Perfect Days

BornKnight 3/4/2024 1:30:13PM 8.4

Coproduction between Japan and Germany, directed by the german director Wim Wenders (Texas Paris, Wings of Desire among others) and written by him and Takuma Takashi. It won the Cannes Film Festival 2023 for Best Actor and Ecumenical Jury and it is nominated for Academy Best Foreign Movie (my favorite for this category). It tells some days at the life of a public bathroom cleaner at Tokyo, interpreted by Koji Yakusho Hirayama, as Hirayama, his daily routine and 4 events in between his usual days. It also shows how some people treat those invisible workers even in a modern civilized country as Japan. Hirayama have a simple, but happy life as he is and what his does with the maximum commitment - it is a marvelou movie about contemplation and what simple things and events can bring of happiness in the life, if you allow it. The cinematography is by Franz Lustig (Anselm), and it is beautiful in using the available light and daily variations, mostly in shots with the protagonist. With a slow minimalistic story focused on this philosophy and camera work also directed to the architecture of public bathrooms, it may not be a movie for everyone. My score for it is 9,6 out of 10,0 / A+.

Hossein 5/26/2025 5:01:00PM 8.4

At first I didn't think I was going to like this movie. This movie starts slowly but gets better and more eventful as it progresses. It's not a movie that you'd want to watch with friends; you need to watch it alone. The movie offers a glimpse into the life of a toilet cleaner living in Tokyo. And it gives a good depiction of how life can be enjoyed even if you're not at the pinnacle of achievements. The main actor delivers a great performance, and the music used in the movie is top-notch. It's about living in the moment so give it all your attention, and then you can enjoy it to the fullest. Overall, I'd say this movie is an excellent choice for a calm and reflective afternoon, especially for viewers who are ready for a movie with a slow pace.

Randy Dreammaker 4/8/2024 4:15:02PM 8.4

**Life through his eyes** This is the story of a man who is caught between the past and the present. A man who has found contentment and happiness from being true to himself and his embracement of a time when things moved at a slower pace. A time when ones purpose was established in taking pride in what you do, no matter how insignificant it is perceived within society. **A movie about life.** What I enjoyed about this movie is how it brings the viewer into a first person perspective of the life journey of an ordinary person. This movie is as close to a first person encounter with Japanese day to day life, as you can obtain without actually living there. It does an excellent job of introducing a few unusual and odd personalities someone living in Japan will encounter. The majority of this movie could be watched without subtitles or audio, because it masterfully achieves the filmmaker goal of "show the story, instead of telling the story". Having lived in Japan as a teacher, this movie was like watching my own experience seen from the lense of a camera. It really represents life in Japan in true form. **Things I Didn't Enjoy** This is a very slow moving movie at three hours long. it could of been shorter and still achieved its goal. I'm not a fan of the transitional collages used to represent dreaming or the transition from night to day. These became redundant and felt like a waste of time. One of the things that makes a great story for a movie is its rising conflict and ultimately the resolution. This movie has a very slow rise in conflict, and the resolution felt almost to subtle. **Final Thoughts** The story is tight, the cinematography is well done, the editing is well done, the acting is authentic. I really enjoyed it, it is a really interesting story. I enjoyed the characters.