Movie Love Tag!

Hey everyone,

My friend Marsali from Bolton Girls Travel Journal tagged me to do the Movie Love Tag. I have to list my three favorite movies and explain why I like them. Okay, if you know me, you know I love my movies. This tag is perfect for me! I just don't know how I can narrow my favorite movies list down to just three, but I'll do my best.

In no specific order, here are my top three favorites.

1. Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain

[The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain]

If you only watch one French movie in your entire lifetime, please make sure this one is the one you watch! It's truly a classic. Obviously, this is the film that inspired the name of my blog, I love it so much. It's about a shy young woman, Amélie, who wants to perform good deeds in a secretive manner. She loves knowing that she's making their lives just a bit better, just a bit happier, through her acts of generosity. Yet, even as a permanent do-gooder, she doesn't know how to make herself happy, at least not until the end of the film. This is a romantic comedy, but definitely not your typical one. There are lots of sub-plots with truly beautiful film work that will make this film literally pleasing to your eyes! You will have a smile on your face by the time you finish this film. I do every time. Why do I love it? Well, for one, it takes place in my native surroundings, my beautiful Montmartre!

2. Jeux d'Enfants

[Child's Play / Love Me If You Dare]

I had to put this one alongside Amélie because I found the trailer minutes after I was watching the Amélie trailer on YouTube. The trailer for this movie was linked in the YouTube sidebar, and me - curious as I am - decided to click on it. I fell in love with it from the very first time I watched the trailer all the way through, I'm not even kidding. The trailer is done in the same artsy style as the Amélie trailer, and I literally watched the trailer dozens of times before I finally saw the whole film. It's about two kids, Julien and Sophie, who befriend each other over a mutual love of a tin box. They quickly decide to share the box, daring each other to perform practical jokes in order to win possession of the box. The dares continue into Julien and Sophie's adulthood, even after both settle into relationships with other people, and the dares - once innocent - become even more dangerous. It's definitely worth watching. The ending is very sweet, and it reminds me of the ending of another movie - which I won't tell you because I don't want to give it away! Once again, this is a romantic comedy, but definitely not your typical one. French romantic comedies are not as cheesy as American romantic comedies, let me tell you. (In fact, many American movies are based on French movies because Hollywood lacks creativity. The French versions are always better!). Anyway, I love this film mainly because, as I said in my last post, I love watching movies where the main character is named Sophie, but ultimately the trailer sucked me in. The characters in the movie are also reminiscent of the characters in Pushing Daisies, an American TV show from a few years back, which I completely loved (and miss like crazy!).

3. The Da Vinci Code

Well, how can I not put this one on the list? The Da Vinci Code is my all-time favorite book, and I love the movie just as much. The female lead, Sophie Neveu, is played by my all-time favorite actress from Amélie, Audrey Tautou. The name "Sophie Neveu" was even my alias when I first came to the United States, wanting to separate myself from my twin. I love the historical mystery aspect to this movie. Of course, the book ends better, I will admit. After I watch the movie, I ALWAYS have to reread the ending of the book afterwards, but the movie is a good adaptation. I don't want to give too much away, in case any of you haven't read or seen it, but if you like historical mysteries (and movies along the lines of the National Treasure movies, also some of my favorites), please check this one out, too. I haven't actually seen its sequel Angels & Demons, though, because Sophie Neveu is not a character in it!

Now, I will tag these bloggers to do the same:

1. The Greens and the Roses

2. Everything Emily

3. As Told By Susie

~Sophie

Tagged by Cali :)

Salut tout le monde,

My friend Cali over at Crazy For Cali tagged me to do this fun little meme, so here goes. :-)

List 7 songs you're into right now...

*La Même Histoire / We're All In The Dance

--> Feist

*1234

--> Feist

*A Weekend in the Country

--> Catherine Zeta-Jones & company (current B'way revival of A Little Night Music)

*Send in the Clowns

--> Catherine Zeta-Jones (current B'way revival of A Little Night Music)

*Not Fair

--> Lily Allen

*The Christmas Waltz

--> Kristin Chenoweth

*Christmas Eve

--> Céline Dion

What car do you want when you're older?

While I'd prefer to take the métro, I think a SmartCar would be absolutely wonderful - especially if I intend to move back to France. Maybe one like this?

Where do you want to live when you grow older?

Paris (bien sûr!) or maybe somewhere else in France? Perhaps I can move in with Sabine in Lille? Perhaps I'll just skip France and head to bella Toscana - beautiful Tuscany - or even London? If I decide to stay in the US, then maybe Seattle, San Francisco, New York? Who knows? Probablement France....

Where do you want to go to college?

Université Paris Sorbonne-Paris IV

Or perhaps Oxford, Harvard, or Yale...but honestly? I'm 13 and not ready to think about that yet. I'm not quite sure what I want to study yet, let alone where!

How many siblings do you have?

Une soeur qui s'appelle Juliette Adrienne...a sister who is named Juliette Adrienne and, actually, she's my twin, if you want to get specific. She's still in Paris, and I'm not sure she'll be joining me here or not. We are very different in personality though we are identical in appearance!

How many children do you want when you grow up?

Depends. Probably one or two, if I find the right guy to settle down with.

Boys or girls?

A girl would be the most desirable. ;)

City girl or country girl?

Je suis de Paris, France. I am from Paris, France! What do you think I am?

Flying or driving?

I'm so used to flying that it's kind of second nature to me now. Driving I don't know how to do...yet. I guess I prefer flying because I can't drive over the Atlantic Ocean to get back home. ;)

Biking or swimming?

Um, neither? I like going to the beach, but only to work on my tan. ;) Biking I will do to get around the city, though. It's more a source of transportation than a leisurely activity. ;)

Sports?

Well, Fair Hollow School for Girls is all about the arts. Sports? Not so much. Football's okay, though, and by that I mean SOCCER! I'm pretty decent at field hockey as well, although I suck at it on ice.

Books or movies?

Tous les deux! (both!)

School or chores?

School - I live for school! Even if I complain from time to time about endless homework, I still love to learn. Chores are boring. I'll confess to not keeping my dorm the neatest because I don't exactly like to straighten up! I'm not a slob, but I'm not a neat freak either.

Inside or outside?

Again, both. Wherever there is a mystery to be solved or adventure to be had.

Wednesday or Sunday?

Sunday = no class! (A girl does need a break every once in a while, even if I do love to learn!)

Friends or Family?

Both, I guess. I do see friends more, though, being that I'm at boarding school - and am pretty popular at that. And I don't exactly miss Juliette. Okay, maybe a little. I miss my parents, though! I guess that counts for something.

Fried or Scrambled Eggs?

I see both in the school cafeteria and do admit to liking both.

Pancakes or cereal?

I tend to eat hot cereal (oatmeal, grits) each morning before school. Pancakes not so much, although I like them. I actually like waffles better, and at home - in Paris - I'm more used to croissants. ;)

Big meal or something small?

Small, please. I tend to eat several tiny meals in one day.

Movie or TV show?

Movie! (AUDREY TAUTOU!!!!!!!!!)

Favorite thing to do outside?

Go exploring. Search for clues and/or a mystery to be solved. Play in the snow (if applicable). But most of all: go sightseeing! I do like to travel after all. ;)

Favorite meal?

Laura's absolute favorite meal is pizza with black olives - like Cali said as well - and I like that a lot. As for it being my favorite, I don't know, though. I like a bit of everything. Pizza, sushi, pasta, salad...yeah, it really depends on my mood.

Place to read a good book?

Curled up on my bed with a favorite UglyDoll - or nestled among the pillows on Laura's window-seat.

Favorite vegetable?

Green beans. Broccoli.

Where do you want to live when you graduate?

Europe - whether that's France or somewhere else like England, Scotland, Italy, it doesn't matter.

What time of day do you like best?

Night - I'm a night owl! I like to stay up late reading or surfing the web. Or IMing friends in a chatroom. Or blogging. ;)

What is your favorite flower?

Irises and violets are pretty. So are poppies - like the fields of poppies in Italy!

I think I like roses best, though. Perhaps it's because of this particular scene (in one of my favorite movies)?

Do you like writing?

Well, I do have this blog, so I must like writing at least a little bit!

What is your favorite month?

August - my birthday month!

Do you like adventure?

OUI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you collect anything? If so, what do you collect?

Books - yep, I love collecting books, particularly mysteries and thrillers.

Postcards/Posters - from places I visit.

UglyDolls - I have three now, thanks to Laura just buying me a new one. Inky got me addicted to these things!

Do your grandparents live near you?

Um, no. Well, they live in France - and fairly near me when I'm actually in France - but now that I'm in the US? Of course they don't live near me.

Are you bored of this?

Maybe a little (this was long!), but I like filling out memes - and I like being tagged. Thanks, Cali!

I tag (provided they haven't filled it out already - and actually want to):

Sabine

Cate

Kirsten

-and anyone else who wants to fill this out and hasn't already been tagged!

-Sophie

Meme from Kit

Since I *know* you guys miss my regular posts, I thought I'd fill out this meme that Kit has shared.

Hey, it's better than nothing, right? ;)

1. What time did you get up this morning? 

Pretty early. I'm an early bird unlike Laura and many of my classmates...

2. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? 

I'm not sure I remember. We had that showing of Chrissa Stands Strong at school, but yeah...I haven't been to the cinema in a while. 

3. What is your favorite TV show? 

Urgences!! (that'd be ER), Sophie, and Pushing Daisies...but all three are cancelled now :(

4. What is your favorite dessert? 

mousse au chocolat et crème brûlée

5. Favorite sandwich?

Un croque monsieur, je pense. 

6. Favorite item of clothing? 

my baby blue beret :)

7. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would
you go? 

PARIS! (Where else?!) But, if I had to choose somewhere other than my hometown, then anywhere in Italy, Greece, or England would be grand. 

8. Morning or night person? 

Night! 

9. Any Pets? 

None for me. Ma soeur est allergique.

10. Texting or IMing? 

Tous les deux. Both. 

11. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share with us? 

J'ai rencontré Violet!! I met Violet, but you knew that if you read my last post.

12. What did you want to be when you were little? 

A super hero, duh! ;) Now I just want to be Nancy Drew... 

13. How are you today? 

Bonne. Good.

14. What is your favorite candy? 

au chocolat noir! dark chocolate! 

15. What are you listening to right now? 

Mon nouvelle amie, Sofia. My new friend, Sofia. 

16. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? 

Blue-Violet! (I found my color, Zippy!)

17. Favorite restaurant? 

Umm, je ne sais pas...I don't know!

18. Summer or winter? 

Summer. My birthday is in the summer (August 9th). 

19. Hugs or Kisses? 

Tous les deux, both.

20. What is under your bed? 

Dust bunnies.

21. What are you afraid of? 

Embarrassing myself.

22. How many towns/cities have you lived in? 

Umm...3?

23. hearts or stars? 

les étoiles...stars

24. Most embarassing moment? 

Probably my first day of school in America when I wasn't feeling so confident about my English-speaking ability. Even though I speak English much better than Maura speaks French. (Désolée, Maura.)

25. Favorite genre of movies? 

les drames romantiques avec Audrey Tautou, Juliette Binoche, ou Marion Cotillard :)

...mais J'ADORE tous les films avec JOHNNY DEPP aussi! :D

~Sophie

Les 15 Choses

D'accord, voici les 15 choses de Sophie Moreau. J'ai écrit la majorité dans l'anglais aujourd'hui parce que c'est une langue que je besoin pratiquer.

Merci pour l'idée, Cate.

Okay, here are 15 things about me, Sophie Moreau. I have written the majority (of this post) in English today because it IS a language that I need to practice.

Thanks for the idea, Cate.

15 Things about Moi: Sophie Amélie Moreau

1. I look like Audrey Hepburn. Well...more like, some people say I look like French actress Audrey Tautou (une merveilleuse actrice), and since most people say SHE looks like Audrey Hepburn, then I can safely say I do.

2. When I grow up, I want to work as a super-hero (LOL), a writer, or maybe just a cryptologist for the le DCPJ (the French police, basically)...hmm, where have I heard that before? ;)

3. When I'm in my 30s, I want to marry a man who whisks me off to a romantic honeymoon in FIRENZE (Florence), and, of course, his name will be Robert Langdon. He'll learn French just to ask my dear father for my hand in marriage. (Okay, maybe his name won't be Robert Langdon, but one can dream!)

4. I'm not quite sure where I want to go to university, but going is a must. Maybe I'll stick to somewhere close to home, in Paris, or maybe England or, if I'm really brave, les États-Unis...but of course, I'm already here studying, what am I worried about?

5. I can bit a bit of a boss, so some of the students here probably don't like me. But I can't help it really; I just like things going my way. Don't we all?

6. I love music, from French rap to American Broadway. My favorite singer is Carla Bruni (hooray for the First Lady of France!), though, but thanks to the influence of friends, I now like Céline Dion and Idina Menzel as well.

7. I *really* do love to travel. I want to see more of this big country that I'm currently living in, see the whole of Europe, maybe Australia, almost anywhere in this wide world.

8. I don't exactly have a favorite color. I wish I did, but there are just too many out there to choose one. I do love the color blue and the color green, but choosing just one? Nah, too hard.

9. I'm a bit of a teacher's pet, tending to stick to my favorite teachers like glue. They are truly some of my greatest friends.

10. As much as I seem to protest against her, I kind of like Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana. I don't know, she's just so popular in Europe. All of my friends from back home LOVE her, and while I love Carla Bruni much, much more, Miley does have some great songs. Plus, it's a really good way to pick up English. I'm not sure I'll reveal any of this to some of my classmates, though; most of them hate Hannah Montana (or at least pretend to).

11. I've never had a pet, though since I picked Anya's kitty up for her in Chicago, I've become rather attached.

12. My favorite outfit? My cream-colored turtleneck, blue plaid skirt, boots, pink poncho, and blue beret; my sight-seeing outfit.

13. My least favorite outfit? The one I was forced to wear coming in from Chicago: the pink/purple/blue flowered shirt, blue skort, and boots...yuck, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!

14. I like to take pictures of my travel gnome around the world and paste them into a scrapbook. So when I didn't get to go to Italia this past summer, I had my teacher cart around my gnome to take those pictures for me. People called her "Blanche Neige" or "Snow White" all throughout the trip. ;)

15. My favorite school subject? Italian, I think. I have a friend back in Florence whom I like to converse with; I'm even trying to get her to come to school here. *crosses fingers*

Au Revoir,

Sophie aka Figchen