'Drive My Car' A Review

Drive My Car is a drama that follows Kafuku(Hidetoshi Nishijima) an actor and multilingual theater director. The extended prologue follows him and his wife Oto(Reika Kirishima) and serves to set up the context of the main narrative which is Kafuku directing a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima. Because of his glaucoma Kafuku's is assigned a driver Misaki(Tōko Miura) and the two develop a connection as Kafuku works on the production and with the eclectic cast.

Nishijima does well as the lead and has a lot to shoulder, in the mold of the prototypical Chekhovian protagonist, he is contemplative, mournful, but not without absurdity and humor. More dynamic though is Miura whose character has more dimension, more reality, and therefore much more impact. Another highlight is Park Yu-rim as Yoo-na one of the actors in the production who is mute and communicates(and performs) with South Korean sign language. Where the film really hooks(about an hour in, it's a long slow burn) is with Yoo-na's audition, the vitality and effect of that scene is electric and serves to jump start the film where before it is relatively sedentary and morose. The supporting cast are all excellent save for the one discordant note of Takatsuki played by Masaki Okada who, whether because of the performance or as written, is overly oafish, boorish, and boring for seemingly no purpose and without reality aside from necessary plot machinations.

Gorgeously shot, elegantly scored, with recorded lines from the play serving as diegetic commentary/narration, the production design is transportive. The extended prologue is a challenge not only in its length and thin connection to the larger narrative but also it's bleak, baffling, immature tone. There is a throughline of extenstionalism that runs through Chekov so its not surprising but in the modern era the kind of "what does it all mean" meandering feels very undergrad philosophy student. And the sexual themes addressed are perhaps more poignant in Japan but not particularly illuminating or interesting from a US perspective. That all being said there is a lot of rich emotion, complicated dynamics, and inspiration to be found particularly with the journeys of Kafuku and Misaki and their relationship. The inspection of theater as an art form and how its filmed and portrayed is also incredibly effective and unique.

Ambitious, stirring, if(like life) imperfect, and perhaps that is intentional.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

See It.