Drive My Car, A Long Road Of Self Acceptance And Grief

I went into Drive My Car (made by Ryusuke Hamaguchi) completely blind, my relationship with international movies have been brief. I had watched movies like "Parasite" and "A Sun" and didn't know what to expect. I didn't know that at the end of the movie, it would affect me so much.

I will keep this blog as spoiler free as I can, so that people who watch this movie can be taken along its journey blind. Misaki Watari and Yusuke Kafuku (played by Toko Miura and Hidetoshi Nishijima) create this bond over the colossal 3 hour run-time of this movie that can only be described as being there for each other, helping each other through their own internal conflicts and it is directed at this slow pace that takes it time with character progression and development and lets it simmer under the radar and come unto the surface only when it feels natural. When I say that this movie takes its time, I really mean it, when I saw the introduction for the movie was 40 minutes long my jaw had dropped. But my worries about the story being able to fill in its length were soon put to rest as the movie carefully laid out its plot neatly between those 3 hours, I do see how the length is a big turn off for most people.

The films beautiful and quiet cinematography (done by Hidetoshi Shinomiya), often never moves, and stays static. Preferring to shoot their characters in wide shots set against the background. And its done with a tenderness that makes its images so beautiful. The sound of the movie is quiet, and doesn't scream at you, much like the image these two elements of the movie work hand in hand to tell a beautiful tale about grief and self acceptance and these themes are put in the backdrop of a slow burn story and driving. All of this combined with the moving and emotionally impactful ending make Drive My Car definitely worth your watch.