An interview video featuring actor Takumi Saitoh, who is serving as a promotional ambassador for the film "Thank You, Chuck" (directed by Mike Flanagan, released on May 1st), based on a novel by Stephen King, has recently been released. In the video, Saitoh talks about why he accepted the ambassador role, his impressions after watching the film, and his thoughts on the original author, Stephen King.
The film is a human mystery based on Stephen King's 2020 novel, "The Life of Chuck." As natural and man-made disasters strike the Earth one after another, and the internet and social media go down, suddenly, the streets, television, and radio are filled with the ad, "Thank you, Charles Krantz. Thank you, Chuck, for an amazing 39 years." Who is Chuck (Tom Hiddleston)? What is the meaning of thanking him? No one knows the answer. As people hold their breath as the end of the world approaches, the scene suddenly shifts to the perspective of Chuck, the man in the ad, and a new story begins, tracing back his 39-year life...
Why did Ms. Saito accept the role of ambassador for this film?
"I'm a bit of a contrarian, so even as a film fan, I sometimes feel a little uncomfortable with the 'ambassador' system. I believe that it should be someone who is truly moved and feels something from the film. When I first heard about the offer, I thought it would be better for 'Thank You, Chuck' if I declined, as the release date of a film I'm involved in as a filmmaker wasn't far off. However, I believe that sometimes you encounter a film that transcends various circumstances, environments, and thoughts, and this was one of those great films. After watching it, I was convinced that 'this definitely has some meaning, a connection,' and that's why I volunteered."
Saito also said after watching the film, "When I was little, I had always thought of space as something too vast and scary, but after watching this movie, I learned that 'my own life, and each individual's life, are all part of a universe.'"
"Rather than feeling like I was taught something by watching the film, I feel like what I had intuitively felt was 'maybe it's like this' was confirmed by this movie, like an answer key being brought to my attention. It was the first time that a movie experience had touched me so deeply on an intuitive level, touching the very core of my heart."
Furthermore, Saito said that with "Thank You, Chuck," he felt that Stephen King himself, having aged, had "reflected his own finite future with high resolution."
"And above all, I think that the deepest and broadest things reside within each individual. I think that the answer to what the homeroom teacher says in Chapter 1, 'What lies between these hands...', is something that Stephen King, as a writer, poured all of his own experiences and current thoughts into this film. Chuck, who appears on the electronic billboard as an accountant, looks like a man about to write something in a white notebook, and it seems that both the pain and joy of creation are expressed there, and I think this is Stephen King himself. I'm just speculating, but I think he decided to turn the story of his own life into a work of art at this age."
In addition, in the interview footage, Saito talks about Tom Hiddleston's dance scenes and the overall structure of the film, as well as the Japanese title, saying, "After watching it twice, I thought it was a very well thought-out title."
