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Perfect Days (2023)

Perfect Days (2023)

This Japanese film is a quaint reminder that joy can be found in the smallest and simplest of things

The Very Best

8.3

Movie

Germany, Japan
English, Japanese
Drama
2023
WIM WENDERS
Aki Kobayashi, Aoi Iwasaki, Aoi Yamada
124 min

TLDR

I dug my camera out of the dusty vault and ordered a fresh roll of film right after watching this—which is to say, this is one of those rare, powerful movies that inspires you to pick up that hobby you’ve abandoned out of fear, and just do it because life is too short to care what others think!

What it's about

The film follows Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho) as he cleans public toilets in Tokyo and revels in his hobbies, which include listening to rock music, taking analog photos, and people-watching.

The take

For public toilet cleaner Hirayama, “enjoy the little things in life” is more than just an adage: it’s a philosophy. Every day, he follows a strict routine of watering his plants, going to work, taking a break at a nearby shrine, and having dinner at his favorite stalls. It seems unexceptional, and yet Hirayama manages to find small, meaningful joys in between (and at) those very moments. A tree branch dancing in the breeze and shadows making funny shapes are enough to make him chuckle, while it seems like a good book and a trusty cassette are all he needs to be at peace. Hirayama’s mundane miracles are life-affirming, but make no mistake: this isn’t one of those cheesy films that push you to be happy no matter what. Director Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire) infuses the film with a certain gloom so that the overall tone is one of deep, poignant melancholy. Through vague clues about Hirayama’s past, we learn that his attempts at capturing joy might also be bids to escape a traumatic life. All this builds to a powerful ending that speaks to the complexity of human emotion. We can be happy and sad, peaceful and troubled, lonely and content all at the same time, and it’s okay. At the end of the day, we’ll still have our favorite book passage, our favorite singer, a great artwork, or a beautiful park to return to, and sometimes that’s all the reminder you need that life can be worth living.

What stands out

That is one hell of a PR for The Tokyo Toilet Project. I might fly to Japan right now just to witness the architectural majesty of one of those urinals.

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