Drive My Car is a film that on the surface shouldn't work. A 3 hour film where little happens, most of the "action" being a man sitting in the back of his car while a young woman drives him around. The two do not have a romance or sexual tension of any kind. It sounds a little like torture and art film indulgence. Yet it is remarkably and wonderfully watchable and engaging.
To sum it up Yūsuke Kafuku is a theatre director who is married to a screenwriter who narrates stories to him after and during sex who then dies suddenly and he is overwhelmed with grief as well as guilt. He connects with the young woman assigned to drive him around in his own car by the theatre company mounting his production. She also has grief and the two bond over their guilt for how they handled their relationships with the dead family members. It is remarkable just how riveting their growing connection is.
Director Hamaguchi doesn't gild his film with lot of attention getting camera work. Instead he finds a subtle visual language to capture this story of two very subdued and very trodden down characters they help each other claw their way out of their complicated emotions a bit. It is stunning and a complete surprise.
Both leads handle the just-under-the-surface performances well but Nishijima especially stands out in his portrayal of Kafuku leading up to a power fulmoment at the end where despite everything he is able to break down. And he does so not in a scenery chewing fashion but with a quiet honesty that is palpable while you watch it.
For me what made Drive My Car work so well is the subtle yet compelling nature of its story and performances. There were never moments that dragged. Watching these two go on with their lives never left me wanting. Drive My Car defies expectations in the best ways.
Drive My Car
Starring: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura
Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Writers: Takamasa Oe, Ryusuke Hamaguchi
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