Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

Year 1997

Director: Clint Eastwood

Writer: John Berendt (book), John Lee Hancock (screenplay)

Stars: John Cusack, Kevin Spacey, Jude Law, Alison Eastwood, Lady Chablis

My rating: 3.0　★★★

Watch Situation: Rented from TSUTAYA

ジョン・キューザック、若い、細い！

If I had read the original book, the rating would be little different because there are some comments that this movie reflects the original atmosphere really well. But as a dvd I just picked up randomly, this movie was a big one. I didn’t know the director was Eastwood until I see that on the end title roll.

Here is something I want to share besides my review, this site. When I was looking some information about this movie I run into this site and I thought this is great review site. Not just the review of this movie, but I was so glad to see the Totoro in the category of Animation. As Japanese who loves Giburi, I was so happy to see the comments. Well, I’ve never watched Giburi film outside of Japan in other languages, so I should try it some time.

Blood Diamond (2006)

Year 2006
Director: Edward Zwick
Screen Writer: Charles Leavitt
Stars:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly

My rating: 4.0　★★★★  (Regardless of the rating, everybody should watch this at least once)
Watch Situation: Rented from TSUTAYA

As I wrote on above, everybody should watch this movie at least once. Then people should have a time to think about buying diamonds. Well, I’m sure there is more issues like this besides diamond, but this will be a good start. At least it changed some of my thoughts towards the diamonds. I’ll never buy diamonds. If I got some by happening I will use them as a charity.

I have friends who are living in Johannesburg in South Africa for about one year as a resident. They came back to Japan last week, and I had a chance to meet them after a whole year. I was longed to hear the story about the town and their life. They, the couple seemed very happy together, but when it comes to the story about the town, they told us it is a lot different from here and I wouldn’t be able to imagine without coming there. And wife, my good friend, gave me a example to make it easier for me. It was this movie. She told me the town is like the one in this movie. Surely, she just mentioned the one town that is on the movie for a short time, but for me, the story itself struck me like a storm. It was an African storm. I didn’t know nothing about Africa, and it was much worth than I thought.

After we said goodbye, my boyfriend who joined to meet them together told me to go to Africa as our honeymoon. Yes, it would be a good idea. I don’t except any romantic gorgeous hotel or dinner there, I just have a opportunity to see what there is like. It will be great idea of using our time useful.

If you think diamonds is the best accessory for the women, I think it is wrong. Please just see this movie.

Here is some latest news.

Pay It Forward (2000)

Year 2000

Director: Mimi Leder

Original Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Screen Writer: Leslie Dixon

Stars:  Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment and Helen Hunt

My rating: 4.5　★★★★☆

Watch Situation: On cable TV

I think this was my fourth time to watch this movie. The more I watch this movie, the more I like. I feel this every time, even if I watched without intention. (I just found out ‘intention’ and ‘intension’ are completely different word…)

When the time my kid goes to school comes, I hope he/she will have a teacher like Mr.Simonet (Kevin Spacey) who give an assignment of …

Think of an idea for change our world － and put it into action!

As one of person who is interested in education matters, I think this kind of questions that give children an opportunity to think is the greatest work. Couple days ago, I had a chance to talk to some of the students who are attending to the American school in Japan. They were senior now, but they told me some interesting project that they had done in their school life from elementary to nowadays.  The most interesting project was ‘Dummy baby project’. In their health class, each student was given electronic baby which has an microchips to manipulate the baby like cry, craves for food, changing diapers and so on. The students have to carry them around for about 24HRs, to every class they have, to the friend’s house after school, to their homes to spend the night. I’ve never heard this type of class in Japan, but I thought this experience will stay in their mind long time and they can share with their friends, and having this kind of knowledge in early time of the life, especially men, are very precious experience. Like this, giving children to think and act with their actual life is important. I know that this project will need many budgets to put into action, but it teaches us one of an idea.

Anyway, the boy in this story changed the world with his thinking and action. My heart is moved a lot by thinking this. I know that this story is a fiction, but according to author’s site, (the Story is here)she really had an experience of ‘Pay it forward’. Making these little things into some kind of action can create many possibilities. This story teaches us that.

I was so curious that who did the special make-up on Kevin spacey, because it looked so real. And I found out. Here is the make-up artist’s site. It is very interesting.

Useful Sites

Paper.li
自分だけのオリジナル新聞を発行してくれるサイト
ネット上のツイートや口コミを自分の設定してキーワードで収集して、自動的に新聞にしてくれる。

こんな感じ。

GoodReads
アメリカのブクログみたいなもの

Pretty Woman (1990)

Year 1990

Director : Garry Marshall

Writer: J.F.ロートン

Executive Producer: Laura Ziskin

Stars:  Richard Gere, Julia Roberts

My rating: 5　★★★★★

Watch Situation: The show was on cable TV program and I watched by happening.

I’ve seen this movie for many times. I know how the story goes, what they do, and for some parts, what they would say. I definitely remember that I bought the soundtrack of this movie I was at the six grades along with the CD of My Girls, other my favorite movie. Both CDs were my treasure for all the time so far. I still have them and I love all the songs.

After I watched this movie, I cried the hardest throughout this year. I just couldn’t help crying at many moments, like with just the scene of Vivian smiles with big voice. It just makes me happy. Also I love the scene where Vivian wakes up and shows her red hair for the first time to Edward. Of course, I can’t forget the scene of the shopping at the Rodeo Drive.

All the scenes just bring me some kind of happiness, and wet my eyes. The friendship between the hotel owner and Vivian is great part of the movie too. Her dream wouldn’t be come true at the end if there were no help of the hotel owner. (Actually the limo driver.)

Even after I find out the most of the scene where shows the parts of Vivian are fake, a body double, it just don’t matter to me what I think about this movie. Although, I was little shock to see the cover of the DVD or the poster which Vivian and Edward are standing next to each other and their height looks as same as the other. That is impossible, because Vivian is totally taller than Edward. Oh, well, never mind.

I just had to say how much I love this movie, even I after I watched many times. It is just a one of the wonderful movie!! 

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Year 1995

Director : Carl Franklin

Writer/Screen Play: Peter Stone

Stars:  Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore and Jennifer Beals

My rating: ？？

English Listening Level: 5 ★★★★★

Watch situation: Recorded from TV program called “Gogo no Load Show”(my favorite program).

I recorded this because the description on the TV board said it’s a mystery, suspense and Denzel Washington. And I forgot that I recorded this for a long time. Then two days ago, there were nothing on TV, so I just checked the recorded list, and found this. I was dragged by the appearance of Denzel Washington at the beginning because he was young and smelled something old days. But in 10 minutes, I found myself not following the story. English spoken in this movie is so hard to understand for me. Definitely, the reason is the accent of the South. Of course the vocabularies used in the line were sophisticated and some are technical terms, but on top of that, the accent was just not something I was used to. So I can’t rate this movie by my understanding. I could judge only by the level of English. Apparently, this could be rank A, so I put five stars for that.  I have to practice more listening skills for variety of accents. Well, I’m glad that I found this lack of skills.

南部の発音を聞きとるのがこんなに難しいなんて！

この映画はきっと中でも結構レベルが高いほうだと思うよ。

Tokyo Quake Story

My friend from Denver directed this short documentary about 3.11 quake, and it's very great. Please check this out. （Click here to watch.）


デンバーの友だちが3.11の地震についてのショートフィルムを作りました。とてもいい感じです。ぜひ見てください。（動画を見るにはここをクリック）

I can say there are people who has good sense and not. I'm sure he has good one on both photography and film.

やっぱりセンスっていい悪いがあるんですね。彼は写真でもフィルムでもとてもよいセンスを持っている！