This is pretentious claptrap on all levels. As in all cases of pure kitsch nothing is true here. The film is a complete fabrication coming from a filmmaker who indulges in utter unreflected nostalgia while pushing all the right buttons to reach (seemingly successful) the cultured and witty audiences that love to embrace the so poetic and the so philosophical approach of it when this film in fact is absolutely empty and bar of it. It basically indulges in any kind of known cliche about Japan. This could be put away as silly and old hat (THE EEL by Shohei Imamura practically portraits the same character only on a far deeper level with a much more refined plot line) if it wasn't yet an other example of a colonising western depiction of Japan and its people. Even more so astonishing that the very same people elected this film to represent their country in the race for the Oscar this year. Haven't they seen Kore-eda's masterpiece MONSTER..?
Review of Perfect Days
