150 Word Review: 'Perfect Days' (2023)

Drink Sangria in the park

Photo: DCM

Every day is perfect for sixty-something Hirayama, a hardworking janitor who cleans Tokyo's sleek, high-tech public toilets. He wakes up, cracks a can of coffee, and commutes to work while listening to classic rock on old-school cassette tapes.

Hirayama is a man who knows what he likes: houseplants, analog cameras, and, most of all, his job, which he takes seriously. His routine is built around living in the moment, where he hides from his feelings.

German director Wim Wenders has been making movies for five decades, and Perfect Days is one of his best. It is confident, beautiful, and melancholy. Wender's camera lingers on Tokyo's bustling sprawl and actor Kôji Yakusho's wise face. Yakusho's Hirayama is quiet but easily rattled by the outside world. Why did he self-exile? His niece also wants to know. Perfect Days celebrates the little things in life, which include the ache of loneliness and regret.

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IF I PICKED THE OSCARS:

Best Picture: 'The Zone of Interest' (2023)

Best Director: 'Anatomy of a Fall' (2023)

Best Actor: "American Fiction" (2023)

Best Actress: 'Killers of the Flower Moon' (2023)

Best Original Screenplay: 'May December' (2023)

Best Horror Movie: 'Where Evil Lurks' (2023)

Best Movie That Should Have Been Nominated For Something: 'All Of Us Strangers' (2023)

Best WTF Movie: 'Beau Is Afraid' (2023)

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New 150 Word Review: ‘Stopmotion’ (2023)

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