Category: Movie
-
The Unconquerable Spirit: Lessons from Invictus
Read more: The Unconquerable Spirit: Lessons from InvictusToday’s tale reflects on a movie I watched during my flight back to Japan. Invictus, released in 2009, is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, the captain of the South African rugby team. The story is based on John Carlin’s 2008 book, Playing the…
-
Finding Purpose in Redemption: Lessons from Ordinary Angels
Read more: Finding Purpose in Redemption: Lessons from Ordinary AngelsDuring a recent flight to Paris, I stumbled upon the movie Ordinary Angels, starring Hilary Swank. I hadn’t heard of it before but decided to give it a try—and it spoke to me deeply for numerous reasons. Inspired by a true story that took place during the 1994 North American cold wave, the movie follows…
-
Kickboxer, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and the Power of Awareness
Read more: Kickboxer, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and the Power of AwarenessI met a good friend recently, someone I’ve known since we both joined the same IT course 12 years ago. He’s not just a friend but also a martial arts champion of France, which immediately brought to mind a movie I loved as a child: Kickboxer, directed by David Worth and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.…
-
“2001: A Space Odyssey” and the Future of Humanity: Reflections on Consciousness, AI, and Global Unity
—
Read more: “2001: A Space Odyssey” and the Future of Humanity: Reflections on Consciousness, AI, and Global UnityI recently watched 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick during a flight to Paris to visit my father. Despite its iconic status, I had never seen it before. My only prior knowledge was the use of Richard Strauss’s famous classical piece, “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” Watching this masterpiece for the first time, I was struck…
-
“Wish” on Disney+: A Reflection on Society and Dreams
Read more: “Wish” on Disney+: A Reflection on Society and DreamsWe watched “Wish” on Disney+ yesterday. My wife had already seen it once with her sister last year when it was released in theaters, but it was my first time. During karaoke with my in-laws, I had heard some songs, particularly one I assumed was sung by the villain of the movie. My wife wasn’t…
-
Rediscovering Life Through Lost in Translation and the Power of Reflection
Read more: Rediscovering Life Through Lost in Translation and the Power of ReflectionI’ve watched Lost in Translation several times. The first time I saw it, I was told about a movie set in Japan starring Bill Murray. At the time, I was still learning Japanese at university. Watching it again after living in Japan for a while, my perception of the film had naturally shifted; living in…
-
Green Book and the Power of Cultural Understanding
Read more: Green Book and the Power of Cultural UnderstandingWhen I watched Green Book for the first time, I was shocked by how Viggo Mortensen transformed himself for the role. While I hadn’t seen many of his movies before, his portrayal of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings still holds a special place in my memory. The 2018 film, directed by Peter Farrelly,…
-
Lessons from The Last Samurai: Addiction, Redemption, and Cultural Unity
Read more: Lessons from The Last Samurai: Addiction, Redemption, and Cultural UnityThe Last Samurai by Edward Zwick stars Tom Cruise alongside renowned Japanese actors such as Ken Watanabe and Hiroyuki Sanada. The movie brings together American and Japanese cultures, and while it includes some inevitable clichés, it does so thoughtfully, adding authenticity by casting Japanese actors. (Unlike many productions that cast non-Japanese Asian actors for Japanese…
-
Exploring the Universe: From Interstellar to the Marvel of the Human Brain
Read more: Exploring the Universe: From Interstellar to the Marvel of the Human BrainI recently began reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, and it immediately brought to mind the 2014 film Interstellar by Christopher Nolan. This movie, though lengthy and dense, is the kind of masterpiece that leaves you curious, inspiring deep dives into the unfamiliar concepts it explores. Terms like space travel, wormholes, and…
-
The Impact of Sleep on Our Perception and Well-Being
Read more: The Impact of Sleep on Our Perception and Well-BeingThe movie Ring by Hideo Nakata left a profound impact on me, particularly in how I viewed sleep. Now that I understand more about the brain and its functions, I realize how incredibly powerful it is and why it deserves to be at the center of our attention. I first watched Ring during high school,…