Oscar nominations dropped earlier this month. Ten films made the Best Picture list, the maximum film nominations allowed in a category.
The critically-acclaimed Japanese drama Drive My Car nabbed one of the nominations. It’s based on the short story “Men Without Women” by Haruki Murakami.
The film had a brief theatrical run in late 2021 before disappearing in a number of cities. After the nominations at this year’s Academy Awards, it’s back with a vengeance. Drive My Car has a wider release around the country the second time around.
Don’t be deterred by the three-hour runtime. It’s a film entirely driven by dialogue (no pun intended). The narrative swiftly breezes along and never fails to keep your attention.
The immersive storytelling and characters are very easy to invest in.
The film’s further fueled by wonderful performances from actors Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura, and Reika Kirishima. Amidst outstanding performances, there’s the sharp direction from Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Each shot presents lush imagery through captivating cinematography that makes great use of its character-driven storytelling.
Drive My Car is a film about loss and grief, and how the power of artistry (combined with human connections) can help us find the best in each other amidst difficult times.
The characters are realistic and reflective of natural human flaws.
These are not perfect people reflecting typical Hollywood presentations. They’re each truly human at their core.
The central character is Yusuke, an actor dealing with the sudden, unexpected death of his wife Oto. Oto’s death comes in the wake of a shocking discovery about their relationship.
Yusuke travels to Hiroshima to direct a performance of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya at a film festival. The theater company hires a young lady in her early 20s, Misaki to drive for him.
At first, Yusuke is hesitant to have Misaki be his driver due to the personal connection he has to his car.
She soon proves herself to be a smooth operator behind the wheel. What soon blossoms is a beautiful personal friendship between two individuals dealing with their own personal baggage.
The narrative flows like a gorgeous poem sprinkled with a sense of profound humanity. You find yourself invested in these two unique individuals for the full three hours. Drive My Car will captivate you with every minute.
Little revelations throughout the narrative constantly elevate the experience a viewer has with this film. Every character bewitches the viewer.
The film’s best aspect is its simplicity. This creative human storytelling allows DMC a seat amongst the best of this year’s Best Picture nominees.
Best Picture isn’t Drive My Car’s only nomination. The film also earned nominations for Best International Feature, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Don’t sleep on this film.
“Drive” to the nearest local cinema and experience an international feature that’s captivating global audiences and critics.
