Film Review: Perfect Days

Wim Wenders latest movie has already left quite an impression on some of my European friends (the film was released there late last year) and I was really looking forward to watching it. Thankfully it didn’t disappoint.

In this time of plugged in, switched on, time poor, over worked, technology enslaved, rat race living it is a simple movie, but one that, like all good cinema makes you stop and really think.

Koji Yakusho plays a middle aged toilet cleaner, Hirayama, a man who finds peace in his own solitude, reading books, listening to music, growing plants, photography and finding true fulfilment in this simple existence.

As we delve into his well-ordered routine, unexpected encounters gradually peel back the layers of a concealed past, adding nuance to his otherwise tranquil existence.

It reminded me of a quote from a very different movie, Ferris Bueller’s day off… also said in a very different context “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

In this situation the life to be seen and heard all around is the gentle passing of time. The trees in the wind, the beauty in a simple existence, reacting and being in the moment. It might sound easy, but the distractions of things perceived to be more important are strong. Perfect Days is a welcome reminder for us all to stop, take a breath and stop running to catch something.

Like many Wim Wenders movie the location place an important starring role and the directors way of showing a side of Tokyo that feels both foreign and familiar gives true authenticity in a way that is usually too difficulty to master especially from a non-native. The direction is so beautiful and natural, it never gets in the way of the story or forces its personality upon you too strongly. I can’t think of too many other directors who can walk the line between narrative and expansion as expertly.

The film is slow, but magical and life affirming. Its pacing reinforces the stories sentiment of absorbing ‘the now’ to perfection. It’s also a message of hope. We all have it within us to make changes in our lives and figure out what is really important – ‘the now’ or the ‘then’.

Perfect Days emerges as a nuanced, gleaming, and ultimately life-affirming exploration of discovering beauty in the ordinary facets of our world.

Perfect Days will be in cinemas in the UK on 23rd Feb 2024

Flush the Fashion

Editor of Flush the Fashion and Flush Magazine. I love music, art, film, travel, food, tech and cars. Basically, everything this site is about.