Kuhaku - Arata Furuta and Tori Matsuzaka, Classy

 Impression on each other

Tori: He's a person who has established his own position and his own things. I don't think there is anyone who can match Furuta-san. I feel that he is unique. I've seen him on stage many times.

Tori: I first came to know Furuta-san in "Kisarazu Cat's Eye (2002)". I was still a student. Furuta-san's role left a strong impact on me, and I laughed every time. Since I started working here, I've gradually come to know that he's an amazing person. 

Furuta: I've known him since he was in "Samurai Sentai Shinkenger". At first I thought, "Tori Matsuzaka is going to play a bear? Aren't we wasting money?" but I enjoyed a lot working with Tori in Paddington. 

Furuta: I think Tori probably a simple guy. Some of the actors who came out from Sentai or Kamen Rider are troublesome.

Tori: Who are you talking about? (lol).

Furuta: I hoped Tori would approach me normally, and when we worked together, he did. I thought it was fortunate. 

Shinobu Terajima's Comment

When we were not acting and talking at a place like a tea house, Tori seemed to be very calm and didn't talk much about himself, we were the only ones who talked. He was listening with a smile the whole time. I thought he must be a good child. 

Thoughts on acting

Furuta: I don't like actors who try to do things on their own. So I just do what the director tells me to do, and then we can finish shooting quickly. I'm glad that Tori is also like that. 

Furuta I don't like actors who say, "Let me do it again. One more time!" Some directors say that they'd wait for something better to come out, but it never does. The first performance is the best. So, I put all my energy into it. 

Furuta: If you don't go all out from the very first scene, you'll never get that tension back again.

Tori: That's right. It's like full throttle.

Furuta: I am glad there's no one like that this time.

Tori: So, who are you referring to? Really~~~ (lol) 

What do you like about each other?

Tori: Furuta-san's voice. During Paddington, he recorded first so that we have a guide to record. Thanks to him, it's much easier for us. I really like his warm voice.

古田新太×松坂桃李インタビュー｜お互いの好きなところは？

2回にわたってお届けしている古田新太さんと松坂桃李さんのインタビュー。後編では9月23日に公開される話題の映画『空白』で実写映画初共演となるお二人に、お互いの好きなところを３つあげてもらいました。 前回の記事古田新太×松坂桃李インタビュー｜壮絶な内容の作品、現場での2人は…？ 「桃李の好きな

https://classy-online.jp/lifestyle/168709/

Tori: Also, his communications skills. He can communicate with all people from various occupations from different places. 

Tori: Third, he's very observant. Just listening to our interview today, his powers of observation of people are amazing. He spewed this venom (lol), but I realized that he observes so many people and has a big picture view. I thought it was cool. 

Furuta: About Tori, I like voice, face and his work attitude. He is a good voice actor and his face his beautiful.

Tori: Thank you! (hehehe) 

What about work attitude?

Furuta: Tori, be honest, how many times did you do NG?

Tori: Almost never.

Furuta: See, I don't like those who do NG.

Tori: lololololol 

Furuta: I also don't like those who say "no" to director's requests. I think the coolest actors are those who can say "yes" to everything.

Tori: Yes, they are the strongest actors.

Furuta: Tori is directors' "yes-man".

Tori: hahahahaa 

Kuhaku - Tori Matsuzaka, So-en/ BANGER!

Q: Beside your expression ability, your physical appearance here was also impressive. You seems to be having contractures steadily, your eyes are faint, and yet you seem to be staring at the same point. (T/N: Pls watch trailer.)

A: Yes, I did. In the scene where I confronted Furuta-san, I wanted to express the feeling of being unable to look or move, so I ran simulations before filming the scene. 

Q: Your physical approach in Call Boy was also famous. Is this a style that you've been pursuing for a long time?

(T/N: Apparently in Japan, acting is termed as psychological and physical approach. I think? Why am I searching these in Japanese?)

【演技のやり方】 「内面的アプローチ」と「身体的アプローチ」 前編｜Asakawa｜note

前回はこちら↓ 今回は実践編③ということで、 「内面的アプローチ」と「身体的アプローチ」 をテーマに書いていきます。 この記事を読む事によってご自身に合った演技法とは何なのか？が掴めるきっかけになると思いますので是非、最後まで目を通してほしいと思います。 この二つの違いとは？ さて、この二つの言葉を聞いてもしかしたらなんとなくこういう意味なのかな？と想像でき…

https://note.com/asakawa13/n/n8ff0fc3fc254

A: No, it's my first time to use it in Kuhaku. I've always taken physical approach, but mainly for the way of thinking. He may suffer contractures or unable to make eye contact. But I can't do so easily. I don't think I've ever seen such a situation before. So, I did simulations. 

Also, Furuta-san brought out a lot in me on the set. Strong words are written in the script, but I felt again that hearing them and reading them are completely different. When Furuta-san speaks, I also have "reaction" to what he says, and I feel that he pulled me along. 

Q: This time with Dir. Yoshida is wonderful. What's your next? I want you to collaborate with Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

A: Dir. Kurosawa is one of the directors I'd like to work with. There are many directors I haven't been able to work with yet. I'm hoping I can do so one by one. More than that, there are a lot of up and coming directors of our generation, right?

Q: Yes, like you worked with Dir. Michihito Fujii. 

Tori: Yes, I want to make films with my generation in the future. Dir. Kazuya Shiraishi did respect training to create a good environment for new talents. I also want to bring in more and more fresh air and make Japanese entertainment more colorful thru various approaches and routes. 

As I am using my own body to express, it is important to understand the "container" that my character is in. So, I would check what kind of reaction my body would have or what kind of voice tone it would produce to use it in a project.

Kuhaku/ Intolerance - Dir. Keisuke Yoshida

Q: First of all, I want to say it's amazing. It made me feel glad to be alive and gave me light.

A: Thank you very much.

古田新太、松坂桃李、引き算のできる演技の巧い俳優だけで作った『空白』／吉田恵輔監督インタビュー

『新聞記者』『MOTHERマザー』のスターサンズ製作、『ヒメアノ～ル』『愛しのアイリーン』の吉田恵輔監督・脚本で贈る、心に深く突き刺さる感動作『空白』。撮影がサクサクと進んだという名キャストたちについてや、『空白』というタイトルに込められた

https://eiga-board.com/posts/10901

Q: The main characters were all impressive and stuck in my mind. What did you pay special attention to in terms of casting and direction this time?

A: The main cast is made up of famous people, but I wanted to work with only people who are really good at acting for this film. It may sound bad to put it this way, but I didn't want to cast people just because they were popular. Of course, Furuta-san and Tori are very good actors and very popular. Basically, I cast them based on their skill in acting and whether they fit the role or not. 

Thanks to that, I was able to watch the whole thing without directing. The shooting progressed so quickly that I went to onsen in between takes (lol). I went 3-4 times. I even took a nap once. I guess that's what happens when you choose a good actor. Moreover, if you have people who are good at acting, it's okay to include idols, or people who don't have much experience. If they are surrounded by good actors, they won't act strange. They won't overact and become natural. 

A: When someone who is not very good plays the leading role, everyone follows suit and overacts. This time we had only good performers, so it went very well.  I asked people at workshop to join this time. The one who played Natsumi had no experience in acting, but even Terajima-san asked me, "Where did you find her?" 

About Arata Furuta

Yoshida: I had a line to convey the theme of the film. I wrote the script with a sense of leaving an impression on the audience by saying it memorably. However, Furuta-san didn't say the line in a memorable way, but rather said it quite normally. By then, I realized that people don't really say things that seriously. I learned to trust the audience ability to understand the message without saying "Sir, here I'm saying an important line right now!" 

Q: Just when Furuta-san was standing, he looked so intimidating that I feel numb.

A: I was also impressed. The paramedic was watching the scene on monitor behind me, and he said, "Wow! how he could do it like this?" I think you can't become like that by working hard. It's not about acting skills, but about being the "chosen one". I think he knows how he should look in this film, so he knows how to keep it from looking fake. 

About Tori Matsuzaka

I think Tori thought of various ways to see things in his own way. He can portray the characters in a very grounded way. I don't like people who get overwhelmed. This time, too, he is very skillful in just being normal, without expressing anything excessive. 

He's a top actor in Japan and has won awards, but on the set, he's like a 20-y/o rookie who says, "This is my first time in a movie". He's so humble and soft-mannered. He always says everyone "Onegaishimasu!"

So, in a good way, he doesn't feel like a leading man at all. That's why neither the staff nor I are nervous around Tori at all. But when the camera rolls and he starts acting, he suddenly changes. I feel so every time. 

Furuta-san and Terajima-san's roles are like monsters. You'd think Tori doesn't look like someone who can compete with them but he can face them perfectly when the camera rolls. People say he worked hard to get to this position, it's true but I think he's actually talented. 

Meaning of Kuhaku (Blank)

It has various meanings, but the most important is what is going through Soeda's mind after losing his daughter. Before "Thicker Than Water (2018)," my partner who I wrote the script with, my only friend and business partner passed away suddenly. I think writers sometimes let out what's inside of them when they write, but when I was making "Thicker Than Water", I felt bound by something. When I was thinking about what that was, I realized that I hadn't come to terms with it. 

"What does it mean to come to terms with something, and is it even possible to come to terms with something?"

That's what I decided to write about in this story. 

Kuhaku - Tori Matsuzaka, FLIX

On performing Aoyagi

I'm sure there are many people who feel like Aoyagi. So, rather than creating a character, I worked on facing Aoyagi, thinking about what I would do if I were in the same situation.

I approached as if I were Aoyagi, I would have this kind of expression on my face, or I might make this kind of choice. The fact that I was able to perform the role while making use of my own reactions must mean Aoyagi has elements of "ordinariness" which apply to every real person. Playing Aoyagi, I thought it was really difficult to perform an ordinary role. He doesn't have any outstanding characteristics or archetype. But real people are not that simple or easy to understand. 

Aoyagi has a suspicion following him, but I thought that it'd be better to prioritize the emotions that come out in him at the atmosphere of each scene, instead of leaning on that suspicion. If I were conscious of it, I might rely on and end up expressing differently. 

About Shinobu Terajima (Kasukabe)

Tori: She really cares for Aoyagi, but she steps into people's lives as close as Soeda does.

Q: You two had a one shot breathtaking scene. The director said he didn't originally intend to make a single cut, but the two of you were so amazing. 

Tori: Even if we shot it again, we might not create the same level of intensity. So it was just made one-cut. Dir. Yoshida's set is usually very cheerful, but this scene was very tense. There was so much chaos in atmosphere that I don't know which tension to compare it to. We probably rehearsed that scene 3-4 times, but we filmed this in 2020 spring, when the first state of emergency was about to be declared. We were under a huge pressure of not being able to return so I honestly have no memory. 

Tori: At first glance, Kasukabe is very nice, but if you provoke her, she seems to get a little violent. It was like an inflated balloon that bursts when it hits something sharp. (lol) 

About Arata Furuta (Soeda)

Tori: Both Terajima's Kusakabe and Furuta's Soeda had terrifying intensity and were really scary. They had different kinds of scares, but ...... they were both scary (lol). Kasukabe seems nice but Soeda, on the other hand, would be quite powerful. Furuta-san is amazing, isn't he? Soeda in the movie is very strong. There's a scene where he's standing straight up outside a supermarket, and just standing there is scary. It's like silent violence (lol). Furuta-san likes to drink. There is a scene where Soeda is waiting for Aoyagi. When I come out of the locked supermarket, he was drinking a can of beer. I couldn't tell in the short period of time whether the beer can was a part of his character's preparation (lol). 

About Director Keisuke Yoshida

Q: The power of actors can be felt in this film. When I saw Dir. Yoshida on the set of this film, I could see that he has a lot of trust in his actors, even in scenes with detailed emotions that require many takes. He is also very precise. 

Tori: He's a happy-go-lucky guy, but he really understands the performance in a very delicate way and cheerfully tells us things like, "Let's make the intensity a little lower than it is right now," or "Let's try something with a little more anger. So I can challenge him positively by saying, "Well, I'll try it like this next time," rather than giving him a bad impression. 

Text about director's comments on Tori

Q: Dir. Yoshida refers to Matsuzaka-san as a "Reacting Master". He said "During filming, actors asked to do the same thing many times, including tests, so it's natural that I get used to it, but with Tori, no matter how many times I do a take, there's a freshness to it, as if he's hearing my words for the first time. At the same time, he is able to create the character properly." During filming, when it was his turn, the assistant director would say, "Matsuzaka-san, I'll call for you soon." and he'd already be there. I'd asked, "Tori, how long have you been there?" He smiled and said, "I've been there for quite a while". Even when the actress who played the interviewer for the TV show was so nervous about her first movie shooting that she made a mistake, Tori smiled and said, "It's warm today. It was so cold yesterday, right?" 

Q: I have the impression in recent years, Tori Matsuzaka has been choosing films that require a lot of commitment, dense and bold. Do you spend more time on each work than before?

Tori: It would be nice if I could, but right now, I want to challenge myself with various works. 

Q: I'm sure you've been pushing yourself very hard, especially since you've been able to complete so many difficult projects without additional time.

Tori: Yes, I am. I have to keep pushing myself. I guess I'm like an athlete (lol). 

Q: Returning to "Kuhaku, Soeda, who cornered Aoyagi, seems to be a villain, but he is actually a reasonable person. And even Aoyagi has moments when he seems to be the bad guy. The audience is continually shaken. That makes the film very exciting. 

Tori: It's really exquisite, right? The way people behave, if they stray from the line even a little, they instantly seem villain. I think that's this film comes from. The same person can be perceived as good or bad depending on how they are viewed and from what perspective. We live in an era where there is a lot of information, that is why I think it is important to be aware of not leaning on one side too much. It's easier to lean on easy-to-understand information, like deciding one side is the villain. I think it's so dangerous. 

This film is about an incident, but I think this kind of thing can happen in the most trivial places in our daily lives. With the eyes of the people around us and our own consciousness, we can create truth that should really be one and the same. 

While some people overstep into people's lives, some people don't involve with people at all. In between, there are those who want to step in but cannot. What will be the end of this film, which seems a condensation of modern society? 

Tori: Lastly, I want to share the words of Dir. Yoshida. He said:

"Aoyagi is a normal person in my opinion, but I think people like that are easily misunderstood since they don't say what they mean even if they have something to say. Nowadays, I feel that the world is becoming more difficult for people like Aoyagi to live in. When an incident like the one in this film is spread on the Internet, people will say whatever they want. The truth is that people who say unproven things are more dangerous. But now there's a tendency that people who don't assert themselves are perceived as worse than those who do. I think, nowadays, in real world, many people are like Aoyagi who can't say what they want, but in the internet, everyone is Soeda. That's what I find strange."

<END>