Perfect Days (2023)
The beauty of routine and appreciating the small details in life. The perfectly mundane daily routines of Hirayama is mesmerizing. His calm demeanor and positive attitude is contagious. It feels like a very Buddhist film with its themes on simple living, appreciation and kindness. While Hirayama seems perfectly content and happy with his daily small social interactions with waiters or booksellers, it also seems like a lonely life. The arrival of his niece seems to throw him a bit off balance and reveals some sadness in him. However the ending shot of his facial expression tells a ton of complex and conflicting emotions. He appears to accept the sadder parts of his life and is able to be appreciate and be happy with that as well. Beautiful film.
Rating: 4