Drive My Car (2021)
Drive My Car
Available at home
Subscription
Trailer
Why watch this film?
Inspired by the homonymous story of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, 'Doraibu mai kâ' is an example of how metalinguage in cinema can intertwine literature and theater in a well-constructed way. Ryusuke Hamaguchi's movie, nominated for four Oscars, makes a poetic reflection on love, grief and overcoming. Throughout three hours, the director composes the whole dilemma of the protagonist's life, played by Hidetoshi Nishijima (who is incredible in the character), and makes us understand a little more about how Japanese culture deals with losses. East Asian cinema tends to be a bit more distant in this regard and 'Doraibu mai kâ' brings another view of it - keeping in mind the Western gaze, of course. It is a very human movie about a society that deals with loss in a very different way from ours, but still it is possible to create a connection, because in the end we just want to move on. The dialogues are extremely well done and intense. The ending is very beautiful, bringing a piece of the Russian playwright and writer Anton Chekhov, 'Uncle Vanya', which is part of all the metalinguistic construction of the story.
Filmelier
Our suggestions
Plot summary
Two years after his wife's unexpected death, Yusuke Kafuku, a renowned stage actor and director, receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There, he meets Misaki Watari, a taciturn young woman assigned by the festival to chauffeur him in his beloved red Saab 900. As the production's premiere approaches, tensions mount amongst the cast and crew, not least between Yusuke and Koshi Takatsuki, a handsome TV star who shares an unwelcome connection to Yusuke's late wife. Forced to confront painful truths raised from his past, Yusuke begins - with the help of his driver - to face the haunting mysteries his wife left behind.
To share
Do you want to watch something different?
Watch full movies now!
Press play and be surprised!
Where to watch?
Available at home
From the same director
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
The Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi brings an unexpected love triangle in 'Gûzen to sôzô', a film that has the merit of momentarily changing the way we look at the passage of time. Through three stories, the plot shows how the choice of each character can change destiny, making us reflect on our own lives. Lightness, rebirth and hope are the great charms of this production. This is the second film that Hamaguchi has made in 2021, the other work of his is 'Drive My Car' - a highly praised production by critics and nominated for the Golden Globe.
Drama
Kidnapped
In Kidnapped (Rapito), Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio delves into one of the murkiest and most controversial episodes in the history of the Catholic Church, the "Mortara case". In 1851, when Jewish boy Edgardo Mortara becomes gravely ill, his Catholic nanny decides to baptize him in an emergency. However, papal law dictates that all Catholics must be raised as such, so the cardinal orders the boy to be taken and handed over to the church, against his parents' wishes, who decide to fight for him. The film recounts a controversial case that captured the attention of the rest of Europe and America, and skillfully portrays the clash of interests between the waning power of the church, Mortara's parents, and public opinion, with irreversible consequences for all involved.
Green Border
'Green Border' - In the treacherous and swampy forests that make up the so called “green border” between Belarus and Poland, refugees from the Middle East and Africa trying to reach the European Union are trapped in a geopolitical crisis cynically engineered by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. In an attempt to provoke Europe, refugees are lured to the border by propaganda promising easy passage to the EU. Pawns in this hidden war, the lives of Julia, a newly minted activist who has given up her comfortable life, Jan, a young border guard, and a Syrian family intertwine.
Astral City 2: The Messengers
A group of messenger spirits led by Aniceto, including doctor André Luiz, are tasked with going to Earth to help rescue three proteges whose interconnected stories are about to fail.
