Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to drive his car. In between rides, secrets from the past and heartfelt confessions will be unveiled.
Drive My Car is a masterful adaptation of Haruki Murakami's short story, expanded into a deeply meditative three-hour exploration of grief, communication, and artistic process. The plot is layered and deliberate, weaving theatrical rehearsal (Uncle Vanya performed multilingually, including sign language) with intimate character revelations in a way that feels genuinely singular. The acting is exceptional across the board — Hidetoshi Nishijima's restrained, interior performance anchors the film with quiet devastation, while Toko Miura as Misaki is equally compelling. The multilingual rehearsal sequences are among the most original depictions of theater on film. Novelty is high because the film's voice — slow, meditative, profoundly literary — is unmistakably its own, a rare fusion of Chekhov and Murakami rendered cinematic. Cinematography is accomplished and purposeful but somewhat understated, favoring interior stillness over visual bravura. The ending, while emotionally resonant and thematically coherent, lands with a somewhat abrupt epilogue that slightly diffuses the accumulated emotional weight rather than fully crystallizing it.