It's supposed to feel insubstantial at the end. It's questioning whether the lifestyle he's chosen is enough to make up for his failure to have a relationship with a woman--a zenlike focus on chores, an exploration of the best works of art, developing himself mentally and emotionally. But the encounters he has are always encounters with women or girls in which he feels some kind of beginning of a connection but is unable to fulfill it. He thinks he has a comfortable relationship with the woman at the bar but then he has a moment of insight when he realises he doesn't really know her or understand her real life, he's not really a part of it. There's the woman he sits next to at the park even. His niece and his attempts to make a connection with her--notice how uncomfortable he is when he realises she needs privacy in his home. The perfect days, like the song says, may at the end of the day just keep him "hanging on" rather than enriching or truly fulfilling him.
You put it marvelously. I had sort of a "delayed reaction" to this film, meaning I didn't know how to feel about it when it ended. It was when I was walking home, some 15 minutes later, that an incredible sense of melancholy pervaded me, and I deeply felt the character's pain. For me the lack of a detailed backstory is the film's greatest strenght. As I'm writing this, I realize this might be what the post credit scene is about. The film is like the glimpse of light through the leaves, and in that instant we experience truth
I think you perhaps slightly misunderstood it. He aims to control each day through rigid routine, clinging to the past, but each day something happens to disrupt that routine. And thus he is not able to achieve the "perfect day". Despite not being perfect he still is able to find "ephemeral" beauty in things. Ephemeral beauty is important in Japanese culture and a big part of the reason that the Japanese love cherry blossoms so much.
I have to say, I don't really agree that he's questioning his relationship with a woman... he's questioning his living only in the 'now'. His life is built on the bedrock of the moment; no matter what he does, it is lived through in the moment. His existential dilemma is whether there is anything else for him... his connection to the world disappears once out of sight, and as such every day is new (rather than being repeated). The relationships that he has with women is never truly explained - and that's actually great about the movie. He is both comfortable and uncomfortable with women (and people in general, despite him not engaging socially) - and I think his moment of fear was when he suddenly realised that his life of the present was only a sliver of other people's lives... his eternal "now" was but a moment in time for everyone else. I think the idea that this was about not fulfilling romantic relationships was just one aspect - but it was a signpost, not the road.
You obviously didn't listen to the interview from the creator, you focus or have some inherit value on putting women on a pedestal, rather than finding happiness and being content in the simple things or routine. The women you had mentioned disrupted that happiness and routine, it is why the film focused so hard on the repetitiveness for the first half and his happiness until the disruptions came.
@@treasey8655 Trust me... you think you understand it... and while you may understand it "conceptually", I think movie was meant to be felt/understood very differently depending on age. There are some things that are only learned through experience.
@@S-jq1yk It can be, however until you get there, you have a good conceptual understanding of it, sure, but it dosent hit you like it does at 30+. Trust, there are a lot more emotions and suble detials that add to it. At 21 youve just started, wait until youve got 15-20 plus years working under the belt and it hits different. At 21 thats a new 40% of your concious life minuimm, you think that almost half your concious life will be the same thoughts? I did too, but I guessed wrong. Its a better life, but thats because of a lot of hardships and shit that comes with it. Experience is key. You learn the value of people and frendships real quick over time. Keep the best and support those who support your back. Friendship is not a 1 way stream. Everyone should be suported, capitoism makes it cut throat and people will take advantage when they can, because they also want to afford their own rent, food,booze or health. WHICH ISNT WRONG BUT NOT YOUR PROBLEM. Be the best person you can be, and find supportive friends and family and reciprocate that back to you. Ive been taken advantage of many times without reprocussion, paid peoples rent or their going out allowance. I've build up a lot of regualr clients who like my work and support me. Those are the people you want in your life, not those who take and give none for your efforts. Thats the main one, I wish they were supported but i give money out and lose every time. That stuff Should be covered and not on my shoulders, so there is multiple layers to it. Freedom means that they are actually free in terms of housing medicare and food , but the reality is people need to take what they can get, its a sad state of affairs.
Along with Poor Things, this my favorite movie of 2023. In a world of giant Hollywood movies, this small scale story was delightful. Perfect Days is his view not ours, the finale proves it true for him. Maggie I think we disagree on the tone versus the craft. This was meditation and mindfulness on film. Thank you so much.
This was my favorite movie of the previous year, and it’s mostly been praised by critics, so it’s interesting hear this critical perspective. I suppose after encountering multiple movies that felt it necessary to insert needless backstory, I found the ambiguity in _Perfect Days_ refreshing. Might it be a “crutch,” as you suggest? Perhaps-but for me at least, the silence worked in its favor. Had we been served more of a traditional backstory, the artifice of film itself would have usurped the quiet, contemplative ethos I believe Wenders was building in his film.
I think you somewhat touched upon it but a traditional backstory would have gone against the director's intent. So it would have hurt the film. The film aims to put the viewer in the moment. More of a backstory would have killed that. That's one of the flaws I often see in her critiques. She obsesses about the details and finds interesting things to say about them but she loses the forest from the trees and doesn't grasp how everything relates to the theme. Also, Japanese art films tend to be more comfortable with ambiguity and it is not out of laziness as she felt.
Perfect movie for me. A man who left wealth behind, (chosen or not) and make a life of happiness while accepting and not judging people with issues who put themselves on him. He feels pain, but never judges. I guess age makes this relatable.
Paris, Texas is my all-time favorite movie. Perfect Days was one of the best movies I've seen in a long while - I cried my eyes out for nearly half the movie. I am a weirdo! I love the intentional ambiguous wispiness - it allowed me the opportunity to paint my own picture of the deeper/bigger picture and meaning of the story that is left off the screen. Is she referring to Yasujirô Ozu - if so, what movie would be a good movie recommend of his? or is it a film called Ozu? I would love to check that movie out - it sounds wonderful.
She is referring to films of Yasujiro Ozu. The one particular that she calls out is Tokyo Story (1953). Ozu is a huge influence on Wim Wenders, you can see that in his recent interviews, even calls him his master.
Glad I accidentally stumbled across your channel. You are really interesting to listen to about your film analyses and are even getting me willing to view a few movies I hadn't considered watching before.
Your comments got me thinking. Maybe the character is not fully aware of where the pain and emotion in the final scene is coming from either. We as viewers might also only be shown the parts of himself that the character is willing to see or show - so the half-told character might really also be half-told or half-revealed to himself.
Perfect Days beautifully captures the complexity of life in general highlighting the significance of merely existing in the current/ present moment but at the same time acknowledging the idea that at the end of the day humans are perfectly imperfect ! You just learn to live with the pain at the end of the day because it makes you who you are what one can do is to shift the perspective on what is in control and how to prioritize all the available resources to make the best out of each day in order to survive this thing called life.
Cool take, and I get that the ambiguity might frustrate or come off a bit coy, though I personally liked the with-holding of specific backstory. It allows the gravity of his age to speak for itself. To me, in my 40s, it felt like a movie about getting old; old enough to reflect on a lifetime of choices and experiences. old enough that certain fears, habits, regrets, or desires have been with you for decades; old enough to know when to act and when to not give a fucc; old enough to know every moment you're alive, whether you're tired, content, lonely, merry, afraid, heartbroken, or bored shitless, is some sort of defiant, crazy miracle. Take care of what you must; do good where you can; take the pain with the joy; and enjoy the music. Zen spelled O-Z-U.
One of the best scenes, the toilet cleaner finds a kid crying in the toilet and takes him to his mum. Mum immediately washes her sons hands and doesn't thank the cleaner.
Very curious about your verdict on 'Past Lives', Maggie. It too has an almost meditative quality to it, especially with the dreamy score by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen. Wonderful debut of Celine Song.
i, personally, loved this movie and i actually love that the negative emotional spectrum of the story stays nearly unspoken and just bleeds into plot here and there, leaving a taste of its overall presence on a subconscious level. it really captures charachter's masterful efforts to compensate abscence of true live human contact with raw appreciation of the world itself, and it shows that no matter how good you got with appreciating beauty and simplicity all around you, there's still something missing - the final scene shows that inner conflict in bloom, perfectly, imo. my lifestyle matches main charachter's, like 80%, and it was the first movie ever that connected to me at such a high level of precision. it captured the message behind it masterfully, imo
Thanks for perfectly expressing what I was trying to put into words! 😊 I'm a single guy employed as a custodian, and even though I'm not Japanese, I too was shocked by how much the main character's habits and routines mirrored mine.
You might be missing the point of the movie which is to be content in the present moment rather than chasing satisfaction. Its an artistic portrayal of persons as trees. His care for the sapplings. His care for his niece and his young coworker. Cold water at the restaurants and shower to nurture himself like nurturing a tree. His smile as he looks up at the sun, like a tree would. Cleaning toilets like trees clean the polluted air. It's very much rooted in the zen tradition.
But doesn't the end kind of call all of that into question by revealing the undercurrent of pain that he clearly carries with him every day, even while enjoying the little things you mentioned? I take away was that the mindfulness he practices, that sort of Zen focus and appreciation for tiny details in the world, those are the things he clings to in order to just get through the day and not let the pain that lives inside him catch up to him. The end of the film is that pain coming to the surface in a rare moment.
From my point of view something really awful happened to the main character, which had driven him to this routine of those perfect days. It might be his wife or child that died. He clearly hangs out in the past, expressed with his music tapes. He is totally encapsulated from his environment, and only a few moments manage it to reach him. It’s a bit like the Leonard Cohen song with the rhyme: there’s a crack in everything, that’s where the lights gets in. There are two key scenes in this movie. The first one with his sister, there is a hint that maybe she played a role in the tragic event. She seems to be very discomfort in the meeting with him. The hug he gives her in the end seems a little bit like forgiveness and a relief for her. And then sure the last scene, which hunts me ever since. One of the most intense scenes I ever saw. It’s like it’s explaining the whole movie in a few expressions. Like a healing that begins, a wound that closes, and the embracing of the beauty in his life which surrounds him.
Being a longtime fan of lead actor Koji Yakusho as well as Paris, Texas, I was very excited for this film, and my anticipation grew more seeing the critical acclaim surrounding it. My immediate thought upon finally seeing it (and this is a compliment) was Wenders imitating Hirokazu Koreeda imitating Wenders. I think though when comparing to Koreeda, I can understand your central criticism.....there is a little something missing in the pathos aspect of it all. Thank you for your review
it's interesting that you felt the movie didn't lean into the sadness enough because my take away is that the title is ironic and that there is a deep undercurrent of sadness in this movie. I am also someone estranged from their family and incredibly lonely, and the scene where we learn about his falling out with his family really resonated me. I got the sense that he was weeping after hugging his sister because that's the first time he's had any physical affection in years, perhaps decades. I think the movie revealed just enough about his backstory for me to empathize with him.
He was weeping because of the two worlds apart which was mentioned to his niece as a metaphor before. Hes happy in his world of simple routine, while she has a sad outlook towards him being a toilet cleaner in her world. Not being in the same world as his sister is what made him weep, physical touch had nothing to with it.
@@pwnedshift1 I had a basis behind what I said, ie what was presented just before with the main character's metaphor, you seemed to based your opinion on feelings.
I agree with your take that there is an undercurrent of sadness throughout the film. I think that's why the ending of the film is so impactful, because we see a rare moment of all of that sadness coming to the surface, and then him using his little coping mechanisms like the plants or the music to just help him get through one more day.
Although some critics have pointed to Ozu as an infuence, I found myself thinking more of Jarmusch... esp. due to the primacy of both pop and niche culture, and the role it can play in animating our daily lives. Of course, Jarmusch has been no less impacted by Ozu than Wenders, so I guess it's Ozu as refracted through Jarmusch...
I'm confused where you're confused. I've never watched a single Wim Wenders film before this one, and I don't watch "art-house" films. Yet I'm a single man employed as a custodian, and this film deeply resonated with me. I'm not sure why you feel that the film needed to explain everything. While the specifics of his self-imposed isolation aren't explained, the reason for the main character's sorrow is very clear--he is lonely, but feels unable to take the steps necessary to solve his loneliness. He seeks comfort in familiarity, purpose in rythmn. He enjoys the company of others, but dislikes the way their presence disrupts his well-worn rituals. He doesn't want to dig up past hurts, but he also knows that he will have to do so in order to reconnect with family. It's a beautiful film that showcases the struggle that I experience on a daily basis, and while the film may not make sense to everyone, it certainly resonated with me. 😊
The ultimate melancholic experience is the experience of a loss of desire In my opinion a power balance between positive and negative emotion is not necessary be displayed here. And it's not Wenders's directing or artistic choice. It's the character himself that reserves any information about his past and tries to avoid negative feelings as much as possible. He's trapped into a reality or a cuckoon if you have it to remove any extremes. I would argue that the little everyday simple things he enjoys after a certain point are forced and don't carry the weight of appreciation, but rather a big amount of denial and desperation to avoid any pain. Life has proved again and again that the libido (life energy) can't be suppressed without a huge amount of repercussion. I would expect a certain emotional breakdown after some point, considering the bleeding of emotions that comes over him here and there.
I agree. The first few times we see him take appreciation to the little things, it seems novel to us only because it's the first time we see him doing it. We get to appreciate it for the first time. But as the film goes on, we see that these little moments of appreciation are actually deep-rooted habits that served it just helped him get through the day and not focus on the negative feelings he has inside him.
I'll be watching it Friday at the small theatre that's the closest to me :) The last time a Japanese movie played there, it was Drive My Car. It was presented the very same day you uploaded a review for that movie. 👍
I am a huge fan of Jim Jarmusch and the movie Paterson especially has really struck a chord within me. I feel like I kept comparing Perfect Days to it because of its contemplative, poetic, repetitive quality. Maybe that comparison kind of ruined Perfect Days for me, although I did enjoy it, it never hit quite as hard as Paterson. It felt much emptier and less meaningful so I agree with your criticism and am now left wondering if you’ve seen Paterson and if so, what did you think about it ?
I have become a bit of a nihilist. I like to see our protagonist as a person who accepts our human predicament, both the beauty and horror, and does his best to live in appreciation of this fleeting life. Sadly, there is nothing to win. It hurts to accept, but all indicators point to that likely truth.
It's a portrait of a damaged man, and Art can dress the wound but it can't heal it. Why was his sister so cold and aloof, she made him feel small, even her daughter hated her. What kept the movie interesting was the actual toilets! I bet now there will be tourist tours of them. 😉
I loved this film. Coincidentally the last film I saw at the cinema the previous week was ‘Tokyo Story’. Although I agree it was an influence in tone and the general sense of calm it portrays, they are really quite different in technical style and content - the older film is basically all static shots from floor level and plenty of dialogue, which wasn’t the case at all here
Not having seen the film yet, I can imagine where you are coming from with this. Wenders is the king of the flawed masterpiece. His dedication to the meditative quality has always been for me that which overcomes the schmalz, which took up more space as the millennium neared. So I look forward to seeing what I imagine will be my favorite of his from this century. I would love it if you reviewed "Alice in Cities", but I'm not a patron so I won't hold my breath.
I haven't seen the film yet, but it sounds very much like Wenders is a fan of Murakami and wanted to invoke the sensibility of his novels? If so, count me in!
I really enjoyed this film. I understand the critisms you have especially in the second half. I will say we do not get a great sense of this character and his grief but that said it was so fun and beautiful.
My one big issue with this movie is he never had to clean up anything terrible in these bathrooms. Maybe Japanese people are ten time more behaved than Americans, but I feel like that’s gotta be an important part of the life he’s chosen that deserves to be shown.
Yes, half a portrait of a man. The main characters backstory not entirely clear except we find a man of reduced means, (perhaps deliberate?). Indeed we do find something like a "wounded soldier" in something like a "Buddhist temple" who discovers he is "there to heal his life" - Yes that's it!... you gave an insight into the main characters narrative that works for me, at least that's what I felt. Perfect comment.
I’m not as familiar with Wim Wenders’ works as I should be (although I really enjoyed Paris, Texas and Until the End of the World) but this is definitely a film I’ll add to my watch-list. 👍
You not feeling a bit of sadness along with the joy may have to do with the fact that you're too young. Sorry to be presumptive. But this feeling is very common when you're older. When you've seen death and love intimately. Also, does it really matter that there's something in his past that is the reason behind his dropped-out lifestyle. Fact remains that despite the pain in his past, he is able to enjoy simple things. More than a character sketch, it is a state of mind sketch, I feel. PS: Great analysis, though.
I've always found Wenders' visuals more powerful than his dialogue and characters. The latter often feel empty and banal to me. Also he asks too much of the music. A cool shot plus a top tune.doesn't equal depth.
I think you are more or less spot on on this one. It's a really good film, with beautiful and meaningful little moments but something is definitely missing for me as well. Maybe it has to do with our main character's past or what drives him. Wonderful acting performance and a mighty fine direction by Wenders, though. And of course, fantastic music, which doesn't hurt:) Take care, and keep up with the great reviews!
Cool. Learn Zen meditation now. That avoids any type of emotion. Because that's what Zen is. I did get what you said. Thank you for sharing. Play Zen music. You browse anonymously, you got your zoom group, extend it. I don't see it. Nobody does, except the computer which in itself is Neutral!! Happy?
I wish it had the nerve to follow through on the first 20 minutes or so. Where nothing really happens. Drudgery with a good soundtrack. Noticing things. When the niece showed up it felt like throwing in the towel with a conventional plot device. But it was done well. And overall I liked the movie. But a half hour shorter and no frills might have been better.
There exists something you don't understand, okay? "Musashi" protein. Please change your perspective as we speak. Kendo has to do with training of mind. The only way to learn Kendo is to train properly in Kendo. :)))) Can't wait to chat. You seem 2b my age, or younger. I do not mind. I need to know the situation asap. We must speak "poetry" in my room, of course, and go through a few artistic films. In any case. Waste no second cause it's getting heavy in here as we speak.
I totally agree. The idea of simplicity is fine in the beggining but it gets boring and meaningless as it continues. Nothing happens, it is repetitive. Everybody is talking like it has a deep hidden meaning they understand. It is like forbidden to talk bad about a Wenders movie. Anyway, finally I find someone who is honest about it.
She knows a little bit about nothing at all. Pure Mathematicians never understand what they do... She said Matroids is Cryptography. Hah. I kind of like her. How does she look like now? :))
One of the worst movies ever... Nothing made any sense. What's so cinematic about it. It was just like the normal days we go through daily. I'll wait for the day, when there'll be a movie on a guy pooping daily in the morning and his experience of pooping and the feeling of how the experience of his pooping turns into a philosophy...
Perfect Days was one of the worst films in last year's Cannes competition, and it was a really bad year at Cannes. It's a film devoid of any substance. Just look at the music choices.
Too repetitive, too slow. Must have been hundreds of insert shots of toilets/toilet cleaning. To mute a character with a muted story in muted locations felt stale. It was much more interesting towards the end, but by that time, too late for me.
It's supposed to feel insubstantial at the end. It's questioning whether the lifestyle he's chosen is enough to make up for his failure to have a relationship with a woman--a zenlike focus on chores, an exploration of the best works of art, developing himself mentally and emotionally. But the encounters he has are always encounters with women or girls in which he feels some kind of beginning of a connection but is unable to fulfill it. He thinks he has a comfortable relationship with the woman at the bar but then he has a moment of insight when he realises he doesn't really know her or understand her real life, he's not really a part of it. There's the woman he sits next to at the park even. His niece and his attempts to make a connection with her--notice how uncomfortable he is when he realises she needs privacy in his home. The perfect days, like the song says, may at the end of the day just keep him "hanging on" rather than enriching or truly fulfilling him.
You put it marvelously.
I had sort of a "delayed reaction" to this film, meaning I didn't know how to feel about it when it ended. It was when I was walking home, some 15 minutes later, that an incredible sense of melancholy pervaded me, and I deeply felt the character's pain.
For me the lack of a detailed backstory is the film's greatest strenght.
As I'm writing this, I realize this might be what the post credit scene is about. The film is like the glimpse of light through the leaves, and in that instant we experience truth
I think you perhaps slightly misunderstood it. He aims to control each day through rigid routine, clinging to the past, but each day something happens to disrupt that routine. And thus he is not able to achieve the "perfect day". Despite not being perfect he still is able to find "ephemeral" beauty in things. Ephemeral beauty is important in Japanese culture and a big part of the reason that the Japanese love cherry blossoms so much.
I have to say, I don't really agree that he's questioning his relationship with a woman... he's questioning his living only in the 'now'. His life is built on the bedrock of the moment; no matter what he does, it is lived through in the moment. His existential dilemma is whether there is anything else for him... his connection to the world disappears once out of sight, and as such every day is new (rather than being repeated). The relationships that he has with women is never truly explained - and that's actually great about the movie. He is both comfortable and uncomfortable with women (and people in general, despite him not engaging socially) - and I think his moment of fear was when he suddenly realised that his life of the present was only a sliver of other people's lives... his eternal "now" was but a moment in time for everyone else. I think the idea that this was about not fulfilling romantic relationships was just one aspect - but it was a signpost, not the road.
You obviously didn't listen to the interview from the creator, you focus or have some inherit value on putting women on a pedestal, rather than finding happiness and being content in the simple things or routine. The women you had mentioned disrupted that happiness and routine, it is why the film focused so hard on the repetitiveness for the first half and his happiness until the disruptions came.
I highly recommend watching some interviews with Koji Yakusho. He explains very well what this movie is all about.
You will understand the second half…when you’re as old as I am. Give it 30 years.
I'm 21 and I understood it
@@treasey8655 Trust me... you think you understand it... and while you may understand it "conceptually", I think movie was meant to be felt/understood very differently depending on age. There are some things that are only learned through experience.
@@AdelaideBen1so condescending 😂
@@S-jq1yk It can be, however until you get there, you have a good conceptual understanding of it, sure, but it dosent hit you like it does at 30+. Trust, there are a lot more emotions and suble detials that add to it. At 21 youve just started, wait until youve got 15-20 plus years working under the belt and it hits different. At 21 thats a new 40% of your concious life minuimm, you think that almost half your concious life will be the same thoughts? I did too, but I guessed wrong. Its a better life, but thats because of a lot of hardships and shit that comes with it. Experience is key. You learn the value of people and frendships real quick over time. Keep the best and support those who support your back. Friendship is not a 1 way stream. Everyone should be suported, capitoism makes it cut throat and people will take advantage when they can, because they also want to afford their own rent, food,booze or health. WHICH ISNT WRONG BUT NOT YOUR PROBLEM.
Be the best person you can be, and find supportive friends and family and reciprocate that back to you. Ive been taken advantage of many times without reprocussion, paid peoples rent or their going out allowance. I've build up a lot of regualr clients who like my work and support me. Those are the people you want in your life, not those who take and give none for your efforts.
Thats the main one, I wish they were supported but i give money out and lose every time. That stuff Should be covered and not on my shoulders, so there is multiple layers to it. Freedom means that they are actually free in terms of housing medicare and food , but the reality is people need to take what they can get, its a sad state of affairs.
Along with Poor Things, this my favorite movie of 2023. In a world of giant Hollywood movies, this small scale story was delightful. Perfect Days is his view not ours, the finale proves it true for him. Maggie I think we disagree on the tone versus the craft. This was meditation and mindfulness on film. Thank you so much.
This was my favorite movie of the previous year, and it’s mostly been praised by critics, so it’s interesting hear this critical perspective.
I suppose after encountering multiple movies that felt it necessary to insert needless backstory, I found the ambiguity in _Perfect Days_ refreshing.
Might it be a “crutch,” as you suggest? Perhaps-but for me at least, the silence worked in its favor. Had we been served more of a traditional backstory, the artifice of film itself would have usurped the quiet, contemplative ethos I believe Wenders was building in his film.
I think you somewhat touched upon it but a traditional backstory would have gone against the director's intent. So it would have hurt the film. The film aims to put the viewer in the moment. More of a backstory would have killed that. That's one of the flaws I often see in her critiques. She obsesses about the details and finds interesting things to say about them but she loses the forest from the trees and doesn't grasp how everything relates to the theme. Also, Japanese art films tend to be more comfortable with ambiguity and it is not out of laziness as she felt.
Perfect movie for me. A man who left wealth behind, (chosen or not) and make a life of happiness while accepting and not judging people with issues who put themselves on him. He feels pain, but never judges. I guess age makes this relatable.
Paris, Texas is my all-time favorite movie. Perfect Days was one of the best movies I've seen in a long while - I cried my eyes out for nearly half the movie. I am a weirdo! I love the intentional ambiguous wispiness - it allowed me the opportunity to paint my own picture of the deeper/bigger picture and meaning of the story that is left off the screen. Is she referring to Yasujirô Ozu - if so, what movie would be a good movie recommend of his? or is it a film called Ozu? I would love to check that movie out - it sounds wonderful.
She is referring to films of Yasujiro Ozu. The one particular that she calls out is Tokyo Story (1953). Ozu is a huge influence on Wim Wenders, you can see that in his recent interviews, even calls him his master.
@bryndenrivers2931 thank you for that. I will definitely check that out
Glad I accidentally stumbled across your channel. You are really interesting to listen to about your film analyses and are even getting me willing to view a few movies I hadn't considered watching before.
Your comments got me thinking. Maybe the character is not fully aware of where the pain and emotion in the final scene is coming from either. We as viewers might also only be shown the parts of himself that the character is willing to see or show - so the half-told character might really also be half-told or half-revealed to himself.
Perfect Days beautifully captures the complexity of life in general highlighting the significance of merely existing in the current/ present moment but at the same time acknowledging the idea that at the end of the day humans are perfectly imperfect ! You just learn to live with the pain at the end of the day because it makes you who you are what one can do is to shift the perspective on what is in control and how to prioritize all the available resources to make the best out of each day in order to survive this thing called life.
Cool take, and I get that the ambiguity might frustrate or come off a bit coy, though I personally liked the with-holding of specific backstory. It allows the gravity of his age to speak for itself. To me, in my 40s, it felt like a movie about getting old; old enough to reflect on a lifetime of choices and experiences. old enough that certain fears, habits, regrets, or desires have been with you for decades; old enough to know when to act and when to not give a fucc; old enough to know every moment you're alive, whether you're tired, content, lonely, merry, afraid, heartbroken, or bored shitless, is some sort of defiant, crazy miracle. Take care of what you must; do good where you can; take the pain with the joy; and enjoy the music. Zen spelled O-Z-U.
One of the best scenes, the toilet cleaner finds a kid crying in the toilet and takes him to his mum. Mum immediately washes her sons hands and doesn't thank the cleaner.
Best Wender's movie in this century
Very curious about your verdict on 'Past Lives', Maggie. It too has an almost meditative quality to it, especially with the dreamy score by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen. Wonderful debut of Celine Song.
i, personally, loved this movie and i actually love that the negative emotional spectrum of the story stays nearly unspoken and just bleeds into plot here and there, leaving a taste of its overall presence on a subconscious level. it really captures charachter's masterful efforts to compensate abscence of true live human contact with raw appreciation of the world itself, and it shows that no matter how good you got with appreciating beauty and simplicity all around you, there's still something missing - the final scene shows that inner conflict in bloom, perfectly, imo.
my lifestyle matches main charachter's, like 80%, and it was the first movie ever that connected to me at such a high level of precision. it captured the message behind it masterfully, imo
Thanks for perfectly expressing what I was trying to put into words! 😊 I'm a single guy employed as a custodian, and even though I'm not Japanese, I too was shocked by how much the main character's habits and routines mirrored mine.
You might be missing the point of the movie which is to be content in the present moment rather than chasing satisfaction. Its an artistic portrayal of persons as trees. His care for the sapplings. His care for his niece and his young coworker. Cold water at the restaurants and shower to nurture himself like nurturing a tree. His smile as he looks up at the sun, like a tree would. Cleaning toilets like trees clean the polluted air. It's very much rooted in the zen tradition.
But doesn't the end kind of call all of that into question by revealing the undercurrent of pain that he clearly carries with him every day, even while enjoying the little things you mentioned? I take away was that the mindfulness he practices, that sort of Zen focus and appreciation for tiny details in the world, those are the things he clings to in order to just get through the day and not let the pain that lives inside him catch up to him. The end of the film is that pain coming to the surface in a rare moment.
From my point of view something really awful happened to the main character, which had driven him to this routine of those perfect days. It might be his wife or child that died. He clearly hangs out in the past, expressed with his music tapes. He is totally encapsulated from his environment, and only a few moments manage it to reach him. It’s a bit like the Leonard Cohen song with the rhyme: there’s a crack in everything, that’s where the lights gets in. There are two key scenes in this movie.
The first one with his sister, there is a hint that maybe she played a role in the tragic event. She seems to be very discomfort in the meeting with him. The hug he gives her in the end seems a little bit like forgiveness and a relief for her.
And then sure the last scene, which hunts me ever since. One of the most intense scenes I ever saw. It’s like it’s explaining the whole movie in a few expressions. Like a healing that begins, a wound that closes, and the embracing of the beauty in his life which surrounds him.
Being a longtime fan of lead actor Koji Yakusho as well as Paris, Texas, I was very excited for this film, and my anticipation grew more seeing the critical acclaim surrounding it. My immediate thought upon finally seeing it (and this is a compliment) was Wenders imitating Hirokazu Koreeda imitating Wenders. I think though when comparing to Koreeda, I can understand your central criticism.....there is a little something missing in the pathos aspect of it all. Thank you for your review
It was quite awful.
it's interesting that you felt the movie didn't lean into the sadness enough because my take away is that the title is ironic and that there is a deep undercurrent of sadness in this movie. I am also someone estranged from their family and incredibly lonely, and the scene where we learn about his falling out with his family really resonated me. I got the sense that he was weeping after hugging his sister because that's the first time he's had any physical affection in years, perhaps decades. I think the movie revealed just enough about his backstory for me to empathize with him.
He was weeping because of the two worlds apart which was mentioned to his niece as a metaphor before. Hes happy in his world of simple routine, while she has a sad outlook towards him being a toilet cleaner in her world. Not being in the same world as his sister is what made him weep, physical touch had nothing to with it.
@@Hazza101 Yeah, well, y'know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man
@@pwnedshift1 I had a basis behind what I said, ie what was presented just before with the main character's metaphor, you seemed to based your opinion on feelings.
I agree with your take that there is an undercurrent of sadness throughout the film. I think that's why the ending of the film is so impactful, because we see a rare moment of all of that sadness coming to the surface, and then him using his little coping mechanisms like the plants or the music to just help him get through one more day.
Although some critics have pointed to Ozu as an infuence, I found myself thinking more of Jarmusch... esp. due to the primacy of both pop and niche culture, and the role it can play in animating our daily lives. Of course, Jarmusch has been no less impacted by Ozu than Wenders, so I guess it's Ozu as refracted through Jarmusch...
Yeah, good call. Jarmusch’s very meditative Paterson, for instance, would be a good double-bill to watch with Perfect Days.
I loved this film! Up there with Poor Things as my favorite of 2023. Wenders’ best non-documentary film in a very long time.
I'm confused where you're confused. I've never watched a single Wim Wenders film before this one, and I don't watch "art-house" films. Yet I'm a single man employed as a custodian, and this film deeply resonated with me. I'm not sure why you feel that the film needed to explain everything. While the specifics of his self-imposed isolation aren't explained, the reason for the main character's sorrow is very clear--he is lonely, but feels unable to take the steps necessary to solve his loneliness. He seeks comfort in familiarity, purpose in rythmn. He enjoys the company of others, but dislikes the way their presence disrupts his well-worn rituals. He doesn't want to dig up past hurts, but he also knows that he will have to do so in order to reconnect with family. It's a beautiful film that showcases the struggle that I experience on a daily basis, and while the film may not make sense to everyone, it certainly resonated with me. 😊
This movie is like a hug for the soul.
I loved this movie. How much Koji Yakusho can convey about his character's inner life just with his face is amazing.
The ultimate melancholic experience is the experience of a loss of desire
In my opinion a power balance between positive and negative emotion is not necessary be displayed here. And it's not Wenders's directing or artistic choice. It's the character himself that reserves any information about his past and tries to avoid negative feelings as much as possible. He's trapped into a reality or a cuckoon if you have it to remove any extremes. I would argue that the little everyday simple things he enjoys after a certain point are forced and don't carry the weight of appreciation, but rather a big amount of denial and desperation to avoid any pain. Life has proved again and again that the libido (life energy) can't be suppressed without a huge amount of repercussion. I would expect a certain emotional breakdown after some point, considering the bleeding of emotions that comes over him here and there.
I agree. The first few times we see him take appreciation to the little things, it seems novel to us only because it's the first time we see him doing it. We get to appreciate it for the first time. But as the film goes on, we see that these little moments of appreciation are actually deep-rooted habits that served it just helped him get through the day and not focus on the negative feelings he has inside him.
Koji Yakusho is awesome. I did enjoy this movie, but it wasn't quite perfect. I actually liked the second half more than the first.
Not quite perfect days
I'll be watching it Friday at the small theatre that's the closest to me :)
The last time a Japanese movie played there, it was Drive My Car. It was presented the very same day you uploaded a review for that movie. 👍
My favorite movie in recent memory. A couple other movies thaa as t gave me this meditative vibe, Lucky, Pig and to a lesser extent, The Baker.
I am a huge fan of Jim Jarmusch and the movie Paterson especially has really struck a chord within me. I feel like I kept comparing Perfect Days to it because of its contemplative, poetic, repetitive quality. Maybe that comparison kind of ruined Perfect Days for me, although I did enjoy it, it never hit quite as hard as Paterson. It felt much emptier and less meaningful so I agree with your criticism and am now left wondering if you’ve seen Paterson and if so, what did you think about it ?
Agreed this film never hit me. Patterson is a way better film than this one. I compare Perfect Days more with "Showing Up" by Kelly Reichardt
I have become a bit of a nihilist.
I like to see our protagonist as a person who accepts our human predicament, both the beauty and horror, and does his best to live in appreciation of this fleeting life. Sadly, there is nothing to win. It hurts to accept, but all indicators point to that likely truth.
It's a portrait of a damaged man, and Art can dress the wound but it can't heal it.
Why was his sister so cold and aloof, she made him feel small, even her daughter hated her.
What kept the movie interesting was the actual toilets! I bet now there will be tourist tours of them. 😉
I loved this film. Coincidentally the last film I saw at the cinema the previous week was ‘Tokyo Story’. Although I agree it was an influence in tone and the general sense of calm it portrays, they are really quite different in technical style and content - the older film is basically all static shots from floor level and plenty of dialogue, which wasn’t the case at all here
Not having seen the film yet, I can imagine where you are coming from with this. Wenders is the king of the flawed masterpiece. His dedication to the meditative quality has always been for me that which overcomes the schmalz, which took up more space as the millennium neared. So I look forward to seeing what I imagine will be my favorite of his from this century. I would love it if you reviewed "Alice in Cities", but I'm not a patron so I won't hold my breath.
I haven't seen the film yet, but it sounds very much like Wenders is a fan of Murakami and wanted to invoke the sensibility of his novels? If so, count me in!
Look forward to seeing this. Character study, as well as the Japanese locales. Thanks.
I really enjoyed this film. I understand the critisms you have especially in the second half. I will say we do not get a great sense of this character and his grief but that said it was so fun and beautiful.
My one big issue with this movie is he never had to clean up anything terrible in these bathrooms. Maybe Japanese people are ten time more behaved than Americans, but I feel like that’s gotta be an important part of the life he’s chosen that deserves to be shown.
It’s not that he didn’t have to clean up big messes, but more that Wenders chose to not frame them (so they remain offscreen). A good call, IMO.
Yes, half a portrait of a man. The main characters backstory not entirely clear except we find a man of reduced means, (perhaps deliberate?). Indeed we do find something like a "wounded soldier" in something like a "Buddhist temple" who discovers he is "there to heal his life" - Yes that's it!... you gave an insight into the main characters narrative that works for me, at least that's what I felt. Perfect comment.
I’m not as familiar with Wim Wenders’ works as I should be (although I really enjoyed Paris, Texas and Until the End of the World) but this is definitely a film I’ll add to my watch-list. 👍
You not feeling a bit of sadness along with the joy may have to do with the fact that you're too young. Sorry to be presumptive. But this feeling is very common when you're older. When you've seen death and love intimately. Also, does it really matter that there's something in his past that is the reason behind his dropped-out lifestyle. Fact remains that despite the pain in his past, he is able to enjoy simple things. More than a character sketch, it is a state of mind sketch, I feel. PS: Great analysis, though.
I've always found Wenders' visuals more powerful than his dialogue and characters. The latter often feel empty and banal to me. Also he asks too much of the music. A cool shot plus a top tune.doesn't equal depth.
You should review "Fallen Leaves", the best foreign movie of 2023 in my opinion. Unfortunetely not even Oscar nominated.
Sounds super impressionistic, I’m sold
Hello. I am very curious for you to review the Danish Bastarden/The Promised land film. Loved it
I guess keep it simple, and let the audience interpret themselves, which is perfect for me
I loved this film. My favourite in 2024 ATM. Watched twice.
I think you are more or less spot on on this one. It's a really good film, with beautiful and meaningful little moments but something is definitely missing for me as well. Maybe it has to do with our main character's past or what drives him. Wonderful acting performance and a mighty fine direction by Wenders, though. And of course, fantastic music, which doesn't hurt:) Take care, and keep up with the great reviews!
Cool. Learn Zen meditation now. That avoids any type of emotion. Because that's what Zen is. I did get what you said. Thank you for sharing. Play Zen music. You browse anonymously, you got your zoom group, extend it. I don't see it. Nobody does, except the computer which in itself is Neutral!! Happy?
Best movie I have seen in years!
Thanks for the perspective
No backstory is essential to the films power.
If a film has to be compared to Tokyo Story, then 99.99% of films are abject failures.
I wish it had the nerve to follow through on the first 20 minutes or so. Where nothing really happens. Drudgery with a good soundtrack. Noticing things. When the niece showed up it felt like throwing in the towel with a conventional plot device. But it was done well. And overall I liked the movie. But a half hour shorter and no frills might have been better.
Have you ever reviewed The Crow (1994). I just watched it yesterday and it was so terrible! And people say it is a timeless masterpiece!!!
WTF?
Great review.
The boy and the heron
😢
It sounds like Patterson
No, I'm not serving you. Practicalities please. If I need spiritual stuff, I do Empi. :))
There exists something you don't understand, okay? "Musashi" protein. Please change your perspective as we speak. Kendo has to do with training of mind. The only way to learn Kendo is to train properly in Kendo. :)))) Can't wait to chat. You seem 2b my age, or younger. I do not mind. I need to know the situation asap. We must speak "poetry" in my room, of course, and go through a few artistic films. In any case. Waste no second cause it's getting heavy in here as we speak.
I totally agree. The idea of simplicity is fine in the beggining but it gets boring and meaningless as it continues. Nothing happens, it is repetitive.
Everybody is talking like it has a deep hidden meaning they understand. It is like forbidden to talk bad about a Wenders movie. Anyway, finally I find someone who is honest about it.
Do you want me still around, my friend? I'm half Jewish. Deal?
Yes. Yet there's two things you must do.
You are a picture of Heaven ❤
Yeah, okay. You seem like you're about to be posing a practical problem, my friend.
Thanks
HEY, BIG WENDERS!
I know what I need to know. Okay?
_Perfect Days_ is far from perfect… it's too damn short!
She knows a little bit about nothing at all. Pure Mathematicians never understand what they do... She said Matroids is Cryptography. Hah. I kind of like her. How does she look like now? :))
I personally hated this movie with a passion, but it's always nice to see other perspectives and what good things people find in art
100% agree
Been in a girl's toilet twice in my life, cool? What is the practical problem?? You wanna laser out your marks? ;;)
You having a manic episode buddy?
Boring and repetitious and then cry/wonder
Freedom comes with a price, financial stressors
You are pretty.
First.
4th!
Second
One of the worst movies ever... Nothing made any sense. What's so cinematic about it. It was just like the normal days we go through daily.
I'll wait for the day, when there'll be a movie on a guy pooping daily in the morning and his experience of pooping and the feeling of how the experience of his pooping turns into a philosophy...
Done in five. Do you have "sugar daddy" issues? Sorry that may sound rude. Just thought I'd ask.
Perfect Days was one of the worst films in last year's Cannes competition, and it was a really bad year at Cannes. It's a film devoid of any substance. Just look at the music choices.
Too repetitive, too slow. Must have been hundreds of insert shots of toilets/toilet cleaning. To mute a character with a muted story in muted locations felt stale. It was much more interesting towards the end, but by that time, too late for me.
Hey what a smile ❤ ur