth Welsh
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
- Kate Nelligan
Meilleurs costumes
-Nicolette Massone

Résume:
Set in the 1940s in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, it tells the story of a young girl living in a coal mining town where the death of men from accidents in "the pit" (the mines) has become almost routine. Margaret MacNeil (Helena Bonham Carter) has already lost her father and an older brother and for her, life alone would be prefereable to marrying a mine worker — that is until the charming Neil Currie (Clive Russell) shows up. Against the wishes of her hard-bitten mother (Kate Nelligan) they marry, but before long financial woes lead to his doing what every other uneducated young man does in the town: take a job underground. His death in the mine drives Margaret to a mental breakdown and in her surreal world she decides to create a "special" museum to the memories of all those who have died as a result of the horrific mining conditions. The advent of the film inspired the organization PAMAUG, which strongly advocates the usage of means other than manual labor to extract coal from mines. (Wikipedia)

TRAILER

My appreciation:


During my trip to Cape Breton, I was invited with a distant relative, Neil, who lives in the small mining town of Glace Bay. He is a retired miner from the coal mine and he showed me a kind of lantern that he had to bring with him into the mine. This lantern can detect gas explosion if the air entering the lamp was responsible for gas, it produced a visible fuel (so-called "halo") around the normal flame. Thus he could detect and rush to flee a gas explosion.

So I watched this movie out of curiosity and to learn more about the hard life of miners. But I was literally spellbound by the play of Helena Bonham Carter that I saw for the first time as well as the nice soundtrack. Our hero has mesmerized the beautiful Margaret with his bagpipe. This movie marked me deeply and I will never be tired of seeing several times.

O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU ?

Release date : 2000 Directed by : Joel Coen Starring : George Clooney, John Turturro Country : États-Unis Written by : Joel et Ethan Coen, loosely based on Homer’s Odyssey Music by : T-Bone Burnett et Carter Burwell Cast : George Clooney : Ulysses Everett McGill John Turturro : Pete Tim Blake Nelson : Delmar John Goodman : Big Dan Teague Holly Hunter : Penny Chris Thomas King : Tommy Johnson Charles Durning : Pappy O'Daniel Del Pentecost : Junior O'Daniel Michael Badalucco : George « Babyface » Nelson

Plot:

In the 30s, three convicts escape from a chain gang. Ulysse(George Clooney)promised a fabulous treasure to his companions, cranky Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar candid (Tim Blake Nelson).

On their way, they meet Tommy Johnson (Chris Thomas King), a black guitarist with whom they recorded a song with dazzling success. Then, George "Babyface" (Michael Badalucco) drags them into his bank robberies. Then, the three escapees fall under the spell of three sirens.

When they wake up, Pete has disappeared. They follow Big Dan (John Goodman), who promised them the fortune before robbing them. On his arrival his home town, Ulysses finds his daughters and his ex-wife Penny (Holly Hunter), ready to marry Vernon T. Waldrip (Ray McKinnon).

Ulysses and Pete Delmar finally rescue Pete from jail, and liberate Tommy from the clutches of the Ku Klux Klan, and the day before the elections, will reveal the racist activities of Homer Stokes (Wayne Duvall), as opposed to good Pappy O'Daniel (Charles Durning) ...

Inspired by Homer's Odyssey what is considered by many to be ... influence can be seen in the popular movie

PREVIEW

My rating:
I was spellbound by the beautiful performance of the 3 prisoners "loosers" escapees, who throughout the film never cease to amaze us.

The music of the Southern States in the 30s is very present throughout the film and songs are an irresistible charm. Dailleurs, everything in this film charmed me ......

Sirens bewitch our three lads, George Clooney is at its peak and we can only be seduced by the characters who seem so naive and innocent.

This film is a moment of pure happiness and is said to be one of the best films of the Coen brothers.

SONG OT THE SIRENS

Le Sentier de Roquemont - Les Racines ( The roots )

This historical novel is a saga in 3 volumes of which takes place in Saint-Raymond, Portneuf County, written by René Ouellet.

Résume: 1936, the day of his marriage to Anna Robitaille, Majella Roquemont, young man voluntary and courageous, gets an offer he can't refuse. Then begins the saga of Majella which, for the survival of his people, would accept all challenges, all professions: Surveyor, logger, guide, lumberman, merchant. Life was hard for forestry workers and their families.