Akira

I watched the animated movie Akira for the first time around in 2005 on DVD. The movie was quite shocking. I am relaxing and doing something easy every time I watch a movie in my room, however, at that time I was deeply absorbed from the middle to the end. Then after watching it, I did it again twice on the same day. The film is filled with mysterious energy and power. I watched it again more than a couple of times after that day on DVD. I also bought the graphic novel with the same title in six volumes and read it many times. The story comic has different elements, so it is more intriguing. I hope that another Akira will be filmed based on the manga.

The animation film describes the incomplete both younger and older people at the mercy of a gigantic power that each human being could possess and a boy has obtained by chance.

I have little strength and do not like even to argue but as a man I understand the feelings of the main character Tetsuo who awakened and intoxicated with his own incredible power. Thugs with terrible strength and violent nature might stride in back streets and run wild with the feelings of a Tetsuo. Education is essential. Kaneda had been a close friend of and like a big brother of Tetuso's but he could not control Tetsuo who got awake, impudent and arrogant. All the same, Kanada confronted the arrogant boy. Friendship is beautiful in youth without reason.

I wonder how I would become if I got something like a supernatural power. I am already an old man, so I would not get too excited and parade it, unlike Tetsuo. I would stealthily do wrong, though. I would not stand up for something like world peace because I would end up being manipulated by cunning plotters after all if I did. I am quite ashamed that I am a coward like that.  

In August 2018, I watched the movie at a theater for the first time. It was amazing on a big screen, though the quality of the pictures was not so good at the theater, Meguro Cinema.

In June 2020, the novel coronavirus pandemic has gradually been settled in Japan, so I could watch the film at United Cinemas Terrace Mall Matsudo. The pictures were amazing because they were on IMAX. That was a fantastic experience. 

AKIRA

アニメ映画『AKIRA』を初めて観たのは、2005年頃。DVDにて。衝撃だった。大体部屋では、何かをしながらリラックスして観賞するが、この作品は、途中から最後まで画面から目を離せなかった。観賞後も、その日のうちに２回観た記憶がある。得体の知れないエネルギーやパワーに満ちた作品。その後もDVDにて数回観た。そして、漫画本も全６巻を購入し何度も読んだ。映画版よりも色々な要素が入っていて実に興味深い別の作品。あの漫画版を基にして新たに映画化して欲しいものだ。

人の秘めたるパワーに翻弄される、まだ不完全な若者達と大人達の物語。

覚醒して自分のパワーに酔いしれる少年、鉄男の気持ちは、私自身は非力で口喧嘩も嫌いだが、男としては理解出来る。腕力や暴力衝動が半端無い輩達は、あの鉄男のような気分で街に繰り出して暴れているのだろうか。教育って大事だと思う。鉄男の長年の友人で兄貴的な存在の金田は、覚醒した鉄男の前では無力だったが、それでも、暴走する鉄男に立ち向かう。若者の友情は、理屈抜きに美しい。

自分が鉄男のようなパワーを手に入れたらどうなるだろうか。もうオッサンだから、彼のような自己顕示欲に憑りつかれることは無いだろうが、バレない程度に悪い事をしそうな気がする。世界平和の為に立ち上がったところで、狡賢くて腹黒い輩達に操られるのがオチだろうし……我ながら情けない人間だ。

2018年８月に目黒シネマで観覧。初めての劇場鑑賞。映像の質が悪かったが、大スクリーンの『AKIRA』は格別だった。

そして、コロナ騒動が収まり始めた2020年６月、ユナイテッド・シネマ テラスモール松戸にてIMAXで観覧。映像が素晴らし過ぎた。最高の体験だった。

Borg McEnroe #2

The movie Borg McEnroe has intrigued me in a relationship between the legend tennis players.

McEnroe seemed to have been just a hot-tempered player who sometimes took out his anger on the umpires during games until I watched it. On the other hand, Borg seemed to have been just a serious person.

However, thanks to the film and their information on the internet, their images have changed a little, especially Borg's. Although I had known that the Swedish player was a model professional player, did not express his emotions and was so cool that he was called Ice Man, yet, actually, he sometimes shouted abusive language during practices and matches like McEnroe before making his professional debut. The episode was totally unexpected to me and showed how human he was, so I came to like him. He was always burning inside but at the same time he followed his coach's advice to calm down and focus on every play during matches. Then he held up on his end until his retirement. He must have felt tremendous stress and pressure during his playing days. Such his personal stories must be handed down from generation to generation in addition to his great achievements in tennis history. The movie has a scene where in a hotel room Borg and his wife are watching McEnroe spitting out curses on the umpire in a match. He seemed to envy the American player who does not stop to reveal his emotions. He also seemed to remember his amateur days and feel nostalgia. Borg's wife then says that McEnroe does not concentrate on the match. Her husband quickly retorts that he completely does implying that he is too concentrate to forgive misjudges. At the minute Borg must have been the person who was deeply understanding the controversial player the most in the world.

As for McEnroe, he respected Borg. In the 1980 Wimbledon Men's Singles finals, he used abusive language like always expect for the final against Borg in which he was focusing on playing his tennis without violent language. Then the match became one of the most hard-fought games in Tennis history. The movie has a scene where McEnroe is watching Borg calmly speaking in an interview on TV and McEnroe says that he has wanted to be like him. I wonder if McEnroe had met a coach like Borg's coach Lennart Bergelin. He might have been like Ice Man, though I do not want to see the cold and quiet McEnroe.

The two great players became close friends after each retired. Both of them have a similar mind, so they must have easily gotten along with each other.

ボルグ／マッケンロー #2

映画『ボルグ／マッケンロー 氷の男と炎の男』を観て、改めて２人の名選手に興味が湧いた。

鑑賞前は、マッケンローの印象は、短気で、試合中に審判に暴言を吐く選手、ボルグは、生真面目な男だった。

だが、映画のおかげで、特にボルグの印象が変わった。それまでの印象は、アイス・マンと呼ばれるほどクールであまり喜怒哀楽を表に出さない優等生のプロテニスプレーヤーだったが、実は、若い頃は、マッケンロー同様短気で、練習中や試合中に暴言を吐いていたらしい。その事実は本当に意外だったし、人間らしい面があったんだな、と少し好感が持てた。ハートは常に熱く燃えているが、コーチの教えを守り、試合中は冷静に、そして一球一球に集中し、引退するまでひたすら忍耐強く頑張り通してきた彼が感じていたストレスやプレッシャーは、相当なものだっただろう。テニス界に様々な記録と記憶を残してきた彼の、人としての物語も後世に語り継がれるべきだと思う。映画には、彼が、マッケンローが暴言を吐いている映像を見詰めているシーンがあった。感情を表に出しているマッケンローが羨ましかったのか、昔の自分を見ているようで懐かしかったのか。マッケンローは集中出来ていない、と一緒に観ていた彼の妻が言うと、ボルグは即座に反論。集中し過ぎている故のブチ切れだと。あの瞬間、マッケンローの一番の理解者はボルグだったに違いない。

一方のマッケンローは、そんなボルグを尊敬していたようだ。1980年の全英オープンでは、準決勝までは暴言を吐きまくっていたが、ボルグとの決勝戦では、キレることなく自分のテニスに集中し、二人でテニス史に残る激戦を繰り広げた。映画では、ボルグが冷静にインタビューに答える映像を見ながら、ああなりたかったんだ、とマッケンローがつぶやくシーンがあった。マッケンローにもボルグのコーチのような方がいたら、彼もボルグのようになっていたのだろうか。そんなマッケンローは見たくもないが。

引退後、２人は親友になったらしい。似た者同士だからすぐに気が合っただろうな。

Roger Moore as James Bond

In May 2020, I watched the eighth movie to the fourteenth one in the 007 series on TV. The movies were released between 1973 and 1985. All of them star Roger Moore who was 46 to 58 years old.

The movie series depicts the activities of James Bond, an intelligence officer in the Secret Intelligence Service. I do not feel comfortable when he never changes color even just after he killed someone, but I think that I had better take it easy because it is just an entertainment.

As well as Sean Connery as Bond, Roger Moore as Bond frequently gets laid but he does not appear wilder. He looks to be a handsome, dandy, humorous and sophisticated English gentleman who makes witty jokes many time. I want to be a nice joker like him, however, my jokes only make people around me smile wryly always. He is three years senior to the Scottish actor. When I knew it, I was surprised. Handsome guys look younger. I like Moore as Bond better than the first and second James Bonds.

I felt that the tenth movie and the following four ones were not so old-fashioned, though many people might feel that they are still outdated. Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me was 50 years old but he looked in his thirties. The tenth movie was released in 1977. I still love the first one in the Star Wars series released in the same year. Action movies released in the late 1970s and later seem to be able to entertain me. In terms of car action, the Wild Speed series is far more exciting, which is natural because it has been produced since 2001. I also felt that Roger Moore in the thirteenth and fourteenth movies lost his youth, which could not be helped because the English actor was 56 years old in Octopussy. By the way, Tom Cruise was at the same age in Mission: Impossible – Fallout and he was running, running and running in it. He was super physical for his age.

As for the Bond girls, I loved to watch the three beauties, Jane Seymour in Live and Let Die, Lois Chiles in Moonraker and Carole Bouquet in Your Eyes Only. 

ロジャー・ムーアの007

2020年５月、ロジャー・ムーア主演の『007』シリーズをTV観賞した。第８作から第14作まで。公開は1973年から1985年にかけて。ロジャーは46歳から58歳になった。

イギリスの諜報機関の工作員ジェームズ・ボンドの活躍を描く映画シリーズ。人を殺めても顔色一つ変えないボンドには若干抵抗があるが、娯楽映画なので気楽に楽しむべきだとも思う。

女とセックスしまくるのはショーン・コネリーのボンドと同じだが、ワイルドさはショーン・コネリーほどではない。ハンサムでダンディでユーモアがある洗練された英国紳士という感じだ。そして、洒落たジョークを多く飛ばしている。こんなオッサンになりたかったが、私が飛ばすジョークは周りから苦笑いされるばかり。それにしても、彼がショー・コネリーよりも３歳年上である事を知った時は驚いた。ハンサムな男は本当に若く見える。ジェームズ・ボンドは、ロジャー・ムーアが一番好きだ。

1977年公開の第10作『私を愛したスパイ』から、前作までに感じていた古臭さが和らぎ始めた。私の感性ではそう感じるだけで、多くの方にはまだ昔の古臭い映画かもしれない。ロジャーが50歳の時の作品だが、彼はまだ30代に見える。奇しくも未だに好きな『スター・ウォーズ』の第１作目が公開された年。1970年代後半以降が、アクション映画における私の許容範囲なのだろう。だが、カーアクションに関しては、当たり前の事だが、『ワイルド・スピード』の方が凄い。1983年公開の『オクトバシー』から、ボンドに青年っぽさが無くなった。公開時ロジャーは56歳だから無理も無い。逆に、『ミッション：インポッシブル/フォールアウト』で走りまくっていた公開時56歳のトム・クルーズの体力は、驚異的だと思う。

ボンド・ガールに関しては、『死ぬのは奴らだ』のジェーン・シーモア、『ムーンレイカー』のロイス・チャイルズ、そして『ユア・アイズ・オンリー』のキャロル・ブーケの美しさが印象に残っている。

ティモシー・ダルトンの007

ショーン・コネリーの007

A Perfect Murder

In May 2020, I watched A Perfect Murder on TV for the first time. The leads are Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow. Viggo Mortensen costars with them. The movie is a remake of the 1954 movie Dial M for Murder directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

It tells a story about a husband who plans to murder his beautiful wife. The wife has had an affair with a man and she is wealthy. The husband has had a tremendous debt and just wants her fortune not being jealous so much.

The quality of the suspense movie is not even average, though I want to watch the old Hitchcock's one because it has high public approval ratings.

In the movie I was fascinated only by Gwyneth Paltrow as the beautiful wife. She played well and was really pretty. I basically like plump ladies, so I had not been supposed to like her. I, however, was really attracted by the slender lady.

The actress reminds me a girl who was a big fan of Paltrow and used to work with me a long time ago. The colleague was very difficult but she liked movies, so we could chat only about our favorite ones and actors. One day, I saw the tall girl arguing with her boyfriend in a supermarket in the neighborhood. She then was speaking roughly and she looked like Julia Roberts playing a strong-minded and emotional woman, so a few days later, I teased her about it at work. It was fun. She loved the two famous actress who had not interested me at all but became my favorite ones thanks to her. I usually am not ready to see emerging actors, so I really appreciate someone like her giving me an opportunity to pay attention to them. Then her beloved movie, Pretty Woman, had never concerned me until she recommended it. I did not like romances but I watched it anyway. Now, I have been glad to watch it because the romance has been a good stimulus when I meet a woman who has watched it. Besides, the good movie has been popular among women. Sadly, it has recently not been popular among younger generation, though. I will value a meeting someone like the coworker. 

Michael Douglas and Viggo Mortensen who acted the adulterer are known as skillful actors but in the movie both of them were just supporting ones highlighting the stunner, Gwyneth Paltrow, from my point of view.

ダイヤルＭ

2020年５月、『ダイヤルＭ』をTVにて初観賞。1998年公開。主演はマイケル・ダグラスとグウィネス・パルトロー。ヴィゴ・モーテンセンも出演。1954年公開のサスペンス映画『ダイヤルＭを廻せ』のリメイク。

不倫している美人妻の殺害を目論む、その夫が主人公。妻は資産家で、夫は借金まみれ。そして、夫は、嫉妬に狂っているわけではなく、ただ金が欲しいだけ。

物語もサスペンス映画としても普通以下。アルフレッド・ヒッチコックが監督した元の映画は、評価が高いので観てみたいとは思う。

この映画は、美人妻を演じたグウィネス・パルトローの魅力に尽きる。演技が上手い上に本当に綺麗だった。そして、痩せすぎているので好きなタイプではないはずなのだが、不思議とずっと観ていられた。

かなり前に職場の同僚だった女の子が、彼女のファンだと言っていた事を思い出す。その子はとても気難しい子だったが、幸い映画好きだったので、好きな作品や俳優の話だけは出来た。近所のスーパーで彼氏と口論している長身の彼女を見た時は、その様が、彼女が好きだと言っていたジュリア・ロバーツの感情を露わにする時の演技と似ていたので、その事を後日からかったりもした。彼女がファンだったその二人の女優さんの事は、元々全く好きでは無かったが、彼女のおかげで興味が湧いた。自然発生的に誰かを好きになる事が少ない私にとっては、そういうきっかけを与えてくれる人は本当に助かる。彼女が自身の心の映画と言っていた『プリティ・ウーマン』も、恋愛映画なので薦められるまでは全く興味が無かったのだが、観賞しておいて本当に良かったと思う。良い映画だし、最近の若い女性の間ではあまり知られていないが、大勢の女性に大人気の作品なので、彼女の後に出会った女性達との話す良いきっかけになった。今後も、あの同僚のような人との出会いは大事にしたいと思う。

マイケル・ダグラスと不倫相手を演じたヴィゴ・モーテンセンは、言わずと知れた演技の上手い俳優さんたち。だが、本作では、私にとっては只の脇役に過ぎなかった。

Borg McEnroe #1

In September 2018, I watched Borg McEnroe at Toho Cinemas Nagareyama Ootakanomori for the first time, which was because I got interested in the movie after I knew that Naomi Osaka won the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament. 

In May 2020, I watched it again on DVD.

The film focuses on the final of the Wimbledon tournament in 1980 between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. Then it elaborately describes what each player was like.

I like this story about Steffi Graf. A guy shouted out from the stand to Graf playing against Kimiko Date, "Steffi, will you marry me?" and then the German player shouted back, "How much money do you have?" in the semifinal of the 1996 Wimbledon tournament. I also was happy to watch the live footage where the 17-year-old Maria Sharaova was smiling and trying to call someone using her cellphone on the tennis court in front of the audience after she beat Serena Williams and won the 2004 Wimbledon tournament. Although I am not a big fan of tennis, yet I like such stories, so the movie was enjoyable and entertained me a lot. Tennis fans must have gotten absorbed in it.

I had known that McEnroe had rivaled Borg. I also had done that the American player was hot-tempered and had sometimes shouted abusive language against the umpires during matches. I, however, had not known that the Swedish player used to spit out curses playing tennis when he was young. It surprised me a little because I had thought of Borg as a goody-goody. Then, before first watching it, I expected that the movie focused on the rivalry between them, but it spotlighted Borg far more than McEnroe. I was kind of disappointed by that because I had been more interested in and wanted to watch the naughty McEnroe than Borg looking just handsome. It could not be helped because it is a Swedish film. The anguish of the good-looking man impressed me that much, though. I hope that Americans will produce a movie about John McEnroe someday.

ボルグ／マッケンロー #1

2018年９月、『ボルグ／マッケンロー 氷の男と炎の男』をTOHOシネマズ 流山おおたかの森にて初観賞。当時全米オープンで大坂なおみ選手が優勝して話題になっていたので、観る気になった。

2020年５月、DVDにて再観賞。

1980年のウィンブルドン選手権男子シングルス決勝に出場したスウェーデン出身のビヨン・ボルグとアメリカ出身のジョン・マッケンローの試合に焦点を当てつつ、両選手がどのような人物だったのかを丁寧に描写している。

シュテフィ・グラフが、1996年ウィンブルドン選手権の伊達公子との準決勝の最中に、観客に大声でプロポーズされ、「あなたの財産はいくらなの？」と切り返した話は好きだし、17歳のシャラポワが、2004年ウィンブルドン決勝でセリーナ・ウィリアムズに勝利した直後、観衆の面前で笑いながら誰かに携帯電話を架けていた場面は、丁度その生放送を観ていたが、本当に微笑ましかった。このように、試合そのものよりもそういうサイドストーリーが好きなので、とりわけテニスファンというわけではないのだが、映画は十分楽しめた。良い映画だと思う。恐らく、テニスファンにはたまらない作品だろう。

映画の主人公ボルグのライバル、ジョン・マッケンローが試合中に暴言を吐く選手だという事は知っていた。でも、ボルグ自身が若い頃はマッケンローみたいにプレイ中にブチ切れる選手だった事は知らなかった。そして、二人のライバル関係がテーマだと思っていたので、初観賞時に、性格の良さげな美男子のボルグ寄りの映画だと気付いた時は、どちらかというと悪童と言われていたマッケンローの方に興味が有って、その彼のやんちゃぶりを観たかったので少し興ざめした。ボルグがスウェーデン人で、これがスウェーデン映画だからしょうがないことではある。ただ、当時のボルグが実は苦悩を抱えていた事には深く感銘を受けた。いつかアメリカ人に、ジョン・マッケンローの映画を製作してほしい。