A renowned stage actor and director learns to cope with his wife’s unexpected passing when he receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima. |
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Ratings: | IMDB: 7.6/10 | |
Released: | November 24, 2021 | |
Runtime: | 179 min | |
Genres: | Drama | |
Countries: | Japan | |
Companies: | Bitters End C&I Entertainment C & I entertainment Culture Entertainment Agency for Cultural Affairs J-LOD nekojarashi Quaras L'espace Vision The Asahi Shimbun Nippan Group Holdings Bungeishunju | |
Cast: | Hidetoshi Nishijima Reika Kirishima Tôko Miura | |
Crew: | Ryûsuke Hamaguchi Haruki Murakami Takamasa Oe | |
Trailers (5)
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Version 1 557.1 MB | mixdrop.ag | 131 views | Report Link | ||
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Version 2 557.6 MB | dood.watch | 35 views | Report Link | ||
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Version 3 557.6 MB | dood.watch | 74 views | Report Link | ||
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My favorite of the year so far. I still can’t pinpoint what drew me in and kept me in. I was going to break it up into 3 1-hour stints, but after I started hour 2, I couldn’t move as I was entranced with the minimalism, the beauty, and the cadence which was slow and relaxing, like rocking. In case you become too lulled and complacent, there are many sudden outbursts that quickly snap you out of your trance, get your heart going and bring back tension,
Additionally, there is a story within the story as many scenes and much dialog of the play Uncle Vanya (Chekov) are shown and heard, respectively. I enjoy a tale slowly told and this one pays off.
Lastly, there is one aspect of this film that gave me great pleasure, but to tell it will create a spoiler so I will write it below. I adored this film and I hope you do too!
Tip: Earlier this year, I realized I had never seen “My Dinner with Andre (1981)” A review on the internet said to watch “Uncle Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)” before watching “My Dinner with Andre” as the former informs the latter. Both of these movies star the theater director Andre Gregory, actor Wallace Shawn, and both are directed by the great Louis Malle! Both are art films and were critical successes.
If you are a film nerd, watching the trio of these movies, in order of Vanya, Dinner and then Drive would make an excellent and satisfying mini-film festival!
The gist of the tie-in with Dinner and Drive is: in Dinner, Andre (Andre Gregory), a theater director, tells his friend the scriptwriter (Wallace Shawn) his stories of what happened when he dropped his life to travel the world. He describes a workshop he held, or was held, in the woods (in Poland?). The participants all spoke different languages. Over time, they began to develop a rhythm with each other, and in the end, it was ecstatic song and rhythmic dancing that allowed them to sing and move in one language.
The main character of “Drive My Car,” directs a theater production of My Uncle Vanya. His players are from different countries and backgrounds and speak different languages, just like the story told by Andre in Dinner. Watching all three of these films feels like a continuation of one story told in 3-parts. I felt warmth and familiarity while watching “Drive My Car” because of the happy accident of seeing the other two movies, it joyfully heightened my experience.
If you are so inclined to watch the trio of films, I guarantee it will be worth your while to delve into this experience!
Great review(s). Thank you.
Oh, thank you Alien! :-)
This is Japan’s pick for the Oscar? I don’t see it. Too long, too slow, no great insights that I picked up on. Maybe a good flick for hard core film nerds but not much here for the average viewer—not for me, anyway.
Best Picture, plus Best Director, LA Film Critics Awards.