With its half hour or so introduction, you know you're in for a literal ride with "Drive My Car". This ride though is one littered with a nuanced script, deep cues, and a slow burn to a payoff that was worth it. What it lacks in physical oomph it more than makes up for its thought-provoking and rich material that shocked us in so many ways we could never have imagined.
Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is a stage actor who is best known for his portrayal of Uncle Vanya in the Russian-based play of the same name. Two years after the sudden death of his wife Oto, Yusuke is still unable to cope with the loss of his beloved wife. When he receives an offer to direct the play Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima, he accepts. There he is provided with a driver named Misaki (Tōko Miura). In between the hour long ride from the theater to Yusuke's hotel, the two eventually bond and reveal secrets from their past.
"Drive My Car" was an astounding experience given the gravity of what it was able to accomplish. It was able to perfectly mold together its narrative, the play it was alluding to, and the actual struggles of our characters on-screen. This was a very deep and nuanced film in each of its aspects. We've always found that the Japanese has always shown another kind of level when it came to how they value their craft may it be making tools or growing and harvesting food. "Drive My Car" is a clear reflection of that next level love and care that their culture is known for. For starters, the best aspect of "Drive My Car" was its seemingly straight-forward approach to presenting its characters. Much of the cast and characters were easy to relate with. But that simplicity was also a gateway to lure its viewers into a pandora's box of secrets that will not only shock audiences but will leave most emotionally and mentally affected hours after watching this film. Much like Yusuke who laments playing his character of Uncle Vanya one more time, this film was an extremely heavy watch for us. Don't take this as a negative because if you are willing to fully open up yourself to "Drive My Car", then you're opening up to an extremely rewarding experience however long and harrowing that trip may be.
Rating: 5 reels
Why you should watch it:
- the slow burn and deep conversations and script was worth every second
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- at three hours long and heavy on conversations, this film might not be to everyone's taste
Drive My Car Movie Review: A road trip worth the long drive ahead
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