Movie Review

Film Review: DRIVE MY CAR (2021): A Powerful Film About Learning to Let Go of the Past

Hidetoshi Nishijima Drive My Car

Drive My Car Review

Drive My Car (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and starring Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura, Reika Kirishima, Masaki Okada, Perry Dizon, Ahn Hwitae, Sonia Yuan and Satoko Abe.

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s powerful drama, Drive My Car, offers its audience a deep, dramatically captivating story line and, through its star Hidetoshi Nishijima’s acting, one of the strongest male performances of the year. This movie is quite long at about three hours in length but is certainly worth the investment. Emotionally speaking, films don’t get more complex than this and they don’t get much more enjoyable either.

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Drive My Car opens with a husband and wife. Yusuke (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is a theater performer/director and Oto (Reika Kirishima) is a script writer. They have suffered a tremendous amount of tragedy in their lives due to the death of their child but find comfort in each other’s company as Oto relates to Yusuke her idea of a story where a young girl becomes fascinated by entering a boy’s bedroom in secret. These opening scenes establish the relationship between Yusuke and the love of his life, Oto, through passionate sex scenes and the sharing of artistic ideas. When Oto passes away, the true story of the film begins.

However, before we go forward with this review, I must state the fact that Oto, early on, is caught by Yusuke having an affair. Yusuke comes home early from an effort to go on a business trip and sees Oto engaging in steamy sex with another man. Yusuke doesn’t have the heart or the courage to confront Oto and leaves her alone with the other man. A couple of years pass since Oto’s aforementioned untimely death and Yusuke is now enlisted to direct a production of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” for a Hiroshima theater run featuring performers of varied backgrounds.

The audition scene of the film is fascinating as we see a group of different types of actors and actresses (one who communicates through sign language, one who speaks English, etc.) come together to try to get a role in the show. One of the auditioning actors is a young man named Takatsuki (Masaki Okada) who also just happens to have had the affair with Oto those years ago. Yusuke casts him in the production which will open up a can of worms that won’t be easily shut.

Meanwhile, Yusuke is told that he must accept a driver to transport him back and forth. Another actor had gotten into an accident and now this is strict protocol by the theater company. This driver is a twenty something young woman named Misaki (Toko Miura) who is tough and wise beyond her years but will form a bond with Yusuke that will change both of their lives forever.

Drive My Car is very unique in the way it spins its tale. A lot of time is devoted to the exact details of the production Yusuke is directing and putting together. These scenes are rare in movies today and shed insight into the creative process while also establishing Yusuke’s obsession with Takatsuki which helps move the plot forward.

Ultimately at the center of the picture, however, is the relationship formed by Yusuke and Misaki. These two characters are well matched despite their age difference. Yusuke is at least a couple of decades older but Misaki has suffered the loss of a parent and despite their differences in lifestyles, they come to depend on each other and learn a great deal about each other by the film’s end. Of course, the movie relies on the fact that Yusuke never wanted a driver to begin with and the fact that he must gradually accept Misaki into his life. Yusuke likes to work on his way home and plays cassette tapes in his car to help him with his craft.

As the film progresses, a lot happens. The way all these characters intersect is strikingly unique and the film is always probing and maintains audience interest throughout. The fact that the opening credits don’t appear until 40 minutes into the film suggests that the film is really two stories. They are both the tale of Yusuke and Oto and the redemption story of Yusuke and Misaki. Both relationships are equally developed with the character of Takatsuki being thrown in for good measure as he, too, will pay a price that will cost him his happiness.

Nishijima is fantastic in a performance full of sorrow and despair. Nishijima captures the essence of his character and makes us feel all his pain throughout the movie. As Misaki, Miura is a revelation. As the two main characters travel together to visit the resting place of Misaki’s mother, the movie always reminds us of the differences between these two people but the fact that they discover similarities is inspiring.

Hamaguchi has crafted what is a very human drama which will certainly be nominated for Best International Film at the Oscars. With snowy scenes towards the end setting the icy cold atmosphere the characters have found themselves immersed in, our main characters also find purpose and meaning in life by the time the end credits roll.

Drive My Car is a truly original motion picture. It’s a character driven movie about learning to let go of the past and proceed into the future unafraid of what is to come because we are all ultimately on the same path. You will find this film is worth the three hour investment and is emotionally involving with a final theatrical performance within the movie that will move you to tears. This is a terrific film.

Rating: 9/10

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Thomas Duffy

Thomas Duffy is a graduate of the Pace University New York City campus and has been an avid movie fan all of his life. In college, he interviewed film stars such as Minnie Driver and Richard Dreyfuss as well as directors such as Tom DiCillo and Mark Waters. He is the author of nine works of fiction available on Amazon. He's been reviewing movies since his childhood and posts his opinions on social media. You can follow him on Twitter. His user handle is @auctionguy28.
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