Perfect Days - Film Review

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Here is a film about a man who lives a solitary existence, rarely says a word and works as a cleaner. A film with a thin, barely-there plot, which unfolds slowly, gently and with much repetition. A film that's set largely in and around public toilets (though this is Tokyo, so the toilets are architectural masterpieces and never that dirty to begin with). Surprisingly then, here is also a film which is rapturously beautiful, compelling to its last wonderful scene and a reflection on seeing the value in nature, in working and in routine.

German director Wim Wenders does all of this in Perfect Days. The subject is sixty-something Hirayama (played by Koji Yakusho, who won the Best Actor award at Cannes for this performance). Hirayama lives in a small, working-class, but meticulously neat apartment in the shadow of the Tokyo Skytree. Hirayama's life is defined by routine. Every day he wakes, folds up his futon, trims his moustache, puts on his uniform, buys a can of coffee, starts his little van, puts a cassette tape on (he likes Lou Reed, The Doors, Patti Smith) and drives to work through the murky, early-morning Tokyo light.



Hirayama's work is less than glamorous. He works for The Tokyo Toilet company and spends his days scrubbing public bathrooms. He is surprisingly dedicated to his work, unable to leave until every surface has been inspected and polished. Less dedicated is co-worker Takashi (Tokio Emoto), who sometimes shows up for work and sometimes doesn't, and when he does, distracts Hirayama with tales of romantic woe.

After work, Hirayama washes at a public bathhouse, stops for dinner in a bar and then heads home to read a book before bed. All to repeat the process the following day. On the weekend, Hirayama's routine varies. He must get his uniform cleaned and buy a new book for the week. He also takes dinner in a different spot: a slightly more upmarket eatery where the female proprietor appears to hint at affection towards him.

Hirayama exists in his own quiet niche in Tokyo. His city is one that seems calmer, closer to nature, an old-school city of bathhouses, secondhand bookshops and worn-in restaurants. Hirayama remains an analogue man in a digital world - but his analogue world still works fine. And director Wim Wenders might be saying to his audience that there is happiness to be found in the stable and the simple, as opposed to the ever-distracting, attention-seeking modern world.

Perfect Days is happy to follow Hirayama and his routine for a long time, all while exploring what is valuable when it comes to creating a meaningful existence. Later in the film, a little more about Hirayama is revealed, thanks to some unexpected visitors. But Wenders still leaves much for the audience to fill in and doing so is a pleasure.

Before he heads off to work each day, Hirayama pauses at his front door and gazes up at the sky. He seems to be giving thanks. He is, for whatever reason, and whatever his past, content simply with the here and now. Nothing needs to change. The same applies to Perfect Days, a film which manages to be uplifting, absorbing and profound all at the same time.

Perfect Days is in cinemas March 28.
For more information on PERFECT DAYS, check out the official website.



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