Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

In June 2019, I watched the movie Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot for the first time at Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho. It was released in 2018 in the U.S.

I had heard that the movie follows a late cartoonist, so I had expected that it was like a comedy. It, however, was unexpectedly serious. I went to the theater after work, so I was kind of tired before watching it and I became more tired after doing so. The story was very good, anyway, so I was really looking forward to the release of it on DVD.

In June 2020, I finally watched it again on DVD.

The story describes the late Mr. John Callahan. He has been an alcoholic and met a car accident that makes him live out of a wheelchair in the rest of his life. After that, he overcomes the addiction, find meaning in life and positively lives as a newspaper cartoonist.

Joaquin Phoenix gave a wonderful performance as Callahan who got through the distressful times. He won the Oscar for Best Actor in Joker in the next year, which seemed to be natural to me because I believed that his acting in the 2018 film had already deserved the award.

Rooney Mara as Annu, John's girlfriend, was very charming. She was really attractive especially after she met John for the first time in a few years. Although I was thinking that American women are generally strong and kind of arrogant, yet her gentle and elegant smile totally fascinated me.

Jack Black played Dexter who caused the car accident disabling Callahan. His acting was brilliant when Callahan finally visited him. Then I smiled in spite of myself when I watched Dexter singing "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" by Billy Joel in an easygoing way just before they met. I felt that Jack might usually sing the song that way in his private life, so I was pleased because the number has been my favorite one for a long time. 

ドント・ウォーリー

2019年６月、ヒューマントラストシネマ有楽町にて『ドント・ウォーリー』を初観覧。2018年に全米公開された作品。

実在した風刺漫画家のお話とのことで、コメディっぽい作品だろうと想像していたが、意外とシリアスだったので、仕事帰りで疲れていた私には少しキツかった。だが内容は素晴らしかったので、DVD化されたら絶対観ようと思っていた。

そして、2020年６月、DVDにて再観賞。

アルコール依存症に陥り、交通事故で身体障碍者になって車椅子生活を余儀なくされるが、その後、依存症を克服し、風刺漫画を描くことを生き甲斐にして前向きに生きたジョン・キャラハンの物語。

苦悩に満ちた人生を歩んだキャラハンを演じた、ホアキン・フェニックスの演技は素晴らしかった。翌年の『ジョーカー』のジョーカー役でアカデミー賞主演男優賞を受賞したが、その受賞は、時間の問題だったんだなと思える演技だった。そのキャラハンの彼女アンヌを演じたルーニー・マーラも、とても可愛らしかった。特に、キャラハンと再会して恋人同士になってからのアンヌは神がかりの愛らしさだった。アメリカの女性には自己中で高飛車なイメージが若干あったが、彼女の柔らかな笑顔には本当に魅せられた。

そして、ジャック・ブラック。キャラハンを障碍者にした男デクスターを演じていたが、キャラハンとの再会シーンの演技は流石の一言。そして、その再会直前にビリー・ジョエルの「ロックンロールが最高さ」を能天気に歌っていた姿には思わず笑ってしまった。普段からあんな風に口ずさんでいるように思えて、私も未だに聴いているお気に入りの曲なので、嬉しくもなった。

The Mummy

In June 2020, I watched The Mummy for the first time on my television set. The movie was released in 2017 and stars Tom Cruise.

It follows two men and a woman who are at the mercy of an ancient civilization.

The CGI was great. Tom Cruise was cool for his age. However, it was not fun and made me realize that I am not interested in movies with ancient civilizations. I used to watch the Indiana Jones series but I did not eventually get intrigued in it. I have also never been interested in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns staring Brendan Fraser.

I get interested in films set in the medieval era if they are based on true stories, though I like films set in the modern civilization, the present and the near future, moreover, I like utterly fictional ones, such as Star Wars. Ancient civilizations are very old but are dreamy, so I think that documentaries about them at least are worth watching. All the same, I prefer films set around in the present and completely fictional ones.

Russell Crowe was stout, so for the first few seconds I did not notice that the guy is him. Then I chuckled when I did. Although he could not help getting old, yet Tom Cruise who is senior to him by two years could show off his athletic build in the movie. Mr. Cruise is a great actor who has kept his figure. I think that he played well in it but I prefer him as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible - Fallout released in 2018. I watched it at a theater and I was amazed that the 56-year-old Tom Cruise was running and running in it. The sequels, the seventh and eighth movies in the Mission: Impossible series, are being filmed and both of them will be released in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Cruise will also appear in the sequel to Top Gun which will be released in 2020. All of the sequels will be hugely profitable for Cruise as not only an actor but a producer, so maybe his status as a celebrity will be secured for the next several years.

ザ・マミー／呪われた砂漠の王女

2020年６月、『ザ・マミー／呪われた砂漠の王女』 をTVにて初観賞。2017年公開。トム・クルーズ主演。

２人の男と１人の女がある古代文明に翻弄される物語。

CGIは普通に凄かった。公開時55歳のトム・クルーズも恰好良かった。だが、正直、映画自体はあまり面白くなかった。そして、この作品で、私が古代文明絡みの作品に興味が無い事に気付いてしまった。以前観た『インディ・ジョーンズ』シリーズにも、結局ハマらなかった事を思い出す。『ハムナプトラ』シリーズに全く興味が湧かないのも、それ故だろう。

史実を基にしている作品だったら中世でも興味は湧く。だが、好きなのは近代から現代におけるお話、または、近未来物、もしくは、『スター・ウォーズ』のような宇宙を舞台にした全く嘘っぱちな虚構の世界。古代文明は昔過ぎる。ロマンがあるので、ドキュメンタリーなら観る価値はあると思うが、映画では、現代と繋がるお話か、全くのファンタジーを楽しみたい。

ラッセル・クロウが太り過ぎていて最初分からなかった。そして、気付いた時には笑ってしまった。彼も歳には勝てないのかなと思ったが、実際には、トム・クルーズより２歳若い。そのクルーズは、劇中で自身の肉体美を披露している。体形をキープし続けている本当に偉大な俳優さん。本作でも好演していたとは思うが、翌年主演した『フォールアウト』のスパイ、イーサン・ハント役の方が合っている。その公開時に観覧した際、走り回る56歳の彼の姿に感嘆した。続編の『ミッション：インポッシブル』シリーズ７作目と８作目も製作中でそれぞれ2021年、2022年に公開予定のようだ。『トップガン』の続編にも主演予定で、2020年公開予定。莫大な収益を見込める作品が目白押しで、製作にも参加しているクルーズのセレブリティの地位は、当分安泰のようだ。

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