Monday, July 13, 2009

Ern's Monthly Visual Victuals (June 2009) / アーニーの月刊映画観賞 (2009年 6月号)

Okay, I know I'm a little late with my monthly movie reviews but what the heck, better late than never right? I decided starting this month that I would change my policy of only writing my movie reviews in English and write the reviews in Japanese as well. Also for the Japanese film, I will write the review in Japanese first followed by an English translation. The Hollywood films and other foreign films, I will write the review in English first followed by Japanese. Also for the foreign films, I will try to list them with their original titles with their English and Japanese titles as well. As I mentioned before, I spent more time reading books, so there isn't that much variety this month in films. Check it out.

今月の映画観賞が遅れてるのは存じてますが、やっと書けたので、許して下さい。さて今月から映画観賞もバイリンガルで書くことにした。邦画の場合、先に日本語で評論します、そのあとは英語の翻訳。ハリウッド映画と日本以外の海外映画は英語を先に書き、そのあとに日本語を書きます。分かる限り映画のオリジナルタイトルを書きます。もちろん英語と日本語の題名も。前に言ったと思いますが、先月読書のほうが多かったためあんまりDVDを借りてなかった。だから今月を紹介する作品が少ないかも。



線と千尋の神隠し [Sen to Chihiro no Kami Kakushi] International English Title: [SPIRITED AWAY] (2001) -宮崎駿の映画はあきないね、でこれは特に好き。ま、全作品が好きですけど。テレビで放送してたので、つい見ちゃいました。

I never get tired of watching Hayao Miyazaki films, and this would be one of my favorites. Well, actually, they're all my favorites. And as it was being aired on network television, I ended up watching it again.



WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS 日本題名:ベガスの恋に勝ルール[Vegas no Koi ni Katsu Rule] (2008) – Okay, I knew this was going to be a predictable rom-com, this time with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. Diaz’s fiancé breaks up with her and finds herself heartbroken. Kutcher is a slacker who gets fired from his job by his dad who also happens to be his boss, in the hopes that Kutcher will learn something about responsibility. So, what do these two do to get out of the slumps? They head to Vegas! In the morning Diaz and Kutcher are shocked to find that they are married and can’t get along and are about to go their separate ways. But Kutcher borrows a quarter from Diaz and wins a $3,000,000 jackpot at a casino, which leads to a court case, which leads to the judge sentencing them to 6 months hard marriage!

結末が分かる様なラブコメ。キャメロン・ディアスとアシュトン・クッチャー主演。ディアスが婚約者にふられ、クッチャーは仕事からくびになり(社長が自分の父なのに)、やなことがあったらどうする?そうだ!ベガスに行く。二人がベガスに出会い、次の朝になんと結婚してるのが発覚。でもお互いに嫌いで性格も合わず、すぐ別れるつもり。ところがクッチャーがディアスから借りた25セントで3憶ドルが当たりました。クッチャーは俺のと言いながら、ディアスが私たちまだ結婚してるのよと宣言、裁判になり。裁判長があきれて、二人の刑が半年間ハード・マリッジ。
ま、去年ベガス初めて行ったもんで、ベガスの町並みを見るのが楽しかった。映画はまーまー面白い。


TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY 日本題名:ターミネーター2(1991) – With the release of “Terminator: Salvation” hitting the theaters here in Japan, the network television aired Terminator 2 and Terminator 3 in successive weeks. Why the aired Part 3 before Part 2 is still a mystery to me though. This is one of the better sequels to come out of Hollywood in quite a while. Excellent film (and they should have probably ended it here, but no, they had to make a Part 3 to prominently feature a female terminator) and who knows about the last in the series, which by the way is called “Terminator 4” in Japan.

「ターミネーター4」がロードショーすることにテレビで二周連続「ターミニーター2」と「ターミネーター3」を放送しました。なぜパート3をパート2を先に放送したのは謎だな。ターミネータシリーズで最初の話の続編では非常に良い。ハリウッドで唯一の良いパート2と思います。パート3はそんなんに面白くないし、ただハリウッドが金儲けしか考えてない感じ。それに美人女優さんをターミネータにしたかっただけじゃないかと僕が思ってます。いずれはパート4も観ますが、レンタルになってからにします。



ゲゲゲの鬼太郎:千年呪い歌 [Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro: Sennen Noroi Uta] International English Title: [KITARO AND THE MILLENNIUM CURSE] (2002) – や~小学生の時日本に住んでたもんで、僕と自分の兄貴がよく「ゲゲゲの鬼太郎」のアニメを観てましたね。アニメもあんまり好きじゃないの美香子は「鬼太郎」位はきらじゃないので、やっと実写版の映画の第二弾をやっと借りた。やっぱ面白いね。実写と言ったって、CGの妖怪が多いですけどね。今回もやっぱりねずみ男がなんかやらかして、問題発生だ。でも僕は個人的に田中麗奈が演じる猫娘が好き。この映画で踊ってる姿たまらんわい。話の内容はサブタイトルの通り、千年呪い歌のまき。

As I spent my elementary years living in Tokyo (being an army brat and all), my brother and I used to watch the Kitaro cartoons all the time. It was one of our favorite programs. So with the release of the full-length live-action films, I was pretty excited. I had already seen the first one and I finally got around to renting the second full-length feature as well. This is one cartoon that even Mikako does not mind watching. Eiji Wentz reprises his role as Kitaro as well as the other members of his yokai gang. The story revolves around this millennium curse. I also enjoy the fact that my favorite Japanese actress Rena Tanaka reprises her role as Neko-musume and she does this dance sequence in the movie where she is just too cute for words!



MEDUZOT International English Title: [JELLYFISH] 日本題名:ジェリーフィッシュ(2002) – Winner of the Golden Camera Award at Cannes in 2007. A joint French and Israeli production. Oh, but for the life of me, do not choose movies because they have won an award – especially at Cannes or Venice. This is the kind of movie that just plods along with too many characters that you don’t get a chance to really get to know or even like so you end up not really caring what becomes of them. Give it a pass.

いくらカンヌ国際映画祭のゴルデンカメラ賞をとったって、良い映画とは限らない。フランスとイスラエルの映画ですが、一言良いかな?つまれね~。つまらなすぎておすすめすることは出来ませんね。 なんだか話も複雑。ビーチで謎の少女が現れ、新婚旅行に行くはずの新婚さんの新婦が結婚式当日ケガをして、海外の新婚旅行が国内に変更、金持ちの女性がホテルのスイートを借りて、目的は自殺する、等。訳わかない様な映画が好きなら何も言えませんが、本当に面白くないよ。



CASHBACK Alternative Title: [FROZEN TIME] 日本題名:フローゼン・タイム(2006) – Here’s a lame movie from the U.K. Dude’s girlfriend breaks up with him which causes dude to have amnesia. Since he’s been awake for over two weeks, dude takes a job working at a 24hr supermarket – were introduced to a few more strange characters as well. All in all – boring. Go rent “Clerks” instead.

イギリス映画を借りたら、こちらの作品も暗いし、退屈だし、最近選んでる映画がはずれの連発ですわ。主人個が失恋してら、不眠症になり、二週間も寝てない。暇なので、24時間営業のスーパーでバイトをする。そこでまたいろんなくせがある人たちの仲間になり、また恋愛出来るかみたいな感じ。この作品より、ケヴィン・スミス監督の「クラークス」を借りたほうをすすめします。



たそがれ清兵衛 [Tasogare Seibei] International English Title: [THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI] (2002) – 自分の日本語力じゃちょっと説明辛いとおもって、Amazon.jpのサイトから内容をかりました:藤沢周平原作、山田洋次監督の傑作時代劇。貧乏で日々内職にいそしむ通称“たそがれ清兵衛”。ひょんなことから彼はその強さを知られ、藩命で果し合いをすることに。困惑する清兵衛だったが、これを機に幼馴染への秘めた恋に決着をつけようとする。 個人的な意見なんですが、木村拓哉の映画「武士の一文」の内容なんか似てない?ま、こちの作品が先に作られたけど。

Seibei is a low-ranking samurai and widower who works in a warehouse during the day and takes odd jobs at night to make ends meet to raise his two daughters and to take care of his senile mother. His colleagues call him the “twilight Samurai” because he seems to have no fun and goes straight home after work. He is also forced to a duel against his wishes against a swordsman who has been sentenced to death. Hm, it seems like the plot line for Takuya Kimura’s “Love and Honor” is quite similar to this, although this film came out five years before his. Oh, and this stars Hiroyuki Sanada (you know, from “The Last Samurai” and “Speed Racer”).


I hope you enjoyed my choices for the month (even if I didn't enjoy all of them). My friend Traci will be happy to know that I will finally get a chance to watch one of her recommended films (from a few years ago) - "Born into Brothels" that was finally released for rental here in Japan. And I am hoping to see the new Harry Potter film at the theater. I also bought a couple of Tom and Jerry DVDs as well as a Looney Tunes one which I haven't gotten around to watching and I still have quite a few other flicks waiting to be watched as well. Until next month...

今月紹介した映画楽しましたか?自分は全作は好きでもなかったが。アメリカにいる友達のトレーシーに報告。日本でやっとあすすめした作品が見られるよ。それはドキュメンタリー映画の「未来を写した子供たち」。あとはハリー・ポッターの最新作は映画館で観たいな。最後に自分が買ったDVDもまだあった。アニメの「トムとジェリー」と「ルーニー・チューンズ」。他にまだ観る映画もあるんですが、いつ観るか未定。でわまた来月。。。

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