Drive My Car

 Drive My Car was the film I was alluding to weeks ago that was playing at inopportune times. They could've been opportune times had they not been so late, and it wasn't a minute short of three hours. Thankfully, it's now on HBOMax, meaning you can set your own schedule to see it.

This is Japan's entry into the International Feature Oscar race, being based on a short story by one of its most celebrated authors, Haruki Murakami. It's also the obvious frontrunner considering that it's also up for Best Picture and Ryusuke Hamaguchi is up for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Let's see how it is.

Yusuke (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and Oto Kafuku (Reika Kirishima) are a creative couple. He's a stage actor and director in a multi-lingual company and she's a TV writer who spins erotic stories with him each night. One day, Yusuke finds Oto cheating on him and a few days later, finds her dead of a brain hemorrhage.

A few years later, Yusuke is hired to direct a multi-lingual Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima. This was the role he was rehearsing at the time of Oto's death. So, he casts her other man, Koji Takatsuki (Masaki Okada), as Vanya. Meanwhile, he's forced to hire Misaki Watari (Toko Miura) as his chauffer due to company policy and his glaucoma. He accepts this arrangement once she proves herself a good driver. Their relationship helps them open up about their tragic pasts. It culminates in the show itself, where Yusuke is forced to take on the titular role.

It takes about forty-minutes before the action moves to Hiroshima. None of those minutes are wasted as it paints a clear picture of Yusuke and Oto's marriage. We see them mourn their long-dead daughter. We see them celebrate their successes. We see him rehearse Vanya in his car by reacting to her on tape.  We see his reluctance to play Vanya after her death. There are plenty of details in that time that are relevant to the remaining 139 minutes.

A good chunk of those remaining minutes is spent with Yusuke and Misaki. They go from stoic strangers to good friends (no, not romantic) in due time. Their time together helps them open up emotionally to the world. We see her reservedness subside when she bonds with Yusuke's assistant's dog when they're invited to dinner. We see his stoicism crack when she takes him to what's left of her home, where her abusive mom was left to die after a mudslide. She's in the audience of Uncle Vanya as Sonya (Park Yu-Rim as Yoo-na, the aforementioned assistant's wife) signs her closing monologue in Korean. Chekhov's speech is an emotional coda to their character arcs.

The Vanya audition and rehearsal process makes for an interesting portion of the film. Yusuke and Koji bond surprisingly well during the production. Koji also has some strong chemistry with co-star Janice Chang (Sonia Yuan) during their audition. His temper ultimately undoes his career. But he still goes gracefully to the cops.

What else can I say about it? There's some great location shooting by cinematographer Hidetoshi Shinomiya. Whether it's a nighttime city, a small theater or snowy Hokkaido, the locales are all splendid sights. There's also a suitably solemn score by Eiko Ishibashi. It's not used much, but it's used effectively.

Drive My Car's long runtime is surely taxing for first time viewers. I felt the pressure near the end, but as I watch it again as I write this, I felt more of its emotional relevance. On one hand, it's all about overcoming grief and loss. But on another, it's about never taking people for granted, as a minor conversation with them could be the last. It's worth seeing at least once whether on the big screen or small. Be prepared for that runtime and you'll do fine. Just don't see this and The Batman back-to-back.