The Professor

In October 2020, I watched The Professor for the first time at Kinema Junpo Theater. The comedy drama film is released in 2018 starring Johnny Depp. I came to want to watch Depp's superb act and a friendship between two college professors, one of whom Depp played, in it again after I saw a wonderful performance that Depp gave in Minamata at a theater in September 2021 and a friendship tale of a lame teacher played by Mads Mikkelsen and his three colleagues in Another Round at it in October 2021. I love the film which I have done several times since I first did it.

It depicts how the middle-aged professor Richard has lived since he was diagnosed as lung cancer and was told his remaining days.

Richard is told his days by his doctor and on the evening he has dinner and tries to speak about his cancer to his wife and their only daughter when their daughter comes out as a lesbian. Although his wife laughs it off saying to her that it is temporary, yet Richard shows an understanding of it. He should have agreed with his wife, been indifferent to it, or persuaded his daughter to keep it secret considering their reputation like an ordinary father if he had not known about his near future. Afterward, his wife confesses her affairs to him, however, he shows no anger at her and is just amazed by the fact that her lover is the dean of his college because he has despised the snobbish dean. His best friend, a colleague of him, eventually becomes the first person who he talks to about his terminal cancer. Richard starts to teach his students uniquely and soulfully in his classes like a teacher played Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, though he seemingly looks to be apathetic. Richard is amusing when he unkindly treats a student of feminism. He also reminded me Mads Mikkelsen acting a middle-aged teacher, who absorbs his student with the help of alcohol, when he gets drunk and high on marijuana in his classes. I believe that such classes are far more instructive for young students than boring ones just in order to get good grades on tests

Johnny Depp performed Richard charmingly and sometimes cynically through most of the flick. He looked to be really awesome, though he acted the role of a lame middle-aged man.

The film is also wonderful because you can watch it without pessimism and consider about death that is demanding when you do that myself.

グッバイ、リチャード！

2020年10月、キネマ旬報シアターにて『グッバイ、リチャード！』を初観賞。2018年公開のコメディドラマ。ジョニー・デップ主演。2021年９月に劇場観覧した『MINAMATA』でのデップの好演ぶりや、その翌月に観覧した『アナザーラウンド』でマッツ・ミケルセンが演じた冴えない高校教師とその親友であり同僚でもある３人との友情物語を観て、本作でも好演していたデップと彼が演じた教師とその同僚との友情物語をまた観たくなり、観賞。それ以降も何度か観ているお気に入りの作品。

肺がんと診断され余命宣告を受けた中年教師リチャードのその後の生き様が描かれている。

自分の残された時間を医者から知らされたその日の夜の家族の団らんで一人娘からレズである事をカミングアウトされるリチャード。彼の妻は一時的なものと一笑に付すもリチャードは娘に理解を示す。もし死期が近づいていなかったら、彼は、妻に同調するか、無関心でいるか、世間体を気にして黙っているように娘に諭す父親であっただろう。その後、妻から不倫をしていると告げられるも、特に怒るわけでもなく、その相手が普段から彼が軽蔑している俗物な学長であることを知って呆れるのみ。結局、自分が末期ガンだと初めて伝えたのは同僚の親友だった。学校でのリチャードは、一見投げやりだが、『いまを生きる』のロビン・ウィリアムズを彷彿とさせる魂の授業を始める。フェミニストの生徒を邪険に扱う様が愉快。その授業中に酒を飲んだりマリファナをやる姿は、『アナザーラウンド』でマッツ様が演じた酒の助けを借りながら生徒を熱中させる中年教師を連想させる。そういう授業は、テストの為の退屈なそれよりも断然刺激的で、若い生徒たちの為にもなると思う。

ジョニー・デップがそんなリチャードを全編に渡って、時にコミカルに、そして、魅力たっぷりに演じている。くたびれた中年役なのに本当にカッコいい。

そして、本作は、一人で向き合うにはすごくしんどい、「死」の観念について悲壮感をあまり覚えずに考えることができる素晴らしい映画だ。

Spectre

In October 2021, I watched Spectre for the first time on the television set. I have done the spy action film several times since then and recently did it again. It was released in 2015 and is the fourth movie in the 007 series starring Daniel Craig. Léa Seydoux appeared in it for the first time and the sequel.

It tells the story of James Bond, a MI6 crack agent, who struggles to fight a vicious organization called Spectre falling in love with his former enemy's daughter named Madeleine.

The story starts in Mexico's Day of the Dead which is also depicted in the Disney Pixar film Coco. Bond does his mission behind the cerebration held in Mexico City. He continues to fight the secret crime organization in Rome and Austria according to the information left by the former M in the last one. Then in the process he meets his fate, Madeleine. Daniel Craig acting 007 seemed to be young for his age and really awesome. Léa Seydoux playing Madeleine was pretty and bewitching and she also looked cool when she is using a gun, unlike Judi Dench as M in the former one. They were such a cute couple even if they have age difference. Moreover, the ending made me feel that the installment deserved the last one in the series, though the actual last one changed my remarks about it.

I first viewed Léa Seydoux in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. I felt her to be a not really beautiful but mysterious young French woman, she was just a stunner especially in the scenes where she is nude in The French Dispatch that I watched several month ago at a theater. She of course was really attractive in the 007 film.

Ralph Fiennes performed M. He did stunts very well in The King's Man released in 2021. I suspect that he did action in it because he had been inspired by Daniel Craig as 007 running and fighting. Moreover, although he might like to move physically, yet I think that he does not have to do more action than needed anymore because he is enough mature and looks quite good as an English gentleman.

 

 

007 スペクター

2021年10月、TV画面にて『007 スペクター』を初観賞。その後も何度か観ていて最近再観賞した2015年公開のスパイ・アクション映画。ダニエル・クレイグ主演の007シリーズ４作目。本作から続編にも出ているレア・セドゥ出演。

MI6の凄腕エージェント、ジェームズ・ボンドが昔の敵の娘マドレーヌと恋に落ちつつ、悪の組織スペクターと闘うお話。

ピクサー映画『リメンバー・ミー』でも描かれていたメキシコの「死者の日」から物語は始まる。そのメキシコシティにおける祝祭の影で活動するジェームズ・ボンド。その後も、ローマやオーストリアにて前作のMが残した情報を基に秘密組織に挑み続ける。そして、その過程で運命の女性マドレーヌと出会う。ボンドを演じたダニエル・クレイグが実年齢よりも若々しく見えてクールで本当にカッコいい。マドレーヌを演じたレア・セドゥもまた美しくて妖艶で、前作でMを演じたジュディ・デンチとは違って銃を撃つ姿が様になっていて、カッコよかった。年齢差があるお二人だがお似合いのカップルだ。そして、次作を観るまでは、本作で完結しても良かったのではと思えるエンディングだった。

レア・セドゥを初めて観たのは『ミッション:インポッシブル』の３作目。綺麗と言うよりもミステリアスな若いフランス人という感じだったが、数カ月前に観覧した『フレンチ・ディスパッチ ザ・リバティ、カンザス・イヴニング・サン別冊』で披露したヌードはただただ美しかった。もちろん、本作でも本当に魅力的だった。

Mを演じたのはレイフ・ファインズ。本作でクールに暴れ回っているダニエル・クレイグに感化されたのか、６年後、『キングスマン：ファースト・エージェント』で華麗なスタントを披露している。英国紳士が様になる見た目なんだから年齢的にも無理してアクションなんかこなさなくてもいいのにと思ったりするが、動き回るのが好きな性分なんだろうな。

Spider-Man

Around in 2005, I watched Spider-Man for the first time on the television set. The superhero film was released in 2002. Sam Raimi directed it. Japanese film director Kazuyuki Izutsu praised it on television after the release, though I suspected that it was so wonderful. I was also not interested in action films so much those days but I watched it several years later. It was fun and intrigued me the lead, Tobey Maguire. I did The Cider House Rules and Seabiscuit in a row after that. I have loved the ones as well as the Spider-Man ones starring him. In January 2022, I did Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was so wonderful that I came to want to do all of the Spider-Man movies anew. I have done the first one several times even since then.

It tells a story of Peter Parker who is bit by a super-spider as a high-school student, obtains a superhuman physical ability after that and started to get wicked persons in his town as Spider-Man.

I feel odd with the quite lame Peter in the beginning scene every time I watch the film. Then I also feel strange about the reaction of Parker's friends and classmates when they get stunned for a while but unnaturally do not get serious so much with the huge gap between the uncool Parker and the superhuman boy. However, come to think of it, the movie is an entertainment which was adapted from a comic strip, so I must not argue about such trivial things. Tobey Maguire acted Peter who is not so handsome but charming with a clear mind. Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane in it is lovey but not really beautiful, so I wondered why she was selected at that time as the huge movie's heroin who the protagonist is falling in love with. Dunst as MJ is prettier in the next ones, so a person who cast her as the role would have had vision. Or I had not had much of an eye for women. Or Westerners would tend to be fond of women like Dunst's appearance. I feel comfortable with the fresh romance between Peter and MJ and the friendship among the couple and their friend, Harry.

Although I had not been impressed with the scene in which Peter's uncle, Ben, reasons with his nephew and says, "With great power comes great responsibility" when I first viewed the flick, yet I have gaze the moving moment with tension since I did the latest Spider-Man one, in which the phrase is critical.

The great actor Willem Defoe performed the villain. The entertainment has a plenty of scenes worth watching. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home

スパイダーマン

『スパイダーマン』を初めて観たのは2005年頃。2002年公開のスーパーヒーロー映画。監督はサム・ライミ。公開当時、映画監督の井筒和幸さんがTVで絶賛していたが、そんなに凄い作品なのかなと疑っていた。数年後、TV画面にて初観賞。当時はアクション映画をあまり好きではなかったが、面白かった。主演のトビー・マグワイアに興味を持った作品でもある。初観賞後、立て続けに『サイダーハウス・ルール』と『シー・ビスケット』を観賞。本シリーズ同様、今でも好きな作品群だ。そして、2022年１月に観たスパイダーマンシリーズの最新作『ノー・ウェイ・ホーム』が素晴らしかったので、もう一度シリーズを通して観直したくなり何度目かの再観賞。

特殊な蜘蛛に刺された高校生のピーター・パーカーが人間離れをした身体能力を手に入れてスパイダーマンとして街の悪者を退治するお話。

本作を観る度に冒頭のダサすぎるパーカーに違和感を覚える。そして、そのダサさと能力を身につけて変わってしまった彼とのギャップがあり過ぎるにもかかわらず、その事に驚きつつもそこまで深刻に騒いでいない彼のクラスメートたちや友人たちに不自然さを感じる。ま、コミックが原作だし、娯楽作品なのだから、その程度の事に目くじらを立てても仕方がないが。トビー・マグワイアが演じたのが、超ハンサムではないがどこか魅力的で頭脳明晰なピーター。そんな彼が想いを寄せるメリー・ジェーン役のキルスティン・ダンストは普通の美人。だから、なぜこんな大作のヒロイン役に抜擢されたのだろうと最初は思っていた。次作以降はもっと綺麗になっているので、彼女をキャスティングした方に先見の明があったという事だろう。もしくは、私に女性を見る目が無いのか、彼女の容姿が西洋人好みなのだろう。ピーターとMJの初々しいロマンス、そして、その二人の友人ハリーが加わった友情物語が微笑ましい。

また、最新作『ノー・ウェイ・ホーム』のテーマにもなっているフレーズ「大いなる力には大いなる責任が伴う」を、ピーターの叔父ベンが彼に諭すように伝えているシーンは、初観賞時は何とも思わなかったが、最新作観賞後の今回は、緊張感を持ってしっかりと観た。感動的な瞬間だ。

悪役は名優ウィレム・デフォー。見所満載の娯楽大作。

スパイダーマン：ノー・ウェイ・ホーム

Shadow in the Cloud

In April 2022, I watched Shadow in the Cloud three times at Movix Kameari. The action film was released in 2020 and was first played in April 2022 in Japan. It stars Chloë Grace Moretz.

In New Zealand under the Second World War, a young female soldier named Maude holding a top secret package gets into a bomber that is about to fly, faces various difficulties and struggles with the male crews. That is the story of it.

It is like a present for fans of Chloë Grace Moretz like me. We can enjoy the wonderfully picturesque acting and full-fledged action of the cute and lovely Chloë as Maude to the fullest. The female soldier evades the men's dirty jokes, plays an active part during combat more than the men, encourages the men who gets weak after the other crews have been injured and killed, and strives to survive to the end. Chloë was the very fighting angel. Chloë also shows her motherhood at the end. I was filled with deep emotions thinking that that girl playing Hit Girl has become a mature woman.

I kind of felt odd seeing a gremlin suddenly appearing in the movie when I watched it for the first time. I checked the creature after that and knew that it is famous for making mischief on machines in the West. All the same, I felt it to be unnatural, however, the 83-minute flick is B-grade and a typical roller coaster one. How stupid I care about the trivial thing during viewing it, moreover, I can fully enjoy it only when I do not think about unnecessary things. I viewed it for the second and third times thinking that way.

The movie often reminded me of feminism. I thought about difficulties that business women have working with more men in a male-oriented society when I watched the men making obscene jokes in it. I have been aware of the distorted part of the male-dominated society since I watched the ones directed by women, such as Hustlers, Little Women and Promising Young Women, then the Chloë Grace Moretz film also have made me think about various things. I am looking forward to the next ones of not only Chloë but also Roseanne Liang who is a director of it.

シャドウ・イン・クラウド

2022年４月、Movix亀有にて『シャドウ・イン・クラウド』を合計３回観覧した。2020年公開のアクション映画。日本公開は2022年４月。クロエ・グレース・モレッツ主演。

第二次世界大戦時のニュージーランドにて、若い女兵士モードが、軍の機密情報が入った鞄を持って出発間際の軍用機に乗り込み、その後、乗組員の男たちと共に様々な困難に直面し奮闘するお話。

モードを演じた綺麗で可愛らしいクロエ・グレース・モレッツの、表現力豊かな素晴らしい演技と体を張ったアクションが全編で堪能できる、私のような彼女のファンへのプレゼントみたいな作品だ。男たちの猥談を軽くかわしつつ、戦闘になった際には男勝りの活躍を見せて、死傷者続出後に弱気になった男たちを叱咤激励しながら最後まで奮闘する姿は正に戦う天使だった。そして、最後に見せた母性。あのヒットガールを演じていた彼女も、もう立派な大人の女性になったんだな、としみじみ思った。

初観覧時に突然現れたグレムリンを見た時は若干違和感を覚えた。後で調べてみたところ、西洋では、機械に悪戯をする妖精として有名らしい。それでも、何か不自然だなと思ったが、本作は典型的なB級のローラーコースタームービー。そんな些細な事を気にするのは野暮な話だ、余計な事を考えずに楽しんだ者勝ちの83分だ。２回目以降はそう思いながら観覧した。

所々でフェミニズムを感じる作風。モードに対する下衆な男たちの卑猥な冗談を聞きながら、男社会の中で揉まれる少数派の女性たちの大変さを思った。これまでにも、『ハスラーズ』、『ストーリー・オブ・マイライフ』、『プロミシング・ヤング・ウーマン』といった女性が監督した作品に男社会の歪な部分を気付かされたが、本作でも色々と考えさせられた。クロエのみならず監督のロザンヌ・リャンの次回作にも注目したい。

The Batman

In March 2022, I watched The Batman for the first time at Toho Cinemas Nagareyama Ootakanomori. The superhero film was released in 2022. It is based on Batman in DC comics and starring Robert Pattinson.

It follows a superhero named Batman who lives in an imaginary city called Gotham City and struggles to solve a serial murder case occurring in the city.

It made me think about revenge. Nobody could tell a victim that revenge is foolish. Perhaps a human society impossibly is formed without generating revenge also. If I became a victim, I would focus on planning a perfect crime in order to retaliate my foe and would hope that I will forget my revenge while focusing on it, though if I actually become it, I do not know what I will do.

Robert Pattinson gave a delicate performance as the young Bruce Wayne and Batman. I prefer him to Michael Keaton and Christian Bale who both acted the role of Batman, however, I do not like the character, unlike Spider-Man, because it is too strong and mature. Then I am fonder of Joker who Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix respectively acted the role of, moreover, the atmosphere of Gotham City suits the villain character. In addition, I could not help laughing at the superhero's costume especially with the feelers on the head, though the long-time fans never care about them. I even wondered why the policemen teased his garb when he showed up with a serious face in the crime spot that the police has inspected, though I did that maybe because I have watched so many comic shows. Speaking of funny things, the mask of Catwoman looked like the one of Nezumikozo, who was an actual Japanese thief, so it was too funny and tasteless to enjoy seeing it, though the feeling might be particular to Japanese. After all, Halle Berry seemed to be the best actor playing the character among the ones doing it including Michelle Pfeiffer.

The three-hour movie was too long for me to make me happy but it was good as a superhero flick, a suspense one and an action one. I was moved by the choice of Batman toward the ending. He then showed his responsibility as a superhero, which reminds me of the phrase "With great power, there must also come great responsibility" in the Spider-Man series. 

THE BATMAN－ザ・バットマン－

2022年３月、TOHOシネマズ 流山おおたかの森にて『THE BATMAN－ザ・バットマン－』を初観賞した。2022年公開のスーパーヒーロー映画。原作はDCコミックスの『バットマン』。ロバート・パティンソン主演。

スーパーヒーローのバットマンが、彼が住む架空都市ゴッサム・シティで起きた連続殺人事件を解決するために奔走するお話。

復讐について考えさせられた。復讐は愚かだと犠牲者に誰が言えるのだろうか。そして、復讐心を生まない人間社会の形成は多分不可能だ。もし私がその当事者になったら、相手に復讐するための完全犯罪を考え続けることに集中して、その間に私の復讐心が自然と消えるのを祈るだろう。だが、正直、実際に被害者になったら、自分が何をしでかすかは分からない。

ロバート・パティンソンがまだ若いブルース・ウェインとバットマンを繊細に好演。マイケル・キートンやクリスチャン・ベールが演じた彼よりも好きだ。だが、強すぎたり大人過ぎたりするのでバットマン自体はスパイダーマンほど好きではない。それに、ジャック・ニコルソン、ヒース・レジャー、そして、ホアキン・フェニックスが演じたキャラクター、ジョーカーの方が好きだ。ゴッサム・シティの雰囲気に合う悪党だ。その上、今回、頭に触覚がついているそのコスチュームが、長年のファンの方は見慣れ過ぎて何とも思わないのかもしれないが、可笑しくて仕方がなかった。特に、警察が現場検証をしている場所に彼が真面目な顔で現れた時、お笑い番組の観過ぎかもだが、警官たちがその扮装をなぜイジらないのかとさえ思った。可笑しいと言えば、キャットウーマンの鼠小僧のようなマスクもまた、日本人特有の感覚かもしれないが、可笑しすぎて、そして、ダサすぎて白けてしまった。やはり、ミシェル・ファイファーも演じていたが、キャットウーマンと言えば、ハル・ベリーだ。

３時間を超える上映時間は私には長すぎたが、作品自体はよくできたスーパーヒーロー物であると同時に上質のサスペンス映画で、アクション作品としても素晴らしいと思う。そして、最後のバットマンの選択は感動的だった。スパイダーマンの「大いなる力には大いなる責任が伴う」に通じるスーパーヒーローとしての責任感が滲んでいた。