This Is It は世界 99 か国で公開

ロサンゼルス、そしてニューヨーク、ロンドン、リオデジャネイロ、北京、ソウル、東京、台湾、ヨハネスブルグ、ベルリン、パリ、シドニーなど世界中の多くの都市で火曜の夜は、マイケル・ジャクソン映画の公開を祝う興奮でいっぱいだった。

マイケル・ジャクソンが6月25日に心停止で亡くなったとき、彼は素晴らしい復活まであと数日しか残されていなかった。今回、そのカムバックに取り組む過程、つまりマイケルのリハーサルとダンスのビデオが、『This Is It』という映画の形で世界中の人々の目の前に届けられました。この映画は15か国で同時公開され、もちろんレッドカーペットも敷かれ、著名人も登場した。そしてマイケルのものまね芸人たちは北京からニューヨークまで映画館のドアが開くまで人々を楽しませ続けた。

ロサンゼルスでは昨夜（テヘラン時間今朝早く）、多くの音楽界、映画界、テレビ界の著名人が、7月のマイケル・ジャクソン追悼式典の会場であるオープンホールの前に敷かれたカーペットの上を歩いた。 7月7日、ステープルズ・センターでキング・オブ・ステージを讃えて行われた式典を、世界中で10億人が同時にテレビやラップトップで視聴したと言われている。

レッドカーペットのゲストの中には、ケニー・オルテガと『This Is It』の監督兼振付師であるトラヴィス・ペインもいた。ルー・フェリグノ、マイケルのフィットネスコーチ。フランク・ディレオ、彼のビジネスマネージャー。ジェニファー・ロペス。ポーラ・アブドゥル。ウィル・スミス。パリス・ヒルトン。ニール・パトリック・ハリス。ケイティ・ペリー。アダム・ランバート;ジェニファー・ラブ・ヒューイット。トーマス・メゼロウ、2005年の訴訟におけるマイケルの弁護士。そしてモータウンの創始者ベリー・ゴーディ。マイケルの4人の兄弟、ジャッキー、マーロン、ティト、ジャーメインもそこにいました。

Michael’s brothers said that after watching the film, their hearts were filled with love and pride.

Jackie said: “Seeing him on stage doing his work was amazing. Seeing him perform brought tears to my eyes as I sat there and watched the screen. Because I love him so much—that’s why I always keep this in my pocket. It’s a small keepsake from him.” (He pulled out a keychain shaped like a white glove from his pocket.) “The film gave me peace. I felt his spirit inside me and it made me feel good.”

The people who came to watch the film’s first screening were the same ones who, at the end of last month, camped out around the ticket-selling location for three days and three nights.

Janie Kane, who came with her husband and two sons to watch the film, says she expects to see a film that is both happy and sad: “We lost a legend. ”

On the first day of release, the Regal Cinema in New York will show the film in its 14 screens, and the tickets for all 14 screens were sold out long ago. A spokesperson for Regal Entertainment says: “Tonight, the energy and excitement in the movie theaters will be extraordinary.”

The cinema ushers also wore white gloves in respect to Michael.

This Is It faced continuous cheers from the public during its screenings around the world. With every turn or move Michael made, the audience’s cries shot into the air. It was as if they were at a concert. When Michael effortlessly put his moves into the performance, you could hear the astonished sound of the crowd.

21-year-old Jessica Childs, who returned to Los Angeles after watching the film, says: “He looks better than when he was 30. His voice was great.”

The film’s release across the world during Tuesday and Wednesday was mixed with tears and joy.

In Los Angeles, at the Nokia Theatre next to the Staples Center—where Michael’s rehearsals for his concerts were held—Kenny Ortega came on stage to announce the film’s screening:

“The last sacred documentary from the leader and friend we know.”

24-year-old Casey Gash says the film:

“Was moving, very well made. It was beautiful. It told Michael’s story. It really made you feel like you knew him. It was his final performance.”

David Montalvo, who watched the film in New York, says: “I really liked seeing his performance again. It was like we were seeing Michael again, for the last time. That’s why it was a good opportunity to say goodbye to him.”

The film shows how masterfully Michael’s comeback concerts were planned—and how much effort had gone into them.

One scene in the film shows how Michael planned to enter the stage inside a giant mechanical spider.

Marilyn Morrison in New York says: “The film was amazing. It’s a concert we never get to see. Watching his authentic moves—just seeing him do these things—is truly phenomenal.”

Critics’ reactions to the film have all been positive.

Matt Surrgel of Florida Times, in his review, called it “a high-value concert-film, and unbelievably entertaining,” and Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “It seems the world has lost a full-fledged concert.”

Nakasa Mambai Mody of the Associated Press writes: “Jackson’s astonishing performances in this film have nothing to do with camera magic—the magic is his.”

USA Today wrote that the film: “reminds us that earlier this summer, the world lost a genius.”

Melanie Heilman, a television producer who attended the film’s opening in Los Angeles, said:

“The film shows that Michael was used to rehearsing in a way that would give him 110% efficiency on stage. It was unbelievable. You can feel it. While watching this film, you find yourself saying ‘Wow!’ People were crying, clapping, cheering, shouting, and celebrating. In the film, マイケル・ジャクソン is very energetic and very healthy. He was the same young and old マイケル・ジャクソン. I was really surprised by how creative, healthy, and rhythmic his moves were.”

The film has already been facing repeat viewings by audiences.

One of them, who just left a cinema in Los Angeles and is heading to another cinema, says: “I have tickets for this reason, so I said let’s go watch it again. It was phenomenal. I fell in love with it. I thought it would be a sad film, but it wasn’t at all.”

Before the film’s opening in Los Angeles, Kenny Ortega—while meeting guests including Paula Abdul on the red carpet with the dancers—broke down in tears.

After the film ended, Abdul said: “It was beautiful. It was upsetting. This film brings you closer to him, as a person.”

This event was the biggest cinematic event for a musical film. This Is It will be released in 99 countries on Tuesday and Wednesday, but by the end of the week, that number will increase to 110 countries.

Na Ka Yoonge, a 34-year-old accountant from Seoul, South Korea, says through her tears: “All night I was twisting with suspense and anxiety. マイケル・ジャクソン is my hero in life. And I can’t wait to see Michael’s final scenes.”

Misha Gabriel, one of Michael’s dancers, says: “This film is an honest and untouched look at the process of producing the concerts. Sometimes I think Michael didn’t want people to see these things before they were completed. But that’s what makes the film beautiful.”

Nick Bass, another dancer, says: “In this film, Michael makes his perfection even more complete.”

Michael Breden, the music director and assistant producer of the film’s director Kenny Ortega, said:

“Making this film was bittersweet. But Michael was happy, and the world will see Michael’s victory. I know he would have liked this film. Kenny Ortega and I considered Michael in every scene of the film. In the last three or four months of his life, we were with him every day. So we know he would have liked what we did.”

Billboards placed around the area showed what was happening in European, African, Asian, and South American cinemas at the same time.

There were also street vendors selling T-shirts and other items related to Michael, and Michael’s songs were played from loudspeakers.

In Beijing, a group of dancers dressed as the King of Pop grabbed their pants in front of hundreds of people who were screaming while waiting for the cinema doors to open, and they danced the Moonwalk.

Zahou Min, a 60-year-old Chinese superfan, says that Jackson’s music is full of life force.

“I love his Moonwalk so much.”

Ortega says this film is an opportunity to watch Michael as a creative architect and a mastermind.

Frank Dileo, Michael’s business manager in his last project, says:

“He’s happy. You can feel it—he’s moving around, turning, and right now he’s looking down from above and cracking jokes.”

The film portrays Michael as a performer, a teacher to his people, and a goodwill ambassador. At the end of the film, Jackson and his people hold hands and he speaks words of hope.

“This is a huge adventurous journey. We want it to happen like it has never happened before. We have to bring love back to the world.”

Source: eMJey / AFP / LA Times / AP