Finding joy and staying patient while living the mundane life,
as we all learn to find beauty in the tiny moments - a smile from a child, sun coming through the branches of the trees, other people’s happiness.Perfect Days is weirdly relatable in its simplicity. Smiling because of the shadows dancing on the wall is something that happens to me often - little moments that when appreciated, can make your day better. The movie allows you to stop for a minute and take in all the everyday wonders we often miss.
Watching Hirayama enjoy his daily routines and finding things to appreciate when the known pattern is broken made me think that every situation comes with a set of things to welcome with gratitude and things to be patient about. No bad moment lasts forever, no happy moments can exist, if we don’t notice them.
Yakusho Koji’s performance alone could be seen as the 8th wonder of the world. Even with little to no dialogue, he was able to express all the depth and internal complexity. Hirayama truly is a character we could learn from - patient, kind, helpful, giving, perceptive, diligent. Someone who cherishes each and every moment finding time to note the beauty of his surroundings.
Visually speaking I was in awe when watching it in the cinema. The use of light and shadows, well crafted set designs, interesting shots and angles - while I am glad I was able to see it all on the big screen, I also wish I could take screenshot of each and every scene and be able to come back to the pictures representing the beauty of the daily life.
Inspired by the movie, let me name a few things that brought a smile on my face in recent times:
How shadows that added to the beauty of the art I was viewing, creating a unique experience for that specific moment.
A cute drawing kids made with a chalk on the pavement.
The sun making the water flicker as if the waves were carrying little diamonds.
How a dirty window on the bus stop actually made the sunset I saw look even more magical.
How I drew a smile on a mandarin and it smiled at me the whole lecture.
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Perfect Days
This movie made me incredibly lonely and scared of growing old. I only hope I can see the small beauties in life the way this character does. I've not much to say but it was an incredibly beautiful and moving film.Great soundtrack. Wonderful scenes. In a way it's inspirational to see the pride Hirayama takes in his job cleaning toilets and the way he gets joy and contentment from the seemingly mundane things in life. He has his passions in music, books and photography and being a genuine and loving uncle. I wish to be like him if my life is still this way as I grow old.
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♡ Perfect Days ♡
This is a lovely movie where the main actor is Yakusho Koji ♡ He works in a toilet company in Shibuya, everyday he wakes up early and goes to work then around lunchtime he always has lunch at the park at his favourite spot where there is a lot of nature and trees. He carries with him a disposable camera and takes pictures of the trees. He lives a simple life he likes cameras, films and books. Every evening after work he goes to his favourite Izakaya, and then before bed he always reads his favourite book. On the weekends he goes to the laundry and then to the bookshop to buy more books. I really really loved this movie especially Hirayama's acting, he is so handsome and in the movie he is so simple, he doesn't talk much but he gives to the world the best impression of surrealism. ' Now is now' ♡Was this review helpful to you?
Memorable slice-of-life story, beautifully acted and filmed
I really enjoyed the story. It follows the character of Hirayama who finds joy and light in the simple things of everyday life. It addresses strong societal but human issues: loneliness, shadow workers, can you feel surrounded but alone, can you be alone but satisfied...There is very little dialogue in the first half of the film, and it is the part that seduced me the most. The second arc allows more introspection on the character and also calls a lot of things into question. The ending scene shook me and was memorable in its simplicity... It is bittersweet and concludes in a sober but strong way the film which values the concept of Komorebi all throughout.The acting performance of Yakusho Koji is incredible. His acting is the cornerstone of the film. There are so many moments that are solely relying on the way he looks at the world and the people he meets. As there are not that many dialogs, without an excellent actor, the ideas that the script conveys might have not be transmitted as well as it was. Nakano Arisa (in her first role here) was very good as well and brought a fresh breeze to the story through her part.
Music is an important part of the movie. Our main character listens to a lot of tapes while he rides, and it is so acutely fitting with the vibe of the film. It is a common thread to the story and I really enjoyed being carried on by the music which is part of the life of Hirayama. The piano pieces also contributes to the masterfully crafted cinematographic experience that this movie provide. The filmmaking is beautiful, very atmospheric with some sets I found really interesting.
I would recommend this movie to people that enjoy slice-of-life genre and introspection. It is a very chill film in its pace, very simple in its story and therefore which might not please everyone. That said, the poetry that pores through this slice-of-life story, the fact that I got so attached to the main protagonist as well as the beautiful filmmaking featuring stunning shots of Tokyo (and more precisely Sumida) make it for me an excellent discovery really worth the watch.
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Komorebi
A profound and introspective look on everyday life.This may have been a slow burn but it never bored me even once. There's a sort of satisfaction in the mundane, repetition may not be exciting, but finding the happiness in the smallest of things, the sun that shines through the leaves, birds chirping early in the morning, a child waving to you. There's even happiness in the chaos, a move away from the schedule can bring about cathartic and moving experiences.
The entire movie may have been the story of a week or two, or that of months, but the essence and emotions were just the same. With a minimal amount of dialogues, the acting and depth created a great balance.
“Komorebi - is the Japanese word for the shimmering of light and shadows that is created by leaves swaying in the wind. It only exists once, at that moment.”
The final frame of the film, and an apt description of the film itself.
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O que é?
Fiquei com a impressão de que a história não contada talvez fosse mais interessante.O quê levou ao reconhecimento da necessidade de uma vida com menos responsabilidade, menos preocupação, com momentos contemplativos que a cada dia menos temos oportunidades de ter?
O final me causou real angústia ao perceber que tudo o que foi apresentado pode não ser.
O que realmente é visível aos olhos, é?
Acredito que eu esteja no ponto de vista da ansiedade, e não do medo, como é discutido no filme.
Não tiro o mérito do enfoque dado pelo filme, mas as entrelinhas me parecem gerar um incômodo muito maior e questionar o porquê de, eu mesma, não escolher o simples, o monótono, o repetitivo, e o contemplativo para minha vida.
Valeu a indicação ao Oscar, mas alguns dos concorrentes estão gerando muito mais incômodo e reflexão do que Perfect Days.
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