Perfect Days (2023)
★★★★½
This review may contain spoilers.
wow, this was great, the acting and the sound design are stellar in this.
the sound design in this movie is spectacular, the way they play in the background like the cars in the beginning, or the birds or the water, it's all so great the way you can hear it in the distance is great, this is where sound design shines.
the acting is fantastic Koji Yakusho especially was wonderful such subtleties that sell his character like the way he picks up the keys or the way he picks up the coins even when he is in a rush. I would also like to note Arisa Nakano who had such a small role but came in and killed the little she had to do, she was stellar in what she had and the connection she had made Koji and Yumi felt real, noting Yumi as she killed the singular few minute scene that she was in as well as Aoi Yamada in the two scenes that she was in and finally I wanted to note Sayuri Ishikawa who did a great job in the two scenes that she was in the instant she started singing I was encapsulated star struck. of course, everyone on the cast killed it but there are subtleties in these specific performances that make these people stand out like Aoi little smirk as she shrinks in her chair letting the seat belt hang on her but the music completely takes her over. or the way that Yumi hugs Koji during the scene it feels weird and uncountable like two siblings who have not talked in a long time.
the cinematography in this film was great, not only was every shot great, and has a great depth of field, with the frames of each shot being so great to look at. but with gorgeous lighting, there is an understanding of how the flow of a scene works here that I can't explain but works so well, it's hard to nail this and get this flow that works so well it takes coordination between the editor and the cinematographer but it works well here and that is great.
this movie was wonderful, and very emotional exactly my type of film glad I watched it now. a new outlook on little things will frame life from here on out.
notes below
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- oo like the title card shot, 4:3 aspect ratio?
- I like the framing of each shot very nicely.
- I love how they block scenes and where they choose to place that camera is very visually interesting.
- I love that our character hasn't even said a word yet.
- those are so gorgeous skies oh my god how pretty.
- I know we have cut, we have done It a lot already but everything is flowing together I feel like we haven't had a pretty stark cut until right when he closes the car door.
- there is such an appreciation for the simpler things in these opening scenes, just pure contentedness.
- I love the set design of these toilets.
- also the sound design is so great it's so full if that is a good way to describe it.
- I loved that focus blur on the background when he put his hand on the tree, very pretty.
- I like that the sound dipped a bit when he hugged the tree.
- I like how the music cut off when he stopped the car, I can't explain why I did but did.
- I like how the light reflected onto the picture of the mountain.
- BUBBLES!
- I like the very subtle score in this dream sequence.
- I love the licensed songs that were chosen for this film.
- I just debated who slid the cassette tape in her bag I'm not sure why because it's obvious but I guess I just had to make sure.
- I love the fisheye lens on the shot in the cassette store.
- should have played tic-tac-toe
- I just love the sound design in this movie, the scratching with the soap on his head is so satisfying to listen to.
- I love that slow push-in on him when he is reading the book, that was nice.
- we have circled back to tic-tac-toe and I am living for it, I wonder who is going to win.
- I guess I am going to use the word scene movement because it's not scene direction but when a set of scenes move so fluidly together, I.E: like a character walking from the left to the right to end up on the left on the next frame,
- the emphasis on reflections or shadows is great.
- 1hr 03mins good shot.
- breaking the norm of the shots in the house to get a great moving shot was great.
- also that dolly zoom was great.
- oh my gosh this scene where she is singing is encapturing.
- that tracking shot with him riding the bike through the town was soo great.
- the way he is sneaking up the stairs like an action hero with a spray bottle.
- nobody is going to win tic-tac-toe its going to be a tie.
- this scene where they are riding the bike is so cute. and I like how the camera doesn't cut and just stays with them.
- that hug goodbye nooo.
- good sound design on the vending machine dropping things.
- there is a lot of traffic on that other road but he is hitting none of it, what is the significance of this?
- that water is so beautiful.
- wow that final shot. um.. I don't ...
