Watched in the cinema (176th visit in 2023)

Since the pandemic, at the latest, many artists have once again been concerned with the question of a happy life and what constitutes it. While others get carried away with doomsday scenarios, others find such a possibility practically around the corner or by chance, perhaps only fictitiously. For his new feature film "Perfect Days", it was an invitation to Tokyo, shortly after the lockdown was lifted, that provided such inspiration for director Wim Wenders. It's not just the individual that counts, but also responsibility for the community and a reflection on the things that make people truly happy. This is what "Perfect Days" is about, a quiet movie with lots of music and cityscapes.

Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) leads a happy life. This becomes clear when you observe how comfortable the daily routine has become for the hero of "Perfect Days". This is not about comfort, because he could lead a much more comfortable life if he only wanted to, but that is precisely what he does not want. Hirayama has everything he needs and even if this Spartan life bothers us as viewers (as it does his young work colleague), we can't help but envy this man his good fortune. Wenders shows this through the contrast with the other characters, not only Takashi, but also his girlfriend (or rather potential girlfriend), who don't quite know how to define their happiness, whether it is defined by money, an emotional connection or work. With an almost documentary-like approach, both aesthetically and narratively, Wenders refers to a question that has become very topical again, especially after the pandemic, namely the definition of happiness and whether it is really the accumulation of things that constitutes such a state.

Koji Yakusho plays Hirayama as a person who finds it difficult to change his ways. You quickly realize that there is a reason for his retreat into Spartan, because he doesn't seem to be doing badly financially. He is a man who loves analog, his cassettes as well as his books, but above all photography. He has fun playing a game of tic-tac-toe where he doesn't know who he is actually playing with, he is attentive and curious, even if he sometimes lacks the words to express this. Wenders shows this way of life, but also the longing of many to return to it, for example when Hirayama finds out how popular his cassettes really are.

The depiction of Tokyo in "Perfect Days" deserves a special mention. It is a "sleepy city" that Hirayama wanders through at the beginning and not the hectic, overcrowded metropolis we know from other films. Through the eyes of the protagonist, you get an impression of the beauty and poetry of this urban space, which is further enhanced by the choice of film music and the reference to literature.