“Those who survive keep thinking about the dead one way or another.”
Not much happens in Drive My Car, but it is not a boring film, at least not for me. The Oscar nominated screenplay by Takamasa Oe and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, who also directs, greatly expands upon the short story of the same name by Haruki Murakami, which itself is light on plot. Characters are explored deeply and quietly and there are buried emotions delivered with strong performances from a great cast. Despite the character explorations and even the incorporation of another Murakami story (Sherezade, also from the same story collection, Men Without Women), Drive My Car never really justifies its three hour runtime.
Perhaps I would feel differently if Drive My Car had been a three part miniseries because that is how it feels. The first 40 minutes turn out to be an extended prologue introducing us to an actor and theater director, Yûsuke Kafuku played by Hidetoshi Nishijima, and his wife Oto, a screenwriter played by Reika Kirishima. Unbeknownst to Oto, Kafuku discovers she is having an affair and chooses not to confront her. One day, Oto says she has something to tell him when he comes home from work but Kafuku returns home to find that she has died suddenly. Then the opening credits start, and in many ways this is when the movie really starts.
Two years later, Kafuku is invited to Hiroshima to direct a production of Chekov’s Uncle Vanya. Due to a traffic accident caused by his impaired vision, the producers of the play insist Kafuku have a chauffeur, Misaki Watari, a laconic young woman played by Tôko Miura. Neither says much to each other about themselves or anything else at first, but the film’s length allows for their relationship to build gradually and believably. To play the title character of Uncle Vanya, Kafuku casts Kōji Takatsuki, played by Masaki Okada, the man with whom Oto was having an affair. Tensions build slowly and their confrontation happens in an unexpected and interesting way.
I don’t necessarily begrudge Drive My Car’s three hour runtime. It allows for characters to develop and reveal themselves in a natural way which is a rare occurrence for a movie of any genre in any era. However, the many scenes of quiet driving, parking, and rehearsals, including three full audition scenes, come across as padding–which this adaptation of Murakami’s story does not need. Thanks to Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura’s great understated performances I found myself compelled enough by Kafuku and Watari’s emotional journeys, especially their reluctance to take such journeys. Watching Drive My Car I was reminded of the films of the great Yasujirô Ozu (Tokyo Story,Late Spring, Floating Weeds) whose films focused on the emotional lives of everyday people. Ozu’s films often showed their characters simply sitting in a restaurant or at home and talking and, though they may sound boring, are all emotionally powerful experiences.
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, nominated for Best Director, is working in the same vein but maybe not in the same league as Ozu (but, really, who is?). Nonetheless, sparking a comparison to Ozu means he made a pretty effective film. Drive My Car did not connect with me as strongly as it has with many other viewers and Academy members. Still, I think this film is worth watching if you can find the time.
Nominee: Teruhisa Yamamoto, producer
Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Screenplay: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe based on the short story by Haruki Murakami
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