Just watched it in NYFF where it was received with standing ovation. Only Wim Wenders can create such a simple film without a narrative and make us glued for 2 hours. He tells the repetitive story of a public toilet cleaner at Tokyo as he goes thru his life during a 2 week period and it takes the form of a travel documentary. We can see a great blend of the pathos from Paris, Texas and the compassion from Wings of Desire. It also has an element of Jeanne Dielman as Hirayama goes thru his daily activities in a repetitive manner but with subtle deviations based on how other events unfold in his schedule.
We get to know very little about his back story and how he ended up being a toilet cleaner. But we can form an opinion based on his choices in books, music and his interactions with his niece and his sister.
I had the privilege of hearing Koji Yakusho live in a Q&A session after the movie and hear his perspectives.
We get to know very little about his back story and how he ended up being a toilet cleaner. But we can form an opinion based on his choices in books, music and his interactions with his niece and his sister.
I had the privilege of hearing Koji Yakusho live in a Q&A session after the movie and hear his perspectives.