Brain on Fire

In May 2020, I watched Brain on Fire for the first time on DVD. The drama film was released in 2016. It is based on Susannah Cahalan's memoir Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. The lead is Chloe Grace Moretz. 

The story is about a lady named Susannah Cahalan who exists and has suffered a mysterious illness. 

I had assumed the movie to be a romantic movie but I realized that it was a serious drama movie halfway when I felt that I had been kind of duped. However, the enthusiastic acting of Chloe Grace Moretz as the heroin, Susannah, really attracted me through and made me completely forget about the trivial thing. She was excellent at acting. Although the role was quite difficult, yet she gave a wonderful performance as the young lady suffering the enigmatic disease. She also had a baby face which was really lovely. Besides, the movie made me really comfortable. 

I heard that the film was severely criticized by critics, though I think that they just watch movies which the staff members poured their heart and mind into, and then they just write to their reviews readily using arcane language. I rely on reviews written by irresponsible but honest laypersons on the internet more than ones by professional critics. Reviews by famous critics are suitable for people like cineastes and intellectuals. I do not like to refer to their reviews.

彼女が目覚めるその日まで

2020年５月、『彼女が目覚めるその日まで』をDVDにて初観賞。2016年公開のドラマ映画。原作は、スザンナ・キャラハンの自叙伝『脳に棲む魔物』。クロエ・グレース・モレッツ主演。 

ある難病を患った、実在する女性の物語。 

恋愛映画だと思っていたので、若干肩透かしを食らった気分になったが、主人公のスザンナを演じるクロエ・グレース・モレッツの熱演に惹きつけられた。彼女は本当に演技が上手い。難病を患った女性という難しい役を見事に演じ切っていた。おまけに、その童顔がとても可愛らしい。もちろん、映画自体も大好きだ。 

この作品は評論家から酷評されたらしい。だが、彼等は、作り手が心血注いだ作品をただ鑑賞して、小難しい文章を書いているだけ。ネット上の無責任だが本音に感じる素人のレビューの方がよっぽど参考になる。お偉い先生達の評論は玄人が読めばいい。参考にはしたくない。

Kiki's Delivery Service

In April 2020, I watched the animated movie Kiki's Delivery Service on TV. The movie was released in 1989. The director is Hayao Miyazaki. I watched it for the first time years ago when it was kind of fun. 

It follows a girl named Kiki, who came from a line of witches, decides to live as a witch and strives to do in a big town where she has never been.

When I watched Kiki flying riding on the broomstick, I thought that an old man looked funny and weird if he flied with a broomstick like her. I believe that when a person flies with a broomstick, the right persons are children like Kiki and old ladies looking like witches. If I can fly myself, I want to fly like Superman and the fighters in Dragon Ball, of course, without a broomstick. 

I felt Kiki to be very cute but I was not touched by the film so much. I was at least impressed with the scene in which Kiki had became not to be able to work magic anymore, so she asked a female painter what she would do in a slump, and then the painter replied that she does anything or nothing. I think that most of the people will do the same thing as the woman in a slump. Never giving up is the most important thing at the time.

I think that the movie is naturally popular among girls and their parents but it is a fantasy fiction far away from a single old man like me. However, if I vacantly watch it without thinking, it makes me comfortable because its characters and pictures are all cute, moreover, the movie is accessible. 

I actually was more moved by When Marnie Was There which I watched recently.

魔女の宅急便

2020年４月、アニメ映画『魔女の宅急便』をTVにて観賞。1989年公開。宮崎駿監督作。初観賞はかなり前。面白さはそこそこだった。 

魔女の血を受け継ぐ少女キキが、魔女として生きることを決意し、知らない町で奮闘する物語。 

ホウキにまたがって空を飛ぶキキを観ながら思った。オッサンがホウキにまたがって空を飛ぶのは、ちょっと不気味だな、と。あれは、キキのような子供や、いかにも魔女っぽいババアが似合うスタイルだと思う。やはり、空を飛べるなら、スーパーマンや『ドラゴンボール』の勇者達のように飛びたい。 

作品に関しては、キキが可愛い。正直感想はそれだけ。強いて上げるなら、魔法が使えなくなったキキが、画家のお姉さんにその話をした時、そのお姉さんが、スランプの時はジタバタするか何もしない、と言った場面は印象に残っている。スランプ時は、誰もがあのお姉さんのようにすると思う。大事なのは諦めない事。 

女の子やその親御さん達には親しみやすい作品だとは思うが、独り身のオッサンには遠い世界のファンタジー。何も考えずに漫然と観るだけなら、キャラクター達も可愛いし、画風も親しみやすいので、良い作品だとは思う。

だが、以前観た『思い出のマーニー』の方が心に響いた。

Laputa: Castle in the Sky

In April 2020, I watched Laputa: Castle in the Sky on my television set. It was released in 1986. The director is Hayao Miyazaki. I have watched it several times but have not done it on a big screen yet. In January 2019, I watched The Castle of Cagliostro released in 1979 at Kinepa Junpo Theater. Since then, I have been expecting revivals of Laputa and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind released in 1984 at theater somewhere. 

When I watched the movie for the first time in the 2000s, I cynically did it because I could not help but compare with the animated TV series Future Boy Conan whose characters are similar and which I used to love. I then felt that the 1986 movie was just good. After that, however, I heard that fans of Hayao Miyazaki movies divides into ones of Laputa and ones of Nausicaa on the whole. Nausicaa was my favorite and a great movie, so I thought that Laputa might be great like Nausicaa without cynically watching it. Then I seriously watched it again and I felt that it was enjoyable. I have loved to watch it several times since then. 

A boy named Pazu believes that Laputa Castle exists in the sky and the castle was successfully shot by his father. A girl called Sheeta is a descendant of the kings of Laputa. The movie describes the adventure of the boy and girl. 

The scene where Sheeta is coming down from the sky reminds me of the scene where Mineva Zabi is coming down from the sky in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn episode 1 released in 2010. I am happy as an animation fan if the scene in the Gundam movie is a homage to Hayao Miyazaki. Although Sheeta is cute, yet I prefer Lana in Future Boy Conan. It cannot be helped because Lana was my first love in animation characters. 

Pazu is not so strong, unlike Conan, but he is a lovable boy. I feel comfortable to watch the boy who purely likes Sheeta and struggles to help her somehow. Moreover, beautiful are his feelings toward Sheeta without lust. 

As for Dola who takes care of Pazu, the old lady is dynamic, exhilarating and amusing.

天空の城ラピュタ

2020年４月、『天空の城ラピュタ』をTVにて観賞。1986年公開の宮崎駿監督作。劇場観覧はしていないが、既に数回観ている。2019年１月に『ルパン三世 カリオストロの城』をキネマ旬報シアターで観覧して以降、この映画か『風の谷のナウシカ』もいつかどこかで上映頂けないかなと期待している。 

10数年前の初観賞時は、子供の頃観ていたので思い入れが有り、登場人物に類似性が有るTVアニメ『未来少年コナン』とどうしても比べてしまい、斜に構えて観ていたので、まあまあの印象だった。その後、宮崎アニメファンは、ナウシカ派かラピュタ派に分かれるという話を聞き、『ナウシカ』は好きな作品で名作なので、それと対峙する作品なら再観賞する価値があるだろうと思い、『コナン』と比べないようにして再び観てみたところ、結構面白かった。その後も何回か観ているお気に入りの映画。 

亡き父が撮影に成功した天空の城ラピュタの存在を信じている少年パズーと、そのラピュタの王の末裔の少女シータの冒険譚。 

シータが上空から舞い降りてくるシーンは映画『機動戦士ガンダム ユニコーン エピソード１』でミネバ・ザビがスペースコロニー内の上空から舞い降りてくるシーンを思い出させる。あれがガンダムのスタッフ達の宮崎駿へのオマージュだったら、アニメ好きとしては嬉しい。そんなシータは普通に可愛いが、やはり『未来少年コナン』のラナほど好きにはなれない。ラナは、私のアニメキャラの初恋の人だから仕方のない事だが。 

パズーは、コナンほど強くはないが、好感を持てる男の子。シータを純粋に好きで何とか助けようとする姿が微笑ましい。そして、肉欲の無い男の子の女の子への想いは美しい。 

そんなパズーを鍛え上げようとするドーラおばあちゃんが、豪快で痛快で愉快だ。 

Hannibal

In April 2020, I watched Hannibal on DVD. It was released in 2001. Ridley Scott directed it. I watched it for the first time on TV around in 2003. I have not seen a more realistic and grotesque scene than that shocking one in the movie. I am happy that I have not, though. 

The movie is the sequel to The Silence of the Lamb. It follows the interactions between Clarice, a FBI agent, and Dr. Lecter, a homicidal maniac, who several persons approach and become involved with. 

I like Sir Ridley Scott but I preferred the prequel. It maybe was absence of Jodie Foster in it. I thought that Julianne Moore as Clarice was good and beautiful, however, I felt that she seemed to be an actress of all trades and not so stricken. In a horrifying dinner, she looked fascinated in a sexy black dress but did not sexually attract me so much. Of course, she is pretty and if she worked as a waitress in a restaurant or an instructor in an enrichment lesson in my neighborhood, I would like to go see her like every day. 

Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Lecter gave a wonderful performance, which made me almost shudder again, as well as he did in 1991. The performance is artistic like the one Jack gave in The Shinning. In the dinner scene toward the end, which is cut when TV stations broadcast it, he was naturally playing the horrific man. It quite terrified me. 

As for Ray Liotta, he definitely became fat compared with him in Field of Dreams and Goodfella. He was 46 years old at the release. He had not become a movie superstar maybe because he had not been able to quit boozing, eating too much and something, and as a result, he could not keep a good figure. It is up to you whether or not you like to constantly make extra efforts to keep yourself good-looking, though. To oblige yourself to limit your meals so as to continue to be popular, or to accept your aging and enjoy your life, that is the question. I will choose to accept my aging, after all, even if I by some chance have the potential to be a big star. I hate to be bitter. I am such a man, so I have ordinarily lived and not gotten a big chance at all.

ハンニバル

2020年４月に『ハンニバル』をDVDにて観賞。2001年公開。リドリー・スコット監督作。2003年頃に初めて観たが、この映画の、あの衝撃的なシーン以上にリアルにグロテスクな映像にはまだお目にかかっていない。お目にかかりたくもないが。 

『羊たちの沈黙』の続編で、FBI捜査官クラリスと殺人鬼のレクター博士の関係を軸に、様々な登場人物が２人に絡んでくる。 

リドリー・スコットは好きな監督だが、前作の方が好きだ。理由は、本作におけるジョディ・フォスターの不在。ジュリアン・ムーアも綺麗で演技の上手い女優さんだとは思うが、器用過ぎて個性が薄い気がする。最後の例の晩餐では、セクシーな黒いドレスが似合っていたが、目を奪われる程ではなかった。無論、近所のレストランのウェイトレスとか、習い事のインストラクターにいたら、毎日のように通い始めたくなる位の美人ではあるが。 

アンソニー・ホプキンスがレクター博士を演じたのは10年振りだったが、その演技は変わらず身震いする程素晴らしかった。『シャイニング』のジャック・ニコルソンと同レベルの芸術的な演技だと思う。TV放映ではカットされる例の晩餐のシーンにおいて、あの凄惨な行為を自然に演じているのが恐ろしい。 

レイ・リオッタに関しては、『フィールド・オブ・ドリームス』や『グッドフェローズ』の頃と比べると、明らかに太っている。公開時46歳。スーパースターになれなかったのは、多分酒とか止められず、節制をしなかった結果、ルックスを維持する事が出来なかったからだろう。体型を維持するために絶え間ない努力を続ける事が、幸せかどうかは本人次第だが。スポットライトを浴び続けるために、食事制限等をして苦しむか、老化を受け入れて人生を楽しむか。仮に、私にスターになるチャンスがあったとしても、やっぱり後者を選ぶ。辛いのは嫌だ……こういう人間だから、チャンスも掴めずにただ平凡に生き永らえているのかもしれない。 

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

In April 2020, I watched A.I. Artificial Intelligence for the first time on DVD. It was released in 2001. Stanley Kubrick allegedly had been supposed to direct it but he passed away, then Steven Spielberg became the director. I am wondering how it would have been if Mr. Kubrick, the director of A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, had directed it. 

The story could occur in the future. It describes the sorrow and happiness of David that is a humanoid robot boy who can love a human and in fact loves his human mom, Monica. Haley Joel Osment acts David. 

In a word, a Haley Joel Osment show. 

The movie provoked a lot of thoughts but kind of depressed me. The length is 146 minutes, which made me feel it longer. Then, I did not exactly know what Mr. Spielberg intended to say through it. He might have wanted to describe David's pure love for Monica, give a warning against our modern society and produce an entertainment dealing with AI robots that was becoming a popular topic. Anyway, I did not like the gloomy film. If Mr. Kubrick had directed it, it would have become more daring and innovative. I also imagine that Mr. Spielberg reluctantly accepted the job when Mr. Kubrick's bereaved family eagerly asked him to direct it, however, the two-time Oscar-winning director actually had difficulty in doing it because it was not his original idea. 

I was most impressed with a bear robot named Teddy, which reminded me Winnie the Pooh in Christopher Robin and made me want to watch the Disney movie again. The lead, Haley Joel Osment, surely played well and was charming. I, however, did not like the child actor so much because he looked to be a goody-goody. Although parents with boys might be able to have a special fondness for him, yet, if anything, I like to watch brats like Marcus in About a Boy and the four kids in Stand by Me. They are all sassy and natural for kids.

A.I.

2020年４月、『A.I.』をDVDにて初めて観賞した。2001年公開。もともとスタンリー・キューブリックが監督する予定だったらしいが、お亡くなりになった為、スティーヴン・スピルバーグが監督になったらしい。『シャイニング』や『時計じかけのオレンジ』を監督したキューブリック氏がどのように演出していたかは興味深い。 

近未来に起こり得るお話。感情を持ち、人間の母親モニカを慕うAIロボット、デイヴィットの悲喜こもごもが描かれている。

一言で言うと、ハーレイ・ジョエル・オスメント劇場。 

色々考えさせられるが、若干気が滅入る映画。146分が長く感じた。スピルバーグ氏はこの映画を通して何が言いたかったのだろう。母親への純粋な愛情を表現したかったのか、現代社会への警鐘を鳴らしたかったのか、それとも、話題のAIを主人公に仕立てて娯楽作品を作りたかっただけなのか。いずれにしてもあまり好きにはなれない暗い映画。キューブリック氏だったらもっと斬新で大胆な作品に仕上げたのではないだろうか。スピルバーグ氏も、キューブリック氏の遺族から強い要望があったから仕方無く引き受けただけで、実際には、自分のアイデアでは無いからやりにくくて仕方がなかったのではないだろうか。 

一番印象に残っているのは、ペットロボットのテディ。『プーと大人になった僕』のプーをまた観たくなった。主役のハーレイ・ジョエル・オスメントは、可愛いし演技も上手いが、素直な良い子過ぎる感じがあまり好きになれない。お子さんをお持ちの親御さんなら半端無く感情移入出来るのだろうが、子供はやはり、『アバウト・ア・ボーイ』のマーカスや『スタンド・バイ・ミー』のあの４人組のような生意気な感じが、自然だし、好きだ。