On the surface, the plot sounds like a dare: Follow a middle-aged toilet cleaner in Tokyo as he cleans public restrooms. That’s it. No car chases, no villains, no tragic backstory dump.
★★★★★ (5/5) Best paired with: A cassette tape, a cold can of coffee from a vending machine, and a window seat. Have you seen Perfect Days? Did it make you want to buy a film camera and a set of feather dusters? Let me know in the comments below. Perfect Days -2023-2023
And yet, Perfect Days is the rare film that forces you to change the volume of your own life. We meet Hirayama, played with heartbreaking subtlety by Kōji Yakusho (who won the Best Actor prize at Cannes for this role). Hirayama wakes up before dawn to the sound of a woman sweeping the street outside his modest apartment. He brushes his teeth, trims his mustache, waters his tiny ferns, and climbs into his van. On the surface, the plot sounds like a
When it was over, I didn’t want to scroll on my phone. I wanted to go outside and look at the shadows on the pavement. I wanted to water my plants. I wanted to listen to “Sunday Morning” on vinyl. ★★★★★ (5/5) Best paired with: A cassette tape,