Perfect Days (2023) [Film Review]

Perfect Days; or, The Art of Mindfulness
     Next time is next time. Now is now.
When I heard about a new movie project by Win Wenders centered around public toilets for the first time, I thought that the famous German director was going to commit another weird “auteur stunt” like Fruit Chan with his movie about toilets over 20 years ago. Thankfully, I couldn’t be more wrong. Perfect Days directed by Wim Wenders is not toilet-oriented insanity, but a thoughtful examination of our existence, and how we can live in peace with our surroundings.

Release Info

Directed by: Wim Wenders Starring: Koji Yakusho, Arisa Nakano, Tokio Emoto, Tomokazu Miura

Language: Japanese Original Title: Perfect Days Runtime: 123 min

Synopsis
Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) works for the Tokyo Toilet company as a cleaner. His life is governed by structure and rituals. He listens to music on cassettes, cultivates plants, reads books, but most importantly, he loves trees and takes pictures of them, trying to capture the elusive phenomenon of komorebi. We observe Hirayama’s life through his unlikely encounters with other people.

Slow Living
Even though the movie had its premiere last year, and it has been widely discussed on the internet for a few good months, I was able to see it by complete incident, when I found out that a cinema in the neighbouring city was going to organize a screening (the distributor over here circulates the film over cinema chains for two months).

Well, I went to see the film completely blind. I did not read the synopsis and I did not watch any trailer. All I knew was that Koji Yakusho was the lead and Wim Wenders directed the film. I think the best way to describe the film is to call it a cautionary tale with a cathartic release.

I fell in love with the character of Hirayama and his simple approach to life. In this day and age, when we are bombarded with overstimulation from all sides, it is indeed refreshing to see the quiet lifestyle of a boomer who is only passionate about his hobbies and oriented within the moment. I dare to suspect that Hirayama is not Wenders’ attempt to romaticise Japanese people, but an embodiment of the director’s personal warning against hustle culture and digital slavery.

In addition, I couldn’t help but notice a few nods to Yasujiro Ozu. Indeed, Wenders is an Ozu fanboy and the clear expression of this is the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio of Perfect Days, which gives the film a wonderful vintage flair. What is more, I am not sure if the movie was shot on actual film tape or on a digital camera, but the vivid colour grading is outstanding.

With regard to performances, Koji Yakusho proves once again what a legendary actor he is. From Tampopo to Perfect Days, the man’s over 40-year-long career is sheer epicness. However, I am deeply convinced that Yakusho is the only guy on the planet who could play Hirayama. His withdrawal from society combined with genuine gentleness and sincerity very much echoes other character played by Yakusho, such as Sugiyama in Shall We Dance? and Kantake Kazumasa in Kamikaze Taxi.

Recommendations
All things considered, I experienced the film at a perfect timing. Perfect Days is the kind of fatherly advice everyone needs to hear from time to time. In some Polish review, I read that the film is the perfect example of a motion picture promoting mindfulness. The problem is that it is hard to find other examples from Japanese Cinema. There are plenty of comedies, and quite slice-of-life tales, but Perfect Days sets the tone for a very unique cinematic experience. Last but not least, I encourage you to visit the official page of the movie, which is a work of art in and of itself, and it includes additional info about Hirayama's life outside of the film.
Overall score: 9/10

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