100 Up in the Air

"Up in the Air", 2009

100本目のブログはいたって普通に、面白かった映画をご紹介します。

人間ドラマは「いろいろあって成長して、人生がすこし（時に大きく）変わる人間」を描くのが常です。そうでない作品も多いのですが、中でもこの映画は「いろいろあっても結局あまり変わらない」という結末でありながら、「変わらないこと」の停滞感よりも爽快感が残るという不思議な作品です。

主人公は企業に雇われて全国を飛び回る専門の「解雇宣告人」。仕事へのプロ意識は普通にあるが、生きがいは出張で途方もないマイルをためて「名誉ある乗客」になること。家族には興味がなく、家族を持つことは想像もしない。その彼が新人女性社員の研修を押し付けられ、彼女に現場の仕事を教えるための旅を続ける一方、出張で出会った女性とは気楽な付き合いを楽しんでいます。

仕事のベテランとして、一家の兄として、つかの間の恋人として、必要最低限の人間づき合いしかない彼でもいくつかの立場があります。彼が気づかないうちに、それぞれの役割は次第にはっきりと真剣味を帯びてきて、あるときついに彼を立ち止まらせ、人生を変える方向へと走らせます。

普通のハリウッド映画ならここで人生は変わるでしょう（それがハリウッド映画のいいところです）。ところがこの映画、確かに主人公は自身にも周りの人間にもいくつか変化を起こすのですが、結局は人生は変わらず、今までと同じ場所に立つ自分を確認して終わります。マイルをためるという生きがいも何だか（どさくさのうちに）達成してしまいます。

もちろん彼の心境にいくばくかの変化は訪れたでしょう。マイルをため終わっても、これまでと同じ生活を満喫できると判っても、さほど嬉しそうではありません。さりとて、この映画は「現実の人生はハリウッド映画のような奇跡はおきないのだ」と冷めた目で語られているわけではありません。

主人公が自分の殻を破ったのか、人生を変えたのかどうか見た目ではわかりません。変わらなくても構わない、人間性に欠けるかもしれないが、そういう価値観も良い、そういう捉え方もできます。少数派のタイプの人間に対する温かさをも感じられます。

逆に、たとえそう見えなくても、以前と同じことをしていても、人生が変わる瞬間が描かれなくても、彼は本当は大きく変わったのかもしれません。それはそれで素晴らしいことです。"l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux" 「大切なものは、目に見えない」というサン＝テグジュペリの言葉を思い出します。

映画の主人公は人生の大半を空の上で過ごし、空港を家と呼びます。サン＝テグジュペリはもちろん著名な飛行士でした。空を眺めて生きる人々には、なにか特別な価値観があるような気がします。

http://www.mile-life.jp/

Thanks for your support for this blog and A Happy New Year!

99 Reindeer goes to island

So I went to an island, taking airplane, train, bus, cab, and boat. It's a resort island where people from various countries come to enjoy modern arts and fine architecutres, but in the middle of winter it is a quiet and tranquil place.

Sometimes we are asked "which do you prefer sea or mountain?" Everytime I answer that I take mountain because I like green woods and find no specific reason to like sea. But I got to know why people love sea. It's an infinite open space.

The island is famous for concrete architectures by Tadao Ando. Concrete wall, concrete floor, conrete ceiling, concrete stairs, concrete corridor, concrete everything. Even though I adore modernism I imagined that it might be like a prison cell.

No! it was beyond my imagination. Concrete is such an interesting material. It gives the richest effect to the architecture. It shows dramatically opposite expressions like ---massive but light, dark but light, cool but warm, heavy but smooth, solid but gentle, solemn but modern, all over grey but transparent as if it fades into the air and doesn't exist. I thought a city of concrete building that most of the modernism architect in 20th century dreamed would be possible if this material is properly used.

Thankful to the experience and discovery, I'm thinking I'll set next course to Chicago, Helsinki, Paris, Honolulu...

98 Travelista

I gave up my original plan to attend my friends' wedding party because of my job. So I hardly could believe that I was told by my boss to take Christmas holidays. On that moment I came up with these destination list.

Chicago

A city that I've been wishing to visit for a long time. Legendary skyscrapers and streets that I'm familiar with through Craig Rice's works (ex. Michigan Avenue, State Street, Columbus Drive, LaSalle Street. When I read Martin Beck, the streets in Stockholm seem somehow so familiar to me as well.) It might sound odd but I admire Chicago streets where humor and irony live with, and the sky where Mies van der Rohe rose and Michael "air" Jordan flew.

Helsinki
Nordic countries always fascinate me with its highest sense of modern design. Staying in Copenhagen years ago I felt happy and comfortable as if I returned to home. My interest in Finland lies not in Moomintroll but in the context of the country which raised its culture between Sweden and Russia. And I'm sure I can find nice cozy cafe in all around Helsinki.

Paris
There's no need to describe Paris in your own word. "The most beautiful city in the world," those common words were all I could feel when seeing Paris. Forever will it be so. Paris is the miraculous city where you can be a part of its beauty. I always wonder why Paris is so special and was chosen to be a center of aesthetics in the world's history.

Honolulu
Although I gave up my plan I didin't lose my passion for visiting Hawaii for the first time. As a perfect tourlist my imagination keeps flying over the heavenly beach and the blue pacific ocean, from a dolphin watching to a tropical version of Christmas tree, and Waikiki sunset. It's lucky that we have places on earth that make us still dream.

London
My first journey was London simply because I liked Brit Rock when I was a kid. Now grown up, certainly I get more reasons to visit London again. I'd just quote from my favorite holiday movie "Love Actually" in which the UK Prime minister challenges to the President of U.S. with a funny objection; "We may be a small country, but a country of Shakespeare, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter"---well, none of them from London.

Luxembourg
I didn't remember why this idea came up. I knew little about Luxembourg. I didn't know its location, its language, history, culture, politics, food, art, and legacy. But when I happen to know the nation, a rich and small nation in a geographic center of Europe, a center of European finance, and a monarchy with a symbol of red wild lion, I don't know why but Luxembourg firmly captured my interest.

Monte Carlo

Even if I cannot afford watching F1 race or casino games among billionaires I can see the country where Grace Kelly spent her life leaving all her Hollywood success behind. That's it? Yes, I think people should travel a lot with such easygoing purpose. In fact, might it not be enough if one can see the marvelous blue sea of Cote d'Azur?

In fact, I didn't chose any of these destination. Where to go then? The answer will be my next #99 post.

97 Macchiato

A week ago I was assigned to an urgent project. Limited time, limited team as usual. After enormous discussion and struggle to find a reasonable goal I finished presentaion documents. It worked. Our team has passed the first trial of a hard negotiation that we will continue to face.

This is just the beginning so it's not time for a winning smile---but it is, for the merry Espresso Macchiato. It tells my joy better than my words.

"Macchiato" means "mark" in Italian. Yes I've surely started with good mark!

96 Twist and Out

盆栽の心得はまったくありませんが、この大木を見上げたときには、ついつい「結構な枝振りで…」などとつぶやいてしまいました。

根元から太い幹がねじれて上がり、そのねじれた力が上方で一気に解放されて、枝が四方に気持ちよく伸びているようでした。

ねじれる、というのはあまりいい響きの言葉ではありません。大体の物はねじれない方がいいに決まっています。靴ひもや電気のコードやマフラーや人間関係はねじれない方がいいに決まっています。

が、ねじることで力が生まれます。ねじった次にその力を発揮できます。「ねじり」と「その力の解放」をテーマにデザインされたようなこの木の中で力が渦巻いているようで、なんだか面白くて目が離せませんでした。