A Samurai in Time (2024)

A Samurai in Time. A Japanese drama film. Directed by Junichi Yasuda. Starring Makiya Yamaguchi.

It follows a samurai man who is transported from a time in the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate into the present time in Kyoto, Japan, and starts actively to work as a samurai drama actor.

Although I do not like time-slip films and I have heard that a human might be able to slip back in time to a past but cannot be transported into the future, yet I watched it because film fans loved it.

It kind of entertained me for a low-budget film from the beginning to the middle but thrilled me after another samurai man shows up and until it ends.

Contrition for a slash to kill his enemy. Tragedy striking his compatriots. The feud between Aizu and Choshu.

As if a real time traveler advised the director first hand, the samurai men's ideas, acts and way of life were realistic, which touched me. I felt that the film is a homage to not samurai dramas but samurai.

侍タイムスリッパ―（2024）

『侍タイムスリッパ―』。日本のドラマ映画。安田淳一監督作。主演は山口馬木也。

幕末の侍が現代の京都にタイムスリップして時代劇の俳優として活躍するお話。

タイムスリップ物は好きではないし、現在からは、過去には行けても未来には行けないと言われているが、大好評だったので観てみた。

序盤から中盤にかけては、低予算の割には面白いな、と思った程度だったが、もう一人の侍が現れてから最後まで惹き込まれ続けた。

斬殺への悔恨。同胞の悲劇。会津と長州の確執。

本物のタイムスリッパーが監督に直接アドバイスしていたのでは、と思えるほど侍たちの考え方、処し方、生き方がリアルで、それらにシビれた。時代劇というより侍へのオマージュに感じた。

The Equalizer 3 (2023)

The Equalizer 3. An American action-crime movie. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Starring Denzel Washington. Dakota Fanning acted in it.

The movie is the third one of the The Equalizer series. Robert McCall is overwhelmingly strong murdering all the villains. Unlike John Wick, he will not be never wounded. The aura of Denzel makes me feel that McCall's unrealistic strength to be realistic. He slays only evil persons, so I will never feel sad that the persons die. I can also do catharsis from his moral slaughter show. I enjoyed to watch it as usual.

Dakota Fanning had co-starred with Denzel in Man on Fire when she was a child actor. I was overflowing with emotion when her adult face was overlapping with her young face in the 2004 film in the final stage scene where she and Denzel are alone in a room. However, honestly, I wanted to see the reunion between Denzel and Chloë Grace Moretz who had done with him in the first movie of the series. 

イコライザー THE FINAL（2023）

『イコライザー　THE FINAL』。アメリカのアクション・クライム映画。アントワーン・フークア監督作。デンゼル・ワシントン主演。ダコタ・ファニング出演。

『イコライザー』シリーズの３作目。その圧倒的な強さで、ジョン・ウィックとは違って怪我もせず、悪者を皆殺しにするマッコール。非現実的な強さだが、演じるデンゼルの佇まいがそれをリアルに感じさせてくれる。極悪者しか殺さないので人が死ぬという悲しみの感情も全く湧いてこない。カタルシスも感じられる勧善懲悪の殺人ショーだ。本作も面白かった。

子役時代にデンゼルと『マイ・ボディーガード』で共演したダコタ・ファニングも出演。大人の彼女の顔が、終盤のデンゼルとある部屋で二人だけになった場面で子役時代の表情と重なった時、感慨深くなった。だが、正直、シリーズ１作目で共演していたクロエ・グレース・モレッツとの再会を観たかった。

A Girl Named Ann (2024)

A Girl Named Ann. A Japanese drama film. Directed by Yu Irie. Starring Yuumi Kawai.

There are an equal number of nasty parents and unfortunate children. Too obedient children are especially sad because they need a long time to remove their parents' brainwashing. Adults with a secret intention pretend to be righteous and approach such children. The conditions are ugly and cruel. The film depicts the tragic reality, which was hard for me to watch. I felt comfortable only when the fragile Yuumi Kawai as Ann smiles occasionally. 

Drug addicts are said to never commit suicide. They seem to live a pleasure hell.

The role of Goro Inagaki might be suitable for a still unknown actor who are waiting for a chance.

Thinking the ending, it was more tragic than Ichiko. I do not want to believe that it is based on a true story. 

あんのこと（2024）

『あんのこと』。日本のドラマ映画。入江悠監督作。主演は河合優実。

下衆な父母の数だけ不幸な児童がいる。親の洗脳から解放されるのに時間がかかる素直すぎる子が特に哀しい。そんな彼らに下心を持つ大人が善人面して近づいてくる。醜悪で残酷な世界だ。そんな悲惨な現実が描かれた本作は観てて辛かった。救いは儚げな主役の河合優実が時折見せた笑顔。

薬物常習者は自殺をしないらしい。快楽地獄だな。

稲垣吾郎の役はチャンスを待っているまだ売れていない役者でよかったのでは。

ラストを思うと『市子』以上の悲劇だ。実話だとは信じたくない。

The Equalizer 2 (2018)

The Equalizer 2. An American action thriller movie. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Starring Denzel Washington.

It follows Robert McCall who is a former quite competent agent at a U.S. intelligence agency. He works as a taxi driver but eliminates the villains. 

I was sad to watch some of the intelligence agents losing their morals after they faithfully kept carrying out their missions of eliminating their enemies. At the same time, I thought that it was hard to keep on doing the right thing. All the same, McCall have continued to do the right things. He rescued a young man who became friendly with him and were almost forced to join a gang.

Bill Pullman appeared in it following the prequel. He had an innocent smile as usual for his age. Denzel as MaCall sharply moved in combat as always.

 

イコライザー２（2018）

 『イコライザー２』。アメリカのアクション・ドラマ。アントワーン・フークア監督作。主演はデンゼル・ワシントン。

元情報機関の凄腕工作員であるマッコールが、前作とは違って、タクシー運転手をしながら悪党達を始末するお話。

任務を忠実に遂行して殺人を重ねてきた情報機関の工作員の倫理観が壊れる様が哀しい。だが、正義を貫き続けるのもしんどい事なのだろう。 それでも、マッコールは正義を貫き通し続けて、不良グループに引き込まれそうになっていた、個人的に親しくなった青年をも救い出す。

前作同様、ビル・プルマンが出演。いい年なのに相変わらず人の良さそうな笑顔を見せていた。そして、デンゼルの戦闘時の動きもまた相変わらず鋭い。

Chips (2012)

Chips. A Japanese drama. Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura.

Not only Fumino Kimura but also Mayu Matsuoka acted in it, so I had wanted to see it for a long time. I watched it. Kimura has been pretty since the time. I was amused by Nao Omori who played a man behaving like a psychopath. I felted that it was dated for a film released 12 years ago. The lead Gaku Hamada was charming but did not leave a deep impression on me.

ポテチ（2012）

『ポテチ』。日本のドラマ映画。中村義洋監督作。原作は伊坂幸太郎。

木村文乃だけでなく松岡茉優まで出演しているのでずっと気になっていて、観てみた。木村文乃はこの頃からお綺麗だ。大森南朋が演じていた男のサイコパスぶりが可笑しかった。12年前の作品。少し古く感じた。主演の濱田岳はチャーミングだが、印象薄め。