Movies, Reviews, SA 0

Movie Review: Drive My Car

By Tony Polese · On February 1, 2022

In Cinemas February 10^th
Advance screenings this Sunday 6th at
Nova Eastend & Wallis Mitcham
(includes a complimentary Japanese MONSUTA beer on arrival!)

(Reviewed by John Glennie)

An excellent movie out of Japan. Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is a stage actor and director happily married to his playwright wife, Oto (Reika Kirishima). In intimate moments and in their car, she tells him the storyline of the new play she is writing, but he doesn’t find out the ending before her tragic death.

After two years, Kafuku still can’t come to terms with the loss so takes up a position to direct the play that he had performed in, Uncle Vanja, at a theatre festival in Hiroshima. One of the conditions of the theatre company contract is that he has a driver. He is against the idea as he uses the time in his lovely old SAAB to play a tape and rehearse his lines. However, he has no choice, and is introduced to the young and introverted Misaki (Toko Miura).

Eventually, he is impressed by her driving and, as they become more comfortable with each other, they start talking about their past and some interesting secrets are revealed on both sides. In between, Kafuku has had auditions for the play and selected his cast. Everyone assumed he would play the lead role, but he declines and appoints a cocky young actor who reluctantly takes on the role – preferring the one that he portrayed in his audition.

You always get that feeling that the play is a reflection of Kafuku’s marriage and the fidelity of his wife. There are some powerful performance by all the actors – in particular Kafuku, Misaki and the mute Lee Yoon-a (superbly played by Yoo-rim Park). There also seems to be some history between Koji Takatsuki (Masaki Okada) and Oto, with more and more information being revealed as the movie progresses, which always has you wondering…

Fate has it that Kafuku is forced to take on the role of Uncle Vanja when Koji is unable to continue (you will have to see the movie to find out why!). Prior to playing the role, Kafuku asks Misaki to drive him to where she grew up in Hokkaido. This is where a lot of emotional truths are revealed, giving Kafuku the impetus needed to play the role in the play. You can see and feel the emotion in his performance, and the final act of the play with Lee Yoon-a doing her sign language is one of the most moving scenes I have ever seen!

This is an incredible film. My only beef with it was the length. It is adapted from a short story, yet it is a very long 3-hour movie!! You really have to concentrate hard to absorb everything and I think would need to watch it several times to pick up the bits you missed or lost focus on. This has won lots of awards worldwide and it is easy to see why. However, I was fortunate enough to have a preview screening at home where there can be, and are, distractions. On the big screen it will be a riveting experience where you will be totally focussed on the brilliant performances.