Drive My Car (2021)

Two years after the unexpected death of his wife, actor-director Hidetoshi Nishijima accepts an offer to direct a multilingual production of Uncle Vanya for a Hiroshima theatrical festival. Because of insurance purposes, the festival organizers require him to be driven by professional driver Toko Miura, an introverted young woman who has also experienced loss in her life. Like director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s previous film, I wasn’t sure if I was really wanting to continue with this early on, especially as the credits for this film don’t appear until after 40 minutes at point which the main story begins. That isn’t to say the earlier minutes were unnecessary fluff, it was just difficult to see where it was going. Visually gorgeous with relatable themes of relationships entwined and sharing grief, it never feels like it’s three hour run time. My biggest takeaway remains as a fascination with the idea of a multilingual performance. I’d love to see one on stage now, but it’s already incredible watching the necessary process to make such a thing work unfold. 

Oscar Win: Best International Feature Film

Oscar Nominations: Best Motion Picture of the Year; Best Achievement in Directing; Best Adapted Screenplay