This week was an astounding and pleasant one in my personal and Movie experience life. Perfect Days from Wim Wenders, The Zone of Interest, by Jonathan Glazer and a re-watch of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Michel Gondry.
🎬Perfect Days (2023)🚽🗼
The Japanese-German co-production directed by Wim Wenders is a delicate and emotive exploration of a few days in the life of Hirayama, a bathroom cleaner who immerses us in an observational journey through the streets of Tokyo. With a methodical, minimalist, and reserved lifestyle, this film and its protagonist, very well portrayed by Koki Yakusho, delivers an appreciation for the environment, the silences, and the culture of the ever-surprising Japan.
Music plays an extremely important role, unlike a conventional soundtrack, we enjoy the music along with Hirayama and other characters in their vehicle, a very rewarding experience that becomes another example of a reunion with simple forms and pleasures, which urge us to value and treasure our days. If a film evokes such a pure and valuable message, I can only be thankful for it.
⭐ 10 / 10, Available on Cine Arte Alameda, soon on MUBI.
🎥 The Zone of Interest (2023) 🖤
Director Jonathan Glazer immerses us in the life of General Rudolf Höss, the commandant in charge of the progress of the Auschwitz concentration camp at the time of the massacre of thousands of Jews.
One of the interesting proposals of this film is the point of view of his family, mainly his wife Hedwig, who takes advantage of the opportunity to settle in a mansion with amenities, luxuries, and tranquillity.
The constant duality where the terrible presence of death and the disturbing work of Rudolf is contrasted with the search for family flourishing and their aspirational dreams come true. Intense, disturbing and very well handled script that provokes and moves.
⭐ 8 / 10, Prime Video.
🎥 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 🧠
I usually watch movies more than once, especially after so much time has passed that I don’t remember everything as clearly. I think that over the years my perception will change. Most of the time, I like them more, but there are also times, like with Garden State, also from 2004, when I shouldn’t have changed the good old memories of a film that I loved at the time to assume that today it’s just a nice memory of a not-so-great film.
Fortunately, last week I enjoyed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I can confirm that it not only holds up, but I appreciated it even more. The creativity, the concept of erasing memories, and deep melancholy of a ‘not so romantic comedy’ is tremendous, the clash of personalities between Joel (portrayed by Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) is absurd, intense, and quirky. However, the conflicts, fears, and emotions feel very close.
Michel Gondry’s film remains innovative, fresh, and fascinating. I recommend revisiting and enjoying it for those who did so in a more naive era, and also for those who do so today, where everything is perhaps more tangled. It can provide some fresh moments of sincere relief.
⭐ 9 / 10, Max.
