Perfect Days

i really did like this movie. i love small stories and films that just sit with someone’s life instead of trying to build toward some huge dramatic thing. watching hirayama move through his days felt comforting. there’s something really beautiful about how the film finds meaning in such ordinary things. light through the trees, a cassette tape in the car, cleaning a space that most people would never even think about. i also loved how much he holds onto analog stuff. it feels like he’s choosing to stay connected to things that are slower and more tactile and real. like his life is intentionally stripped down to the things that matter. but i’ll be honest it did feel a little long to me. not in a bad way exactly just in a way where i kept feeling my attention drift and i kind of feel like that might actually be the point. the movie asks you to slow down in a way that i’m not always great at. like it’s almost challenging you to just sit there and exist with him without needing something to happen. maybe i just need to learn how to sit still for a second. might need to watch sound of metal again. also the dream sequences are stunning. those shots of the trees and the light flickering through them are burned into my brain. im literally writing that style down for future projects because its such a simple but beautiful way to visualize memory and feeling and the handheld work is so good. i love a handheld shot when it’s done right and this movie just lives in that space so naturally. also random but i was lowkey cringing every time he was just touching stuff in those bathrooms with no gloves and holy why are japanese public bathroom designs so gorgeous. like the architecture in this movie made me feel like i was watching a design documentary half the time. also the girls bob is fire. idk. quiet movie slow movie maybe a little too slow for me sometimes but also kind of beautiful in a way that lingers. the last shot of his face kind of says everything. i think i need to watch it again lowkey.