The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert プリシア(1994）

＜Review in English＞
The movie was made as a comedy drama film written and directed by Stephan Elliott in Australia in 1994.
Actually, I didn't know about it. When I decided to watch a show in London, I checked which show is the best in the west end.  Priscilla's reputation is good.
I needed to understand the story before I watch the show.
The story and music are wonderful.
I discovered this good movie by chance.

3人のドラッグクィーン（女装する男性同性愛者）のロードムービーだ

＜Plot＞
The usually menacing British actor Terence Stamp does a complete turnaround as Bernadette, an aging transsexual who tours the backwaters of Australia with her stage partner, Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) and Adam/Felicia (Guy Pearce).  Their act, well-known in Sydney, involves wearing lots of makeup and gowns and lip-synching to records, but Bernadette is getting a bit tired of it all and is also haunted by the bizarre death of an old loved one.  Nevertheless, when Mitzi and Felicia get an offer to perform in the remote town of Alice Springs at a casino, Bernadette decides to tag along.  The threesome ventures into the outback with Priscilla, a lavender-colored school bus that doubles as dressing room and home on the road.  Along the way, the act encounters any number of strange characters, as well as incidents of homophobia, while Bernadette becomes increasingly concerned about the path her life has taken.

3人の掛け合いが実に面白い

What a great movie! Not only are the actors wonderful but also the musical numbers (ABBA, Gloria Gaynor, the Village People, Charlene etc) are worth watching.  I laughed at their barnyard jokes and bitchy banter.  I was moved to tears by the story of two drag queens and a transsexual.
Watch it it's well worth it ! It well deserves 9 out of 10.
If I have a chance to see the show, I'll absolutely see "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ".


＜レビュー日本語＞
この映画はステファン・エリオットによって脚本及び監督された映画で1994年にオーストラリアで作られている。実のところこの映画は知らなかったのだが、ロンドンウエストエンドでミュージカルのショーを観る前にどれが一番人気なのかあれこれ調べているとこの「The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert」が評判が高く、観劇の前にストーリーを知っておこうと思ったのである。
ストーリーも音楽も素晴らしかった。（映画の方、ミュージカルは未見）
思いがけずいい映画に巡り会ったと思う。

プリシラ クイーン オブ ザ デザート ミュージカル


＜あらすじ＞
いつもは厳つい雰囲気の英国俳優テレンス・スタンプが全く別の役どころバーナデットを演じている。このバーナデットは中年の性転換者で同じダンサー仲間のミッチ、フレシアと共にオーストラリアの田舎のどさ回りにでる。彼らの派手なメイクと衣装そして口パクでレコードにあわせて踊るパフォーマンスはシドニーではよく知られていた。しかしバーナデットは少しそういったスタイルに疲れて、昔からの恋人の奇妙な死で精神的にまいっていた。一方、ミッチとフレシアは遠く離れたアリススプリングスのカジノでの興行の依頼を受けていた。バーナデットは2人と一緒に行くことを決め、3人の旅はラベンダー色のバス、プリシア号(楽屋兼住まい）と共に内陸へ進む。道中、同性愛嫌悪者からの嫌がらせ事件を含め、3人は多くの思いがけないことに出会う。そしてバーナデットは己の今後の進む道について次第に悩むようになるのだった。

衣装と歌が素晴らしいので注目

すごくいい映画だ。俳優たちの演技が素晴らしいだけでなく音楽も素晴らしく一見の価値あり。（ABBA、グロリア・ゲイナー、ヴィレッジピープル、シャリーンなど）　彼らの下品なジョークや皮肉たっぷりのかけあいに大いに笑わせてもらった。
3人のゲイの話にホロリとさせられるところもあった。ぜひ観て頂きたい。観るだけの価値はあると思う。10点満点で9点の評価です。次回、ロンドンに行く機会があったらミュージカル版もぜひ観たいと思っている。

My travel journal about London #3

September 27, 2011

I woke up around 7:00 am and went to Starbucks that morning.

A Latte was ￡2.20.  The quantity of coffee was almost double compared to a Latte in Japan.

I usually drink a cup of coffee (Latte) and pay ￥340 at Starbucks in Tokyo.

I think the price of coffee in London is cheaper than in Tokyo.

I ordered a butter croissant.

After breakfast, I went to the British Museum.

When I entered the museum, I paid ￡5 for a Multimedia Guide.

It was easy for me to understand the exhibits that way.

Although I walked around the museum for 3 hours, I hadn't finished seeing all the exhibits that the Multimedia Guide included.

I wish I had learnt about the exhibits I was interested in beforehand.

I recommend that visitors to the British Museum should do research beforehand.

I decided to take a break in the coffee shop at the museum because I was tired of walking around.

When I tried to pay the cashier, the cashier refused my cash.

I changed some yen to pounds 4 years ago, so my currency was old and wasn't distributed in the UK.

I had to go to a bank to change the old currency into the new currency.

I felt uneasy because I walked around the city without carrying cash.

I found a bank near the museum and got some new currency.

The lady I was dealing with at the bank was very kind.

After changing the money, I went to Harrods in Knightsbridge.
Compared with the situation 2007, the number of customers has decreased.

A posh area, like Knightsbridge might be swallowed by the wave of the recession.
I bought some things in Harrods and went to MARKS & SPENCER to get some food.
The cooked food I bought in the store was really delicious.
I thought the food in the UK was not good. However, the quality of UK food is improving.
I love rhubarb crumble. Unfortunately , I don't have any chance to buy it in Japan.

My travel journal about London #2

September 26, 2011
I woke up at 8:00 and went to the restaurant to have breakfast in the hotel.
The restaurant provided a bountiful buffet breakfast.
I tried the grilled tomatoes.  They were really delicious.

I walked the 5 minutes from the hotel to the tube station.
I was worried that my Oyster card might have expired because I bought it 4 years ago.
However, I was able to go through the gate.  I got off at Charing Cross and went to The National Gallery.
I explored the gallery quickly because I was expecting to meet my friend at 13:00.  So, I couldn't take my time to enjoy the beautiful paintings.  I decided to come back again sometime in the future.
I met my friend and spoke about what we would do that day.
We decided to watch a show at night. I requested to watch "Ghost".
I love the story line and the show is not in Japan yet.

We tried to book tickets on the Internet or by phone.  However, there were no seats available.
We went to Piccadilly Theater by taxi immediately.  Fortunately, we were able to get tickets at the box office. Then we walked around Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden.
When we passed "The Trocadero", he nostalgically remembered having a good time there in his youth.  It must be a place that holds many good memories for him.
Then we went to two English Pubs and enjoyed drinking.  We were having a conversation and talking about our memories and recent events.  We were staying at "The Devonshire Arms" until the time the show started.  The staff were friendly and the food was good in the Pub.

The show was fantastic.  I really enjoyed it. The actors and actresses performed very well.  The story-line was reproduced from the original movie precisely.

My travel journal about London #1

September 25, 2011
I was leaving for London from Narita airport to meet my old friends.
My company gave me a one-week vacation as a length-of service award this autumn.
It was a first time to fly Virgin Atlantic. The seats were almost full on the plane.
I enjoyed watching some movies during flight.

• Jusst Go with It
• Bridesmaids
• Tha Adjustment Bureau

"Bridesmaids" was the funniest movie of the three.

Unfortunately, the movies were played only in English (without Japanese subtitle), so I did not understand the story precisely. However, I understood the plot and enjoyed them.

I watched a TV drama called "The Big C".
I've been a big fun of Laura Linney ever since she played the role of Sarah in "Love Actually".
Do you remember Sarah?
She has been in love for years with her company's creative director, Karl. A tryst between Karl and herself is interrupted by Sarah's mentally ill brother, Michael, and this effecively ends their relationship.

This show also played only in English. (without Japanese subtitle)


Laura Linney's interview about "The Big C".

I finally arrived at Heathrow airport in London.
I got on the Heathrow Express and got off at the terminal, Paddington.
I took a cab from Paddington to Tower hill.
It cost ￡30 from Paddington to the hotel.
It was OK because the driver was very kind.
After I checked in to the hotel, I decided to walk around the hotel to get a bottle of water.
Although there were some beverages in the fridge in my room, I wanted to keep a bottle of water.
It was already 8pm. I finally found a newsagent near the tube station.

*A newsagent's shop (British English) is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, the person who operates such a business is said to be a newsagent. Newsagents typically operate in well-trafficked public places like city streets, railway stations and airports.


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大きな地図で見る

Law Abiding Citizen 完全なる報復(2009）

＜Review in English＞
I enjoyed this movie.
Law Abiding Citizen has very unique, clever story twists that kept me tightly on my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next.
It was unpredictable and thrilling.
It is not only a thriller, but also raises questions about the American justice system.
I didn't know about the detail of plea agreements, but I got to know about them through this film.

興行的にあまり話題にならなかったがもっと評価されていい作品だと思う

<Plot>
Clyde Shelton(Gerard Butler) is a family man whose wife and daughter were brutally murdered during invasion.  When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), a hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case.  Against his will, Rice is forced to offer one of the suspects a lighter sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice.  Ten years later, the man who got away with the murder is found dead and Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a warning to Rice: either fix the flawed justice system, or key players in the trial will die.  Soon Shelton follows through on his threats, orchestrating a string of ingenious assassinations from his jail cell.  Now Rice finds himself in a desperate race against time facing a deadly adversary who always seems to be one step ahead.

Gerard Butlerの壊れっぷりが半端ないので恐がりの人は注意

Gerard Butler does a fantastic job of taking out his vengeance against the justice system.
Although he is a brutal killer, I realized that I am on his side.
The movie has several twists and turns that will keep you guessing, and on the edge of your seat.
The ending is controversial.  But I agree with it.


＜レビュー日本語＞
これは面白かった。「完全なる報復　原題：Law Abiding Citizen」はとても独特で良くできたストーリーだ。次に何が起こるのかワクワクしながら見た。
物語は予測不可能でとてもスリリングだ。
スリラーものというだけでなく、アメリカの司法制度に疑問を投げかけているという点でも面白い。
司法取引については詳しくは知らなかったが、この映画を通してその一端を知ることが出来た。

次々に仕掛けられる罠、かなりの知能犯におもわずニヤリとしてしまった

＜あらすじ＞

クライド　シェルトン（ジェラルド バトラー）は妻と娘を家に押し入った男に残忍な方法で殺されてしまう。殺人者は捕まったが、ニック ライス（ジェイミー フォックス）、彼はフェラデルフィアの若きやり手の検事で、この事件を担当することになる。クライドの意思に反して、ライスは証言を引き出す代わりにに犯人の一人をを軽い刑で釈放してしまう。10年後、殺人を犯しながらも刑を免れた男は死体で見つかり、シェルトンは静かにその罪を認めるのだった。それからシェルトンのライスへの警告が始まるのだった。欠陥だらけの司法制度の改革だけでなく裁判に関わる人々が次々に亡くなる。シェルトンは次から次へと脅迫、独房からの一連の巧妙な暗殺を企てる。次はライス自身がいつも一枚上手のように思える敵（シェルトン）との対決が間近に迫っているのを知るのだった。

アメリカの司法制度の一端を知ることが出来たのは興味深かった

ジェラド バトラーの司法制度への復讐に燃える演技が半端なく凄かった。彼は残忍な殺人者だが、思わず彼の側についてしまう自分がいた。映画はいくつかの紆余曲折があり、次はどうなるのかとかなり引き込まれる。
最後のエンディングは賛否両論があるようだが、あれで良かったのではないかと思う。


＜追記＞
abideには「法を守る」「判決を甘受する」という意味がある。クライド　シェルトン（ジェラルド バトラー）は元来、法を守る小市民にすぎなかったはず。この映画の舞台はフィラデルフィアだが、皮肉にもアメリカの司法制度の原点となった街だそうでそこが舞台の話というのがまたこの映画の主題を引き出していると思う。