While many people may look for a good adventure or a complex plot in the movies they watch, there is still much satisfaction that can be obtained from some of the most simple stories. This is very much the case in Wim Wenders’ 2023 film, Perfect Days, which follows the daily life of a Tokyo toilet cleaner named Hirayama, played by Kōji Yakusho, as he navigates through both recurring and new challenges.
Despite the straightforward plot, Perfect Days emphasizes both the simplest and most beautiful joys and struggles of everyday life, from playing a small game of tic-tac-toe on the job to helping a lost child find their parent, or even enjoying the music of a favorite cassette tape to reading with the silence of night. While not the most luxurious or well-off lives, Hirayama makes the most of his time sticking to a consistent routine and balance of work and hobbies that make him happy, even when others look down upon him for his choice of profession. And, while not the most entertaining, the film’s repetitiveness of Hirayama’s daily routines highlights the challenges he faces as they disrupt his way of going, whether it be taking care of his runaway niece to dealing with the issues of new and old friends.
A central theme of the film is that of living in the moment best described by this quote: “今度は今度、今は今” (Next time is next time, now is now), as the film encourages its audience to enjoy the small glimpses of light found in the natural beauty of the world at each moment in time. Perfect Days captures this notion perfectly with that of Hirayama, specifically when he is enjoying his lunch at the serene location of the Yoyogi Hachimangu shrine. This theme of living in the moment notably juxtaposes that of its location the lively city of Tokyo combined with that of the country’s exhaustive working culture, as while others anxiously compete in their respective professions and worry about the future, Hirayama finds solace within the cleaning of bathrooms and looks forward to tomorrow.
With a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, Perfect Days is a film I highly recommend to watch. Whether it be a desire to break from flashy action movies or watch a feel-good movie, Perfect Days is a must-watch film.
