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Slice of life films can vary in scale. Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza have a hefty scope for a film in the subgenre. Wim Wenders' Perfect Days is about as compact as the restrooms shown throughout the film.
It follows a week in the life of Hirayama (Koji Yakusho), a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. If you find cleaning toilets and watching a man do chores on his days off, Perfect Days may not be for you.
But thanks to Yakusho's earnest performance and Wenders' sensitivities, Perfect Days soars. On the surface, it sounds like a boring film, and yet, something about it is so entrancing and you won't be able to look away.
Perfect Days review
Hirayama is a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. He is proud of his work, which is shown through his thoroughness and commitment. His days consist of working, eating out, and reading before going to bed. Rinse and repeat this seven days a week and you have his life down pat. He does things his own way— he still listens to cassette tapes and is a man of few words.
There are four stories told throughout Perfect Days. Some of those observe his relationship with his young co-worker, Takashi (Tokio Emoto) and niece, Niko (Arisa Nakano).
Superb needle drops
Throughout his career, Wim Wenders has utilized the likes of U2 in his soundtracks. While there's no “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)” in Perfect Days, he utilizes rock icons like Lou Reed's “Perfect Day,” The Velvet Underground's “Pale Blue Eyes,” and Van Morrison's “Brown Eyed Girl.” The Kinks are also used in the soundtrack, and Hirayama has Patti Smith cassettes.
Very few filmmakers can use needle drops effectively. Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese are perhaps the masters of it. They never sacrifice a scene for the sake of a well-known song. Sure, the Perfect Days needle drops set the moods for its scenes. But the Rolling Stones, for as big of a presence as Mick Jagger usually has, never take away from the film.
A simple, meditative film
If Perfect Days had a central motif, it would be simplicity. Yes, it's a slice of life story, but Hirayama's life is nothing special. And yet, Wenders and co-writer Takuma Takasaki don't feel the need to make the film bigger than its story is capable of being.
Nowadays, most franchise films attempt to stuff its stories to the brim. As a culture, we're also constantly inundated with information and sensory overload. Perfect Days is perfectly content with its simplicity.
It's admirable, as Hirayama lives his life in 2023 with books, cameras with film, and cassettes instead of Kindles, digital cameras, and Spotify.
Instead on worrying about trivial matters like social media followings and comparing ourselves to others, perhaps we should take in the things we do have.
Why's it so entrancing?
But how can a film about a toilet cleaner be so entrancing? A lot of it goes back to the performance given by Yakusho. It's very subdued but still grabs your attention. His Best Actor win at the Cannes Film Festival was well-deserved.
As a character, Hirayama is okay with the life he lives — a true creature of habit. When that structure is challenged, such as when his co-worker quits without any notice, he's thrown off and angered by the change.
Perhaps it's also due to the film's tranquil and meditative viewing experience. Much like a Studio Ghibli film, Perfect Days is just a palatable film with similar naturalistic themes. Hirayama appreciates eating his lunches by sitting near a tree in a park.
By the time Perfect Days ends, you feel as though you've gone on a full journey. The week ends, and a new one is about to dawn for Hirayama. This sentiment is far too familiar for most who are entrenched in work culture.
More family
Perfect Days probably could have benefited from more time with Hirayama's niece and her family, as the film was on the cusp of really finding something interesting. You get the sense his wealthy sister doesn't approve of his life, and he's disconnected from the family (including their sick father).
It's a shame this isn't explored further. Nico randomly shows up at Hirayama's door one night and stays with him for a little while. They two share a nice bond that isn't fully explored.
Should you watch Perfect Days?
Led by a magnetic performance by Koji Yakusho, Wim Wenders' Perfect Days is nearly a masterpiece. If nothing else, Perfect Days will make you aspire for a simpler life. You don't have to clean toilets, but the life Hirayama lives is familiar to those that love their routine.
As Hirayama tells his niece, we all live different lives. They don't always overlap or connect.
Grade: B+
Perfect Days is in theaters.
