thoughts on "Perfect Days" (2023)
Last weekend, I finally saw the movie Perfect Days. I'd known about its existence for a long time, but never got around to watching it. Whenever I mentioned it in a conversation though, I heard nothing but praise. I also consider myself to be a fan of slow, meditative Japanese movies where "nothing happens", like Megane or Kamome Shokudo. Needless to say, my expectations were pretty high.
Overall, I liked the movie. However, contrary to my expectations, I also wasn't blown away by it. All in all, I loved the overall atmosphere, but found some of the individual details to be lacking. Below are some thoughts.
The allure of "the simple life"
I loved the scenes that show Hirayama before and after work, when he's reading books at home, watering plants, taking photos with an analog camera and only keeping a select few of them, going to the coin laundry, or the sento. There is something deeply appealing about a simple and quiet life like this. I found myself acutely aware of how much of my time I spend staring at computer and smartphone screens, and how I often just blabber about when I'm around people, just to fill the space with words. Hirayama's life may be an idealised vision, but it would be nice to even just insert 10 ~ 25% of it into my life. Less screens, less idle chatter, less distractions, no social media, the whole shebang. You've read about it on Bear Blog dozens of times already. You're probably sick of it by now.
It's clearly a sign of the times. 30 or 40 years ago, dreaming of a Perfect Days kind of life probably would've gotten you labeled as "the Weirdo." Back then, the future was bright and full of possibilities - why would you want to lead an uneventful, lonely life doing a loser job? But now, when it feels like everything is slowly going to shit, appreciating each day for what it is feels a lot more appealing, and also a lot more pragmatic. I do think it's important to "slow down" and "appreciate the little things" in this day and age (even thought I kind of loathe these expressions). However, there's also a Biedermeier element to this sentiment: Wanting to "unsubscribe" from the commotion and turmoil of wider society, retreat to the domestic space, stay out of politics, and focus on the immediate and uncomplicated. Do I really want to become a modern version of a lay monk, or do I just want to bury my head in the sand and pretend that everything's just fine? I think this is an important question to keep in mind.
The "branding" felt a bit too front and center
During the lead-up to the 2020 Olympics, a handful of famous Japanese designers and architects created interesting public restrooms in Tokyo, mostly in area around Shibuya - a project entitled "The Tokyo Toilet." Japan is widely known for its futuristic toilets (with built-in bidets etc), and this project was probably supposed to further enhance that positive image. Perfect Days is part of this project package, essentially functioning as a feature-length commercial in movie form. Maybe it's because I already knew about the project and had been to a bunch of them before watching the movie, but that aspect really stood out to me. The movie hinges on the protagonist being a "lowly toilet cleaner", but he's only ever shown cleaning neat designer toilets that don't even look that dirty to begin with. It felt a bit jarring to me. I mean, sure, by all means, showcase these cool restrooms. But I think it would've been a bit more grounding if Hirayama had to clean a bunch of regular shitty park bathrooms too, places that weren't designed by Kengo Kuma or Tadao Ando. As-is, it comes across a bit too much like "promotional material", weirdly concerned about the superficial, when it really shouldn't be.
Some of the key moments felt a bit forced
So the protagonist is a middle-aged man who listens to old cassette tapes. There are two instances in the movie where a young woman sits in his car, listens to one of his cassettes, and, after only a few seconds, immediately blurts out something along the lines of "wow, this is really good, actually." One of them even gives him a kiss on the cheek afterwards! Of course, this might not be completely unbelievable, but still felt hamfisted. I think one ojisan wish fulfillment scene like this would've been enough.
The "next time is next time, now is now" scene was similar. Not only does it spell out the message of the movie, the way it drives it in by Hirayama and his niece repeating the line over and over felt a bit off. In general, I found the niece character to be a bit too perfect (no pun intended) and conveniently placed.
I'll probably watch Perfect Days again in the future. It's a nice movie to relax to and remind yourself of the fact that even regular, uneventful life can be fulfilling. Even though some of the scenes felt a bit weird, it's core is clearly something that connects with me. I have the feeling that I'll like it better upon a rewatch.