- What was the movie?
- When and where did you watch it?
- Did you like it? Why?
Band 9.0 Sample Answer
Lately, I haven’t had much time to go out for a movie since I’ve been up to my eye balls in reports and presentations. Hence, to relax and boost my mood, I rented some good old movies and made myself some healthy snacks for late night treat. “Silver Linings Playbook” is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve lost count how many times I replayed it.
The last time I watched it was a week ago on Saturday night. Oscar nominated movies were usually not my taste due to their complexity and lack of entertainment but Silver Linings Playbook was an exception. I’ve always preferred something a little sentimental, light-hearted, yet meaningful and this movie had it all. Silver Linings Playbook was an adaptation from the novel written by Matthew Quick, starring two incredibly talented actors Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. This romantic comedy movie was about two wounded souls who once again found beauty in the most unexpected place. Pat (Bradley), a former teacher, was just released from a mental institution and trying to reconcile with his cheated wife despite his family’s protest. He met Tiffany (Jennifer), a woman with problems of her own, and things got complicated. Two people bearing hidden scars with no hope in the future finally had lights in their lives again. The movie was not heavy at all but extremely entertaining with some laugh-out-loud moments. No matter how many times I’ve watched it, I still got emotional every time I replayed it. The underlying message was also a shout-out to anyone who believe they have hit rock bottom: “When one door closes, another door opens”. Therefore, keep moving forward and don’t lose hope. If anyone run out of movies to watch, I highly recommend “Silver Linings Playbook” as a change of appetite.
Vocabulary
- Be up to one’s eyeballs (idiom): to be very busy with something
- Boost (v): to make something increase, or become better or more successful
- Lose count: forget how many of something there are, especially because the number is so high
- Complexity (n): the state of being formed of many parts; the state of being difficult to understand
- Sentimental (a): producing emotions such as pity, romantic love or sadness, which may be too strong or not appropriate; feeling these emotions too much
- Light-hearted (a): intended to be amusing or easily enjoyable rather than too serious
- Adaptation (n): a film/movie, book or play that is based on a particular piece of work but that has been changed for a new situation
- Wounded (a): feeling emotional pain because of something unpleasant that somebody has said or done
- Institution (n): a building where people with special needs are taken care of, for example because they are old or mentally ill
- Reconcile (v): to make people become friends again after an argument or a disagreement
- Entertaining (a): interesting and amusing
- Underlying (a): important in a situation but not always easily noticed or stated clearly
- Shout-out (n): a message of congratulation, support, or appreciation
- Hit rock bottom (idiom): to reach the lowest possible level or be in the worst possible situation
- Run out of: (of a supply of something) be used up
