Blue Valentine

I enjoyed watching Blue Valentine a lot and I ended up watching all the DVD extras.
The director has a documentary background and the film is realistic to details, which separates itself from cheesy love romances. Also, superb acting from Gosling and Williams. In order to get into the characters and 'make histories' prior to the shoot, they've rented a house and lived together with budgets. The director spent 12 years planning this film, and actors have also been involved in the process for 6 and 4 years. It's a film that is made with love and time, and that is clearly visible on the screen. 


I couldn't help but notice lot similarities between one of my favorite films London. I guess that's sort of the romance films that touches me the most.

監督の構想に１２年。役者との役作りに６年。家を借りて、予算付きで役者たちが一緒に住んで、役に入り込んだり、見えない部分ですごく手が込んでいる映画。

監督がドキュメンタリーの人ということもあり、多くの部分がアドリブで、役者の多くが、「実際のその職業の人」だったりして面白い。例えば、 Deanが働く引っ越し屋さんは、実在する引っ越し屋さんで、出てくる人たちも実際その引っ越し屋で働く従業員で、彼らが自分たちの恋愛観を話したりしていて、なかなかリアル。部屋などもセットではなく、実際に人が住んでいる部屋でそのまま撮影したりしている。

以下若干ネタバレあり

「過去」のシーンはすべてフィルムで撮られていて、手持ちのカメラ（三脚なし）で、引きのアングルで２人が一緒にフレームに映っていて、ふたりが自由に動き回れるスペースが周囲にある。逆に「現在」のシーンはすべてデジタルで撮られていて、常に２つのカメラが使用されていて、１つのカメラはDeanを、もう１つのカメラはCindyをアップで写していて、息苦しいカットが続く。

わたしは"London"と「ジョゼと虎と魚たち」という映画が大好きなのだけれど、"Blue Valentine"はその２つとの共通点が多い。

共通点のひとつを具体的に挙げると、大抵恋愛の終わりというのは「相手が浮気して、別れる」「相手がジャンキーだから、別れる」「相手が障がい者だから、別れる」「相手のことがすきではなくなったから、別れる」という単純なものではなくて。「これ」といった理由がある訳ではないのだけれど、今でも好きなのだけれど、それでも何かが上手くいかなくなってきた、というような曖昧なもので、この３作品は、そういう曖昧さの表現が上手い。

恋愛というのは、出会いというのは運で、持続させるのは努力だと改めて思います。

Beginners, Submarine, The Tree of Life

I liked Mike Mills' film "Beginners". He was and assuming still is a graphic designer, and the film had lovely imagery as you'd expect. The film also had nifty little things throughout and they made me smile here and there. In the movie, Ewan McGregor was a graphic designer, and it's probably the first film that I've ever seen where the character's occupation was a graphic designer.
Mike Mills has done graphics for musicians like AIR, Sonic Youth, Beastie Boys etc. The film features a band called The Sads, and I had no idea they were actual band, but apparently they are and Mills also does graphics for them.

Mike Mills監督の"Beginners"を期待しながら映画館に観に行って、そしてまた良かった。
ユアン・マクグレガーだいすきなのです。大好きな『ムーランルージュ』から、『トレンスポティング』、スターウォーズ・・・。
監督のMike Millsはグラフィックデザイナー。AIR、Sonic Youth、Beastie BoysなんかのジャケットやPV、プロモーションを手がけていて、作品はヴィヴィッドでどこか抜けた感じ。映画では、ユアン・マクグレガーがグラフィックデザイナー役というときめきポイントも。相手役のフランス人の女の子も綺麗なのだけれどフランス人らしいちょっと抜けた可愛さで、好みだった。ツボの多い映画。



The film reminded me of 'Submarine', also another film from this year that I really liked. They both have different visual tones, but they also have a lot of in common; fireworks, monologues, use of block colors, story of love (girlfriend) and weird but charming parents... I really like the heroine too. She's such a character.

"Submarine"という映画も大好きで、"Beginners"と共通する部分も多く、自分はこういう映画が好きなんだなあと。"Beginners"はアメリカアメリカしていて、こちらはイギリスイギリスしていて、でもレトロでインディー。しかし、こちらのヒロインの女の子もかなりタイプ。こういう恐そうなイギリス人の女の子ってかなり好き。ある意味、世界で一番恐いのはイギリス人の女かもしれない。老いたら魔女になれそうな人が割といるし。
"Submarine"の音楽はAlex Turner（Arctic Monkeys）。予告編見直して、ああこの映画の音楽、新しいアルバムに入れんたんだと今気づいた。



And, I'll just add the short fact that I actually quite liked 'The Tree of Life'. Despite what all the others thought. But maybe it's because it brought back some very old memories of mine. It is also, tremendously long. You are warned.

賛否両論の'The Tree of Life'だけれど、個人的には好きだった。一緒に行った男の子たちには酷評。映画が終わってから客席からは「はーやっと終わったかあ」的なため息や「ふん」という鼻を鳴らす音が聞こえて、映画館のお客さんの評価も明らかにイマイチだった。そんなリアクション、人生で行った映画館で初めて。
大自然の映像が、本当に本当に美しかったのと、ずっと忘れていた自分の幼い頃の記憶をびっくるするくらい思い出すことができて、自分的にはやはり良かった。長くて疲れたけれど、そういうのも狙ったんだろうなあと思う。

Norwegian Wood Poster Competition

Dedicating pretty much entire week developing design for iPad application, this weekend I manage to go back to 'After Lethaby' brief (investigating the building of our school) and also I entered Norwegian Wood poster competition.
You can vote here (voting finishes on 28th...which is today...): Don't Panic Norwegian Wood Poster Competition

My final art work looks like this:Closer it looks like this:
The yellow type reminds me of 'Somewhere' and I tried to avoid yellow as much as possible since I'm not even a big fun of that poster but yellow here worked so well I just had to pick this. I hope you feel the same too.

'Norwegian Wood' is my favorite novel and I have been well jealous of fellow Japanese friends who've seen it. The judging pannel for this competition includes the director and it's quite exciting thinking that he will see my work.

Here is the process with some drafts, in the order of initial to newer (I do go back and forth quite a lot):

"Somewhere"

I wanted to watch Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere" for a long time and finally I managed!

It has similarities with "Lost in Translation", notably that sweet/hurting/sad/awkward/lonely emotion. Sofia's films are great at capturing those kinds of mixed emotion that you know but are quite hard to explain in words.

There are a lot of long take, and sometimes shaky camera work, which are quite 'indie' in the feel but every frame remained so beautiful that it doesn't look at all cheap. Francis and Sofia Coppola are both amazing at getting beautiful visuals, like a quality of photography.

I always like Sofia’s choice of music; they made me smile here and there. Phoenix did great job this time. Though "Love Like A Sunset" and "I'll Try Anything Once" had to be my two favorites. The characters don't talk much in the film and that made music became ever so important.

I loved all the characters, all so charming. I especially loved the breakfast scene in Italy, where an emotional conversation takes place without saying a single word. Cleo's expression there is still stuck in my head. Nice portrait of loneliness through out the film. I suppose it touched me so much since the film reminds me of the time when I was eleven, as well as myself now. It’s a great film, where I fell like I know exactly what they are feeling.

I wasn't too impressed with the film poster though. I don't think that color palette of green and yellow do the justice of representing this film, but that's just my personal opinion... Not that the ones bellow do any better.