Drive My Car (2021)★ 7.7/10

What a drip of you all

The slow-paced narrative is very characteristic of Japanese films. Haruki Murakami, the original author, imbues the characters with loneliness, inner voids, toxic relationships, and unexpected plot twists. The seemingly loving and harmonious relationship between the protagonist and his wife is actually full of issues stemmed from their daughter's death, but the couple chooses to act as if everything is fine. Even infidelity can't make the other party show the slightest concern, resonating with Murakami's frequent themes of inexplicably disappearing or suicidal characters, reflecting modern people with perpetually missing pieces in their hearts.

This is a story of self-confrontation, evolving from a person who drives to escape to one who enjoys the ride, and from resisting the stage to returning to an actor's role. The minimalist soundtrack, abundant dialogue, and interplay of various languages and the story’s play are intertwined. The director’s style aligns well with Haruki Murakami, retaining the author's distinctive style in the dialogues. Though the three-hour runtime feels a bit long in the first half and the dialogue is a little extensive, it ultimately feels satisfying.

"Even if you think you know someone well, even if you deeply love them, you can never fully understand that person's innermost thoughts; you will only feel hurt. But if you make enough effort, you should be able to better examine your own heart. Be true to yourself and accept in a capable manner. If you truly want to understand someone, your only choice is to first face and deeply examine yourself." These lines belong to Hamaguchi, and they represent the best interpretation of Murakami's original work. I find the sequel to Mountain Ruzod superb, surpassing Murakami. In this film, dealing with taboos and hidden desires is depicted as a form of self-struggle. On the other hand, for the adaptation of Uncle Vanya, it was an excellent choice to change Sonya's lines into sign language. We see that patience and work are silent, and maybe living should be the same way.

This film is a story about substitutes and a narrative about the inadequacy of linguistic substitutes (the interchangeability of words and meanings in languages) to address realities beyond the realm of linguistic logic (especially in the visual world of cinema). From the act of finding someone in "Drive My Car", to the exchanges between the dead, the beloved, the murderers, and the characters and actors within the play, to using text as a substitute for the Tower of Babel to facilitate communication among international actors, it tells a story of how substitutes strive to become important.

After spending three hours watching a film that held itself in such high esteem, I tried to find the reasons behind its Cannes acclaim amidst the flurry of popular reviews, but I found none convincing. Every character in the film walks, talks, and faces the camera in the same manner. Several major plot points are propelled by dense personal narratives. What the French cinema might typically do, the Japanese have infused with a palpable sense of inertia. A film is not a stage play, so even if you mention stage plays within a film, please refrain from making the film feel like one.

"Drive My Car", directed by Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi, won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival and garnered numerous international nominations, making it a focal point in today's film industry. This is a film with a true literati style and filled with philosophical reflections on life. In its nearly three-hour duration, the characters' pasts are revealed, blending the speculations of Chekhov, Haruki Murakami, and Hamaguchi himself. Overall, it's a thought-provoking piece.

I watched the part of Uncle Vanya in the film several times, and finally wrote down the entire dialogue with my mobile phone. It seems that the more mature a person is, the more he has experienced the helplessness of society and all kinds of hardships in life, the more he can appreciate high-quality film works that the ivory tower school literary youth hate. For me, I am very grateful for such a film, which reminds me of what film art is, and reminds me of the artistic height and depth of exploration of human nature that films can reach. In addition, thanks to the director for discovering Hidetoshi Nishijima, besides Hirokazu Koreeda and Masaharu Fukuyama in front of the camera in Japanese literary films, there is another brilliant Japanese actor who is refined and gentleman for the world to see. In addition, Touko Miura's performance also great. The movie made the world believe there are successors in the Japanese film industry.

My favorite movie in 2021, some parts I will watch over and over again. Actor Hidetoshi Nishijima also showed the world the handsomeness and charisma of an oriental actor.

Una historia sobre el duelo y el lenguaje que no alcanza. Tres horas que pasan como un suspiro.

🚘 La soledad compartida es el único diálogo que vale la pena tener.

¿Cuál es el real poder la ilusión? En esta película, Guillermo del Toro plantea la ilusión como herramienta de manipulación, tanto de individuos como de masas. A través de una historia sórdida, Stanton (Bradley Cooper), huye de sus delitos y se refugia en una feria ambulante. En ella, aprende los trucos de los feriantes para estafar y sorprender al público. Esta forma mundana de sobrevivencia es asimilada por Stanton como su nuevo modo de vida. El dueño de la feria (Willem Dafoe) se vuelve un mentor cruel de los usos de la ilusión y del abuso hacia los freaks, personas de apariencia monstruosa y extravagante.

Fuera de la feria, la vida de Stanton adquiere otra dimensión. Mediante trucos de adivinación logra acceder a un status diferente. Esta ambición de poder lo lleva a rodearse de una élite cruel y perversa aunque solapada en la opulencia material. En este momento, la película apunta a mostrar otro tipo de criaturas, monstruos verdaderos aunque de apariencia cotidiana.

Aunque la película asoma este tema y muchos otros, como el impacto del engaño en las personas a través de la creación de artificios y de su repetición constante, su principal acierto se manifiesta en el proceso más que en las consecuencias. La elaboración de los trucos se muestra con mucho detalle y cuidado, apoyados en una destacada puesta en escena e interpretación de los actores. Los resultados, en cambio, aunque con una ambientación correcta, resultan precipitados.

Una película con ritmo de tortuga, lenta. Muchas conversaciones frías, entre personas que transmiten poco; con diálogos alejados de lo rutinario de la mayoría de la gente.
Los protagonistas son como babosas que hablan, solo transmiten quietud. Las escenas entre personas son como los animes, donde solo mueven la boca al hablar. Es un anime con humanos.
Cosas que sí me gustaron:
• No hay insultos
• Tomas super naturales, una visualidad estupenda. La iluminación es maravillosa, tanto de día como de noche, parece ser natural; si hay algún tipo de edición y efectos, no se notan, logrando una experiencia visual muy agradable.
• El mensaje final.