Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

In June 2020, I watched Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation for the first time on TV. It is the fifth movie in the Mission Impossible series, which follows Ethan Hunt, who is an agent for the Impossible Missions Force, also known as the IMF, a division of the CIA, and his fellows. The spy action movie was released in 2015. 

I prefer it to the prequel. The reason is Rebecca Ferguson, who was beautiful, elegant and bewitching. I was really captivated by her through. I was also fascinated by her in The Greatest Showman, Doctor Sleep and Mission: Impossible - Fallout, which is the sequel and which I watched at theater in 2018, however, I felt that she looked dazzling in the fifth movie better than in the three movies. Moreover, Ferguson was prettier than Jennifer Lopez and Rooney Mara who recently charmed me. 

The lead, Tom Cruise, seemed mature in a good way like the prequel. I also felt that Cruise looked the coolest in the series. He was excellent in action like always. Then Benji Dunn played by Simon Pegg and Ethan Hunt seemed to be the nice duo who looked comfortable and amusing. Jeremy Renner played well as William Brandt like the prequel. Ving Rhames as Luther had a mustache, which kind of disappointed me. 

Alec Baldwin appeared in it. The veteran actor was 57 years old at the release. He has not become a superstar but has survived in the harsh world of entertainment as a still handsome supporting actor. He was kind of fat but looked amazingly cool for his age. 

Ｍ：Ｉ／ローグ・ネイション

2020年６月、『ミッション：インポッシブル/ローグ・ネイション』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・ハントと彼の仲間達の活躍を描いたスパイ・アクション映画シリーズの第５作。2015年公開。 

前作よりも好きな作品。理由はレベッカ・ファーガソン。綺麗で優雅で妖艶。ずっと見惚れていた。『グレイテスト・ショーマン』、『ドクター・スリープ』、そして、公開時観覧した第６作の『ミッション：インポッシブル』でも魅せられたが、本作の彼女が一番輝いていると思う。最近、観たジェニファー・ロペスやルーニー・マーラをも凌駕する美しさだった。 

主演のトム・クルーズも、前作に引き続き良い感じの男ぶりだった。彼も、本作が一番カッコいいかもしれない。アクションも相変わらず凄い。そして、サイモン・ペッグが演じていたベンジーも、ハントとのコンビが良い感じだった。ブラントを演じたジェレミー・レナーも前作と同様に好演していたと思う。ルーサーはまた口髭を生やしていたのが、少し残念だった。 

アレック・ボールドウィンも出演。公開時57歳。スーパースターにはなれなかったが、脇役でしぶとく生き残っている未だハンサムな俳優さん。少し太ったが、歳を考えると驚異的な格好良さだ。 

Café Society #1

In June 2020, I watched the revival of Café Society for the first time at Marunouchi Piccadilly, a theater in Tokyo. The romantic comedy drama movie was released in 2016. The lead is Jesse Eisenberg. 

The story was set in the United States in the 1930s and describe the romance of a man named Bobby. He was born and raised in New York and moves to Los Angeles counting on his uncle who has become a big shot in Hollywood. Then he falls in love with a woman but after a while he has his heart broken by her, so he returns to New York so as to restart his life. 

The theme is unforgettable love. The movie was good for a romance. 

I used to get attached easily, so I really liked a lot of women. However, most of the women are just history now, though I clearly remember several women of them. Watching the lovesick Bobby, I was remembering the several women and a character in the movie Serendipity in which the main character, Jonathan, played by John Cusack, cannot forget about a woman who he met some years before, so he starts to look for her fanatically one day before his wedding. The character that I remembered is a best friend of Jonathan's and he joins the search for her in which he is so impressed with his buddy's passion that he decides to start over again with his ex-long-term girlfriend. Watching the movie, I remembered how he decides to and I thought that I must clearly express my feelings with passion to a woman who I really like so she at least can know my feelings. A man is most happy if he dates and marries a woman who he deeply loves. 

Woody Allen wrote and directed the 2016 movie. I first watched his film at a theater, moreover, I watched one of his films for the first time since 2012. I had not watched his works which I had loved for many years because they reminded me of my painful memories in which I had my heart broken by a woman who I had often chatted with about the legendary film director until she turned me down. In fact, I had completely forgotten about chatting with her over Allen before I watched the movie, and then I remembered it when I saw the opening particular to his films. I did not feel painful at all at that time, which meant that my heartbreak completely went away. Time had cured me. 

After watching it, I came to want to watch La La Land and my favorite Allen's movies again.

カフェ・ソサエティ #1

2020年６月、丸の内ピカデリーにて『カフェ・ソサエティ』を初観賞した。2016年公開のロマンティック・コメディのリバイバル上映。主演はジェシー・アイゼンバーグ。

舞台は1930年代のアメリカ。ニュー・ヨークで生まれ育った青年ボビーが、ハリウッドの有力者である叔父を頼ってロスアンジェルスに移り住み、その後、叔父の秘書に恋をするが、程無く失恋し、人生をやり直す為にニュー・ヨークに舞い戻る。そんなボビーの恋愛物語。

テーマは忘れられない人。まあまあの恋愛映画。 

惚れっぽいので好きになった女性は大勢いるが、大概はただの想い出。記憶に鮮明に残っている女性は少ない。その女性達の事を、恋に悩むボビーを観ながら、思い出していた。そして、映画『セレンディピティ』で、数年前に出会った女性を忘れられない主人公、ジョン・キューザック演じるジョナサンが、自身の結婚式の前に、その女性を躍起になって探し回っている時に、そんな彼に付き合って一緒にその女性を探してあげていた彼の親友が、彼の一所懸命な姿を観ながら、自分に足りなかったのはこういう情熱だ、という事に気付いて別れたばかりの恋人とやり直す事を決意したシーンも思い出していた。想いは、はっきりと伝えないと伝わらない。心底惚れた相手と一緒になれた方々は本当に幸せだと思う。 

監督・脚本はウディ・アレン。彼の作品を映画館で観たのは初めて。そして、彼の作品の観賞自体も久しぶりだった。大好きだった彼の作品群をしばらくの間観ていなかったのは、数年前の失恋を思い出すのが辛かった為。その女性とはよくアレンの作品の話をしていた。実は、観覧前までそんな事もすっかり忘れていた。アレンの作品特有のオープニングを観ながら彼女の事を思い出した。辛くはならなかった。心の傷は完全に癒えたという事だろう。時間が解決してくれた。 

観賞後、『ラ・ラ・ランド』を無性に観たくなった。そして、ウディ・アレンの作品もまた観始めようとも思った。 

If I Stay

In June 2020, I watched the movie If I Stay for the first time on DVD. The romantic drama movie was released in 2014. The lead is Chloe Grace Moretz. The film is based on the book with the same name written by Gayle Forman. 

It describes the youth of Mia, the daughter of a close family who meets a car accident.

One month earlier, I watched the movie Brain on Fire, which also stars Chloe Grace Moretz and is based on a true story. It was deep and fun, so I had expected the 2014 movie to have what is worth watching without the charm of Chloe. However, it turned out to be just a romance, after all. I felt that only the acting of the attractive Chloe as Mia deserved to be watched. The story might quite move people who have lost someone very special by car accidents and people who have had to have long-distance relationships with their lovers. I also felt that it was good as a romance, so romantic movie fans might love it. All the same, I could not empathize with the characters so much because it is a complete fiction. Moreover, I am not interested in a romance between a beautiful young couple. I was kind of touched by the parental love, though. Then I liked Mia's best friend, Kim, played by Liana Liberato who had a round face, winsomely smiled and looked very charming. Plus, although I could not feel the performances of a band of Mia's boyfriend's to be cool at all, yet Mia playing the cello looked awesome and beautiful.

イフ・アイ・ステイ

2020年６月、映画『イフ・アイ・ステイ 愛が還る場所』をDVDにて初観賞。2014年公開の恋愛映画。クロエ・グレース・モレッツ主演。原作は、ゲイル・フォアマンの小説『ミアの選択』。 

交通事故に遭った仲の良い４人家族の長女、ミアの青春が描かれている。 

以前観たクロエ主演の『彼女が目覚めるその日まで』が、実話を基にした結構深い作品だったので、今回もクロエの演技以外にも観るべきものがあって欲しいと願いながら観賞したが、結局はただの恋愛映画で、観応えがあったのは、ミアを演じたクロエ・グレース・モレッツの可愛らしい演技だけだった。交通事故で親しい方を亡くした方々や遠距離恋愛を強いられた方々には心に響く物語かもしれない。また、恋愛映画が好きな方には楽しめる作品だと思う。だが、これは実話でもなんでもないので、若い美男美女の恋愛を斜めに見てしまう私には感情移入することが出来なかった。ただ、家族愛には少し感動した。そして、ミアの女友達を演じた丸顔のリアナ・リベラトが愛嬌があって可愛らしかった。また、ミアの彼氏のバンド演奏には何も感じなかったが、ミアがチェロを演奏する姿は、様になっていて綺麗だった。

Solace

In June 2020, I watched the movie Solace for the first time on DVD. The thriller movie was opened in 2015. The lead is Anthony Hopkins. 

The outline is like this. The FBI gets stuck in the investigation of a serial murderer, then one of the agents visits his former colleague with second sight and asks him to help them. The former FBI agent, John Clancy, played by Anthony Hopkins cooperates with the FBI and joins the investigation, however, it turns out that the true culprit also has second sight, moreover, his capability is better than Clancy's. 

Although I was fascinated by the acting of Hopkins through, yet as a thriller film it was kind of more boring than The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Then I felt that it was ironical that Hopkins acted Dr. Lector, a cannibalistic murderer, in the two old movies but he played a FBI agent in the 2015 movie, though I admired him because he remarkably played the FBI agent as well as Dr. Lector. In terms of having psychic powers, Clancy resembled Ted also played by Hopkins in Hearts in Atlantic which I love as well as the two old films, so I appreciated the newer one with deep emotion. 

Abbie Cornish played well as a female FBI agent, though Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore had played a little bit better as Clarice. 

Known that Collin Farrell costarred, I thought of the FBI agent appearing from the beginning as him and I felt that Farrell had gotten old before I knew it, however, the real Farrell appeared in the middle and I realized that the looking old actor was different from him. I think of myself as a foreign movie fan, nevertheless, I sometimes still cannot tell one of white actors from the other.

ブレイン・ゲーム

2020年６月、映画『ブレイン・ゲーム』をDVDにて初観賞。2015年公開のスリラー映画。主演はアンソニー・ホプキンス。 

連続殺人犯を追っていたFBI捜査官が、捜査に行き詰まり、予知能力を持つ、アンソニー・ホプキンス扮する元同僚ジョン・クランシーに助けを求め、協力して犯人を追跡するものの、その凶悪犯は、実は、クランシーよりもより高い能力を備えていた。そんなお話。 

全体を通してアンソニー・ホプキンスの演技には魅せられたが、スリラー映画としては、『羊たちの沈黙』や『ハンニバル』よりも退屈だった。その２作品でレスター博士を演じていたホプキンスが、本作ではFBI 捜査官を演じていたのはなんだか皮肉だなと思いつつ、その演技には全く違和感が無かったので、流石だなとも思った。そして、特殊な能力を持っているという点が『アトランティスのこころ』のテッド役と同じなので、その３作品を好きな私にとっては、少し感慨深い作品であった。 

FBI 女性捜査官を演じたアビー・コーニッシュは、前述の２作品でクラリスを演じていたジョディ・フォスターやジュリアン・ムーアには僅かに及ばないが、良い演技をしていたと思う。 

また、コリン・ファレルが出演していると聞いていたので、冒頭から出ているFBI捜査官を彼だと思い、知らない間に老けたなぁと感じていたのだが、後半からコリン・ファレル本人が出てきて、違う役者さんだった事に気付いた。洋画ファンのつもりなのだが、未だに白人俳優は時折見分けがつかない。 

Little Women #2

I am still enjoying the afterglow of Little Women which I watched at a theater the other day. 

The story describes four sisters in a family who are all charming. 

Watching the movie, I really envied Laurie who had had a close relationship with all the sisters since they were very young. I also wondered why he fell in love with Jo, who was an unruly girl. I know that when a man has fallen in love with a woman, he tends to lose his reason, but, all the same, I felt that it seemed unnatural that Laurie really loved Jo. It might have been because Florence Pugh as Amy was quite charming and attractive. 

Laura Dern seemed to be the right actress for the role of the mother who raised the four sisters. I was impressed with her in it and I had been impressed that she had showed her presence comparable with Carrie Fisher's in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. 

I felt that the aunt played by Meryl Streep was the rightest in the female characters about how to live happily in those days as a woman. Realistically speaking, women have a slim chance of marring their destined soul mates, so it is wiser for them to focus on seeking a wealthy man. I, however, doubt that the aunt was truly happy. 

I felt comfortable with the old gentleman, the owner of a mansion in the neighborhood, who showed platonic consideration for the third daughter, Beth, who loves music, despite the elderly man looking stubborn and strict. I also felt ashamed that I had regarded his generous offer to permit Beth to freely play the piano in the mansion as his plot to come on to her when they are alone because he has his Lolita complex. I was really impressed with the scene where the gentleman was walking down the stairs near the room where Beth was playing the piano, and then he stopped and slowly sit on the stairs to listen to the beautiful tune that she was playing.

Little Women #1

ストーリー・オブ・マイライフ #2

先日劇場観覧した『ストーリー・オブ・マイライフ/わたしの若草物語』の余韻が未だ残っている。 

それぞれが魅力的な、ある４姉妹の物語。 

そんな彼女達と子供の頃からずっと仲良しの隣人、ローリーが、観てて羨ましくて仕方がなかった。それにしても、彼は、なぜ、あのじゃじゃ馬のジョーに一途になったのだろうか。誰かを物凄く好きになる時の気持ちは理屈では説明出来ないものだが、少し不自然に感じた。それは、四女のエイミーを演じていたフローレンス・ピューがとても魅力的だったせいかもしれない。 

４姉妹の母を演じていたのは、『スター・ウォーズ／エピソード８』でキャリー・フィッシャーに負けない存在感を示していたローラ・ダーン。娘達を立派に育て上げた母親役にはうってつけに感じた。 

そして、メリル・ストリープが演じていた姉妹達の叔母は、登場人物の女性の中では、当時の女性として一番正しい考え方をしていたと思う。運命の人と結ばれる確率なんてかなり低いだろうし、だったらまずは経済力という話になる。ただ、彼女が、心から幸せだったかどうかは別の話だが。 

姉妹達の家の隣にある立派な屋敷に住んでいた老紳士の、三女ベスに対するプラトニックな思いは、彼のような頑固そうな爺さんには似つかわしくないが、本当に微笑ましかった。そして、音楽が好きなベスに自分の屋敷のピアノを自由に弾かせてあげる彼の心優しい計らいを、実はロリコンで、二人きりになった時にいきなり襲いかかる魂胆じゃねーだろうな、と邪推していた事を恥じた。ベスがピアノを弾いている部屋の近くの階段を下りていた老紳士の彼が、途中で立ち止まり、そのまま階段に座り込んで彼女の奏でる音楽に聞き入ってしまうシーンは、強く印象に残った。

ストーリー・オブ・マイライフ　#1