By Nick DelVescovo
Film Critic
With the recent release of Oscar nominations, I made it a personal goal to watch all the movies that were nominated. “Drive My Car,” directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, is among those films. Currently, the movie is only playing in a small number of theaters, so I took a trip to an arthouse theater in Princeton and was pleased with how this movie turned out. “Drive My Car” was released in the U.S. on Nov. 24, and is set to hit HBO Max on Mar. 2.
The film stars Hidetoshi Nishijima as Yûsuke Kafuku, a renowned actor and director. Kafuku faces the unexpected death of his wife, Oto, a screenwriter. We follow Kafuku as he copes with these unexpected troubles and tries to make sense of things that have occurred in his life. With a runtime of three hours, “Drive My Car” can definitely be considered a slow-burn drama. I have rarely seen a film put as much effort into its characters as this one does. We learn a lot about each character introduced, and there is a lot of nuance to the decisions they make and the actions they take.
Hamaguchi undoubtedly takes his time telling its story, as the opening credits begin about 40 minutes into the film. It is also a very dialogue-heavy film that relies heavily on its script. Some may see that as a negative, but the script was written in a way that focuses on its characters with such an intent that it is incomparable. The film’s beautiful direction and cinematography also help advance and add to the beautifully written dialogue. We see breathtaking shots of Hiroshima and Tokyo. The craft that went into this film is undeniable, and the audience is left with an emotionally satisfying, yet heartbreaking film that leaves an impact on viewers. All around, the acting is stellar. Nishijima gives a cold, but deep and somber performance as Kafuku. Tôko Miura, who portrays Kafuku’s driver Misaki, gives another spectacular performance with really great chemistry with Kafuku. This film, and its script in particular, is very emotionally mature, containing evolving characters and deep themes of grief, regret and growth.
My only issue with “Drive My Car” is the length of the film. I am not a big fan of long movies, so I was able to tell when certain parts of the film were dragging a bit. I think the length of the film was necessary for Hamaguchi to tell the story he intended to, but as an audience member, I recognized times where I didn’t know where the film was going. I believe this is the most deceiving aspect of the film, and could be a reason why people may be reluctant to see it. If audiences are able to get over the above-average length of “Drive My Car,” they will be in for a great story with dynamic characters and powerful messages.
Score: 4/5
