Mission: Impossible III

In June 2020, I watched the movie Mission Impossible III for the first time on TV. It is the third movie in the Mission Impossible series, a spy movie series, which describes the activities of Ethan Hunt and his collogues who are agents for the Impossible Missions Force, also known as the IMF, a division of the CIA. It was released in 2006.

The third movie was fun more than the first one and the second one. The director is J. J. Abrams who directed Star Wars Episode VII and Episode IX which are wonderful for science fiction films.

Philip Seymour Hoffman gave a wonderful performance as a villain who is quiet but horrible. The actor acted quite well with a unique atmosphere. When I watched him for the first time, he costarred with Chris O'Donnell in Scent of a Woman. The young Hoffman played a supporting role but wore a distinctive feel. I tended to mix up him with Jack Black for a period but I was fascinated by his acting as the lame yet lovable big brother in The Savages where Laura Linney costarred with him and played his little sister. He is known for winning the Oscar for Best Actor for Capote. I have not watched the movie yet, so I will watch it someday. Sadly, he passed away in 2014. Then Carrie Fisher left this earth two years later. Her friend John Belushi made his exit long time ago when he was just 33. The three actors all died from drug abuse. What a pathetic end to them! I really regret it because I have really liked the three actors. 

As for the lead, I do not like Tom Cruise so much in the first one and second one but I like him in the third one because he looks really nice. He was 44 years old at the release. The evergreen actor had a mature feel which I was fond of. He was also excellent in action as usual.

Although the James Bonds played by Sean Connery and Roger Moore randomly have sex with hot women, yet Ethan Hunt done by Tom Cruise sleeps with only a women who he has fallen in love with. Of course, I prefer Hunt to Bond, however, thinking twice, Hunt just does the natural thing as a man. The 007 series is complete entertainment. You must not expect something romantic.

ミッション：インポッシブル３

2020年６月、『ミッション：インポッシブル３』をTVにて初観賞。CIAの極秘諜報部隊IMFのエージェント、イーサン・ハントとその仲間達が活躍するスパイ映画シリーズの第３作。2006年公開。

作品としては、第１作および第２作よりも面白かった。監督はＪ・Ｊ・エイブラムス。『スター・ウォーズ』シリーズ第７作と第９作の監督でもあり、２作品ともSF映画の割には面白い。

フィリップ・シーモア・ホフマンが、静かだが恐ろしい悪党を好演していた。独特の雰囲気を持った演技の上手い俳優さん。初めて観たのは、クリス・オドネルと共演していた『セント・オブ・ウーマン』。脇役なのに独特の雰囲気を漂わせていた。しばらくの間、ジャック・ブラックと混同しがちになったが、ローラ・リニーと兄妹を演じた『マイ・ライフ、マイ・ファミリー』での、愛すべきダメ兄貴ぶりには魅せられた。世間的には、彼の代表作はオスカーを獲得した『カポーティ』らしい。まだ未観賞なのでいつか観たい。残念ながら、2014年に他界。キャリー・フィッシャーは2016年に、彼女と友達だったジョン・ベルーシはかなり前に36歳で逝去。御三方ともに死因は薬物乱用。悲しい末路だ。好きだった俳優さんたちだっただけに切ない。

そして、前作までそれほど好きではなかったトム・クルーズ。本作の彼は良い感じだった。公開時44歳。青年でありつつも大人の雰囲気が漂っていて、好感が持てた。そして、今回もアクションはハンパなかった。

ショーン・コネリーやロジャー・ムーアが演じていたジェームズ・ボンドは、手当たり次第に美女と寝ていたが、トム・クルーズが演じるハントは、愛する女性とだけ深い関係になる。ハントの方が好きだが、よくよく考えると、彼は男としてごく当たり前の行動を取っているだけだ。007は純粋な娯楽作品。感動を期待してはいけない。

Hustlers #2

The movie Hustlers was released in 2019 and is inspired on a true story. It follows the two ladies who used to be strippers and start to form a gang with their former colleagues so as to swindle rich men some years after the Lehman shock.

In February 2020, I watched it for the first time at a Toho Cinemas Kinshicho, however, I kind of had difficulties in watching it because my seat was very close to the big screen, though I could fully enjoy myself only at the stage performance of Jennifer Lopez as a stripper toward the beginning. That was overwhelmingly amazing. I was so captivated by her provocative performance that I followed only her when she was on the screen. Then, after watching it, I kind of regretted that I had not paid close attention to another main character, Destiny, so much.

In May, I watched the movie The Big Short on DVD. It describes the confusion over the United States subprime mortgage crisis causing the Lehman shock. It was wonderful and reminded me Hustlers, then I decided to watch the crime drama film again. Most of the theaters in Japan were closed in March due to the novel coronavirus pandemic but they gradually have reopened since June because the pandemic has started to settle, so I luckily could watch it at a theater again.

In June, I went to Cinema Ikspiari, a cinema multiplex, which is located near the Tokyo Disneyland, and easily could take a seat in the back, my usual and favorite position, because the viewers were just a pair of girls and me. I had looked forward to watching the voluptuous J.Lo as a strip dancer again but I could not get fascinated by the stage so much, unlike the last time, maybe because it was second time from the distant seat and because I was very tired after work the previous time. Anyway, I tried to enjoy the whole story and watch another lead closely.

Constance Wu gave a great performance as Destiny who dedicates herself to her grandmother and daughter. The Asian beauty was charming and attractive, moreover, her acting almost made me cry toward the end. On the other hand, the Latin beauty gave a wonderful performance as Ramona, a bitch, after all. I do not know why she was not even nominated to the Academy Award.

As for the crimes they committed, I wrote this in the first preview. "The former strippers lived desperately in their own way and as a result they deviated from social norms. I cannot approve of what they did but I do not want to criticize them." Now, I want to rewrite it like this. Let's make honest money because life is tough for anybody, though it might be difficult for people who have lead extravagant lives. 

ハスラーズ #2

『ハスラーズ』は2019年に公開された、実話を基にしている映画。かつてストリッパーだった２人の女性が、リーマンショック後に、かつての仲間達とチームを組んで、金持ちの男から金をだまし取るお話。

2020年２月に、TOHOシネマズ錦糸町で初観賞。席が前過ぎたため、とても観にくかったが、その分、早めの時間帯のジェニファー・ロペスのストリップ・ショーにはかなり満足出来た。そのショーが圧巻過ぎた為、彼女の虜になり、最後まで彼女が出るシーンは彼女だけを観てしまっていたが。それ故、観賞後、もう一人の主人公デスティニーにあまり注視していなかった事を悔やんだ。

その後、５月にDVDで観た『マネー・ショート』に深く感銘を受けた。そして、その作品が、リーマンショックを引き起こしたサブプライムローン危機前後の混乱を描いていた為、本作を思い出し、再度観たくなった。日本の映画館のほとんどが、３月以降、新型コロナウィルスの影響で休業していたが、６月以降、騒ぎの収束に伴い徐々に再開し始めた。そのため、幸運にも、また映画館で観る事が出来た。

2020年６月、東京ディズニーランドに隣接するシネマイクスピアリにて観覧。観客は、私以外は女の子２人組だけだった。余裕で、日頃からよく好んで座っている後ろの方の座席を確保。観覧前は、グラマラスなジェニファー・ロペスのストリップ・ショーを心待ちにしていたが、いざ観てみると、前回と違って、さほど魅了されなかった。恐らく、後ろの方の席だったし、２回目だった所為だろう。それに、前回は、仕事帰りでかなり疲れていたし。今回は、物語ともう一人の主人公にも注視しながら観賞した。

祖母と娘の為に懸命に生きたデスティニーを演じたコンスタン・ウーは、とても良い演技をしていたと思う。それに、可愛らしくて魅力的で、終盤の彼女の演技には、もう少しで泣かされそうになった。一方、ジェニファー・ロペスは、ラモーナという悪女役を、やはり、本当に素晴らしく演じていた。彼女がなぜアカデミー賞にノミネートされなかったのか理解に苦しむ。

彼女達の犯した罪に関しては、前回のレビューでは、「彼女達は彼女達なりに必死に生きた。そして、それが社会の規範に反していた。だから、賞賛は出来ない。でも、否定する気にもなれない」と書いたが、今回は、こう思っている。人は正当に稼いだお金で生きるべき。人生は誰にでも厳しいのだから。贅沢な生活を経験した方々には難しい事かもしれないけれど。

Mission: Impossible 2 (film in 2000)

Mission: Impossible 2. A spy action.

It follows the activities of Ethan Hunt who is a crack agent for the Impossible Missions Force, also known as the IMF, a division of the CIA. Hunt and his colleagues fight against their enemies over an artificial deadly virus. Coronavirus has had an overwhelming influence in the real world, so I felt complicated a little. I though that it was fun as well as the previous work but it was more stylish.

Although the lead, Tom Cruise, looked more pleasant than the previous one, yet I did not like him so much. I of course thought that he was an excellent actor especially in action. The scenes especially were picturesque when he was driving a high-powered bike.

Anthony Hopkins appeared in it. I expected him to act an important role like Jon Voight in the first movie, however, he acted just in two scenes. I was kind of disappointed at it but I also thought that it was good because Hopkins would have upstaged Cruise if the veteran actor had played longer time. I believe that anything must not shadow the glamour of Tom Cruise in the spy movie series. 

I did not like Hunt's colleague Luther played by Ving Rhames in it because he had a mustache. For the same reason, I do not like watching Paul Newman in Sting and Hervey Keitel in Pulp Fiction and Irishman, though I love both of the actors. Talking about a tiny personal preference goes on forever, though. Moreover, I like a man with a mustache if it looks good on him, like Charles Bronson.

ミッション：インポッシブル２（映画／2000年）

『ミッション・インポッシブル２』。スパイ・アクション映画。 

CIAの極秘諜報部隊IMFのエージェント、イーサン・ハントとその仲間たちの活躍が描かれている。今回は人工的に開発された殺人ウィルスを巡る攻防戦。現実世界でコロナウィルスに翻弄される日々を送っているので、若干複雑な気分になった。面白さは前作と同じくらいに感じたが、よりスタイリッシュになった気もした。 

主演のトム・クルーズは、前回より良い感じの好青年になっていたが、それほど好きにはなれなかった。良い俳優さんだとは思う。アクションも半端無かった。特にバイクで疾走するシーンは絵になっていた。 

アンソニー・ホプキンスも出演。前作のジョン・ボイド並みの活躍を期待したが、出演は２シーンだけ。少し残念だったが、彼のシーンが増えるとトム・クルーズが食われてしまう可能性があるので、あれで良かったとも思う。このシリーズでは、トム・クルーズの輝きを陰らしてはいけない。 

ハントの仲間としてお馴染みのルーサー役のヴィング・レイムスが口髭を生やしていた。生理的に口髭は好きにはなれない。『スティング』のポール・ニューマンや、『パルプ・フィクション』と『アイリッシュマン』でのハーヴェイ・カイテルは、二人ともとても好きな俳優さんではあるが、あの風貌だけは好きになれない。こんな個人的過ぎる嗜好を言いだしたらキリがないが、チャールズ・ブロンソンのような髭が似合う男だったらケチはつけない。 

The Blues Brothers

In June 2020, I watched The Blues Brothers, a revival, at Toho Cinemas Kinshicho. That was the first time for me to watch the movie on a big screen. It was wonderful time. The movie was released in 1980. I had watched it for the first time on the television set when I was a boy. I remembered that it was fun. Then I bought the cheap used DVD of it in the early 2000s and I have watched it several times since then.

The movie is a good old American slapstick musical. All of the songs and back ground music were so fantastic that I was never bored and fully enjoyed myself through. 

The story follows the Blues brothers. The brothers know that the orphanage, which had raised them, cannot pay its huge real property tax by the due day, so they reunite their band to earn money enough to pay the huge tax and they start to struggle.

I had watched John Belushi as Jake Blues several times and I first watched him as Jake on a big screen. Every time I saw the short and heavy guy, he looked very cool in spite of his figure. His unique actions and motions were sophisticated and amusing. He was laconic and hardly got upset no matter what happened, and then he pretended to calm until the last moment when crunches came, which was cool and funny. He really amused me. I could not stop chuckling especially at the scenes where the brothers were silently standing in the elevator that took forever to arrive at their destination floor.

Elwood Blues acted by Dan Aykroyd was a good performer on stage and he always stood by his big brother. The brotherhood was heart-warming. Twiggy played a chic girl who was asked out by Elwood but ended up being stood up. The cut in which the chic girl are waiting for Elwood is inserted in the middle of the scenes where the brothers are desperately running from the police. The edition was impeccable and stylish, which really impressed and amused me. Carrie Fisher gave a good performance as a mysterious and crazy girl. She acted in it just after she did in Star Wars and became famous as the role of Leia Organa.

The movie is known for the gorgeous cast members. As for the performers, however, I could recognize only James Brown, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. It is said that the other performers and actors were also popular in those days. The viewers can feel the vivid atmosphere in the days when the blockbuster entertainment was released. 

ブルース・ブラザーズ

2020年６月、『ブルース・ブラザーズ』をTOHOシネマズ錦糸町にて観覧。1980年公開作のリバイバル上映。子供の頃、ＴＶで初観賞。面白かった記憶があったので、大人になって安価だった中古DVDを購入。これまでにそれで何度か観ているが、劇場観覧は初めて。最高に楽しかった。

古き良きアメリカのドタバタコメディ・ミュージカル作品。歌およびBGMが本当に素晴らしくて、最後まで飽きる事無く楽しめた。

ブルース兄弟が、かつて育ててくれた孤児院が税金の支払いに困っている事を知り、その孤児院を助ける為に、昔彼らが組んでいたバンドを再結成してその税金分を稼ごうと奮闘する物語。

兄のジェイク・ブルースを演じたずんぐりむっくりのジョン・ベルーシが、何故か毎回カッコよく見える。彼独特の動きや仕草が洒落ていて、小気味良い。そして、無駄口を叩かず、どんな目に遭っても徒に慌てず、いざという時もギリギリまでクールを装っている様が本当に可笑しかった。特に、最後の方で、中々目的階に到着しないエレベーターの中で弟のエルウッドと一緒に黙って突っ立っている姿が、可笑しくてしょうがなかった。

ダン・エイクロイドが演じたエルウッドは、歌やダンスが上手くて、ジェイクの良い相棒。兄弟愛が微笑ましい。そのエルウッドが口説いていた女の子を演じていたのがツィギー。ブルース兄弟が警察に追われているシーンの最中に、彼女が待ちぼうけを食らっているカットが挿入されているが、そのタイミングが絶妙でオシャレだ。キャリー・フィッシャーも出演。『スター・ウォーズ』のレイア姫役でスターになったばかりの頃で、イカレた女を好演していた。

共演者がとにかく豪華な事でも有名な映画。私自身は、ジェームス・ブラウンとアレサ・フランクリン、そして、レイ・チャールズしか分からなかったが、他のミュージシャン・役者も相当な大物らしい。公開当時の時代の雰囲気が感じられる超娯楽大作だ。

Mission: Impossible (film in 1996)

Mission: Impossible. Starring Tom Cruise.

The movie follows the activities of Ethan Hunt who is a young agent for the Impossible Missions Forces, also known as the IMF, a division of the CIA.

The movie was just good. 

Although Sean Connery and Roger Moore as James Bond are cool and completely matured men who are good at joking, yet Tom Cruise as Hunt was a passionate and vigorous man who was better in action than the two great actors as Bond. By the way, Cruise in the movie looked similar to Charlie Sheen.

I had not liked Cruise for a long time but I thought of him as a young and handsome actor playing well when I watched The Color of Money and Rain Man. In the two movies he costarred with my favorite actors Paul Newman and Dustin Hoffman respectively. I just had not been fond of the young Cruise because he looked impudent. I, however, have been a fan of him since I watched Fallout, the sixth installment of the series at a theater in 2018. Cruise in his fifties looked nice and matured. He has been a world-wide superstar since Top Gun, so he must have continued to make efforts without getting arrogant and being proud of his good-looking. What a great actor.

I was kind of surprised when Ving Rhames appeared with Jean Reno because I had seen him in the sixth movie. After watching the first one, I checked and knew that he had played the same role in all of the installments in the series. Cruise and he must be a good match. Rhames also played well as a crime boss in Pulp Fiction released in 1994. I was impressed with him in the scene where the boss is saying goodbye to an old boxer played by Bruce Wills. Rhame is a good actor who looks tough but has a winsome smile.

ミッション：インポッシブル（映画／1996年）

『ミッション：インポッシブル』。トム・クルーズ主演。

CIAの極秘諜報部隊IMFの若きエージェント、イーサン・ハントの活躍を描いている。

まあまあ面白かった。

ジェームズ・ボンドは、十分に成熟した大人で落ち着き払っていたが、ハントは情熱的で血気盛んな青年。ボンドを演じたショーン・コネリーやロジャー・ムーアは洒落たジョークが得意だったが、ハント役のトム・クルーズはアクションが素晴らしかった。この頃のクルーズは、マイケル・シーンに似ている。

長い間、トム・クルーズは好きではなかった。ポール・ニューマン目当てで観た『ハスラー２』やダスティン・ホフマン目当てで観た『レイン・マン』にそれぞれ出演していた彼には、演技が上手いハンサムな若手俳優という印象は持てたが、彼の若い頃の生意気な感じは虫が好かなかった。だが、2018年に劇場観覧したシリーズ第６作の『フォールアウト』で、遅まきながら彼のファンになった。50代半ばの彼は、良い感じの大人になっていた。『トップガン』以来、世界のトップ・スターとして長年君臨し続けている彼。ルックスの良さに驕ることなく精進し続けていたんだろうな。偉大な俳優さん。

第６作に出ていたヴィング・レイムスが、ジャン・レノと一緒に現れた時は少し驚いた。彼はこのシリーズ全てに出演しているらしい。トム・クルーズとの相性が良いのだろう。『パルプ・フィクション』ではギャングのボス役を演じていたが、ボクサー役のブルース・ウィルスとの別れのシーンが印象に残っている。強面だが愛嬌がある良い役者さん。