Perfect Days
"Next time is next time; now is now."
Japanese cinema has a strange way of subtlety in their films, and Perfect Days might be one of the best examples of this. Somehow, you find that a film with such minimal dialogue speaks far more than many films with extensive ones; even just the ending shot of Hirayama's face is enough to move and strike awe in an audience — not to mention it's testament to the actor's brilliance. The modern view of a satisfied life being the absence of suffering, the abundance of money, a high status, etc, seems absurd after simply viewing the life of a toilet cleaner for two hours: satisfaction is rather when one can accept reality despite suffering, despite a lack of wealth, despite a lack of status — and perhaps it is the acceptance of this, that would make our own perfect days.