Drive My Car

Janus Film | Release Date: November 24, 2021

7.4	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 141 Ratings

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ArmieKashiJan 9, 2022

Stretched out and sort of disappointing . Personally i expected much more but it failed to deliver . I definitley would rank Titane and A Hero over this .

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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Miles_LongFeb 27, 2022

Never got out of 1st gear. This movie is a clunker. This story can be told in half the time. Seriously, I fail to see the reason for the drawn out editing for so many scenes. In the end though, it’s boring. I was literally praying in the lastNever got out of 1st gear. This movie is a clunker. This story can be told in half the time. Seriously, I fail to see the reason for the drawn out editing for so many scenes. In the end though, it’s boring. I was literally praying in the last 45 minutes for the movie to just end so I could relieve myself.

Ok I get it, people and relationships are complicated, and trapped love sick people can become delusional and make excuses for abusive relationships. I’ve seen it before, I don’t need to see a 3 hour movie that meanders about it, leaving me begging for some thrills, excitement, anticipation, and tension.

I just didn’t feel a thing after this movie because was wrapped up because I stopped caring about where it was going after the first hour.

People are going ga-ga over this flick. Really? Go watch more movies. There are much better movies that deal with the same subject matter in a more entertaining way.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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Brent_MarchantMar 9, 2022

My goodness, I couldn't wait for this one to end. Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's boring, snail's-paced, meandering cinematic tome -- coming in at just a hair under three hours -- is yet another example of the overhyped crop of pretentiousMy goodness, I couldn't wait for this one to end. Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's boring, snail's-paced, meandering cinematic tome -- coming in at just a hair under three hours -- is yet another example of the overhyped crop of pretentious releases that characterized the 2021 movie year. As a character study examining the life of a widowed stage actor/director who comes to grips with the truth about his sexually free-spirited wife after her sudden death, the film delves into themes of life imitating art (and vice versa) as he oversees a production of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya." The multilayered script parallels the plot of the famed Russian play, adding pervasive symbolism in the narrative reflective of the story in Chekhov's work. Of course, appreciating that requires an intimate (and I do mean intimate) knowledge of the source material without which the average viewer is most likely to be completely lost. Ambitious as such an undertaking might be, the picture begs the question, what good is it if most audience members won't be able grasp what's going on? Add to that a wealth of seemingly unrelated subplots, extraneous material and surprisingly underdeveloped characters, and you've got a long-winded, smug art piece that comes across as very self-satisfied with its form, structure and alleged cleverness. How this managed to pick up four Oscar nominations (including best picture) is beyond me. I was relieved when the end finally came, because, as it droned on and on and on, I began to wonder how much more I could take. Thank goodness for a clock that finally managed to tick all the way down.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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DianePootJan 9, 2022

The abscence of dialogue didn't make much sense to me . Obviously by being as blank as possible the makers were trying to pretend the film to be something more than it is . Much like many japanese media - literature not included - it was anThe abscence of dialogue didn't make much sense to me . Obviously by being as blank as possible the makers were trying to pretend the film to be something more than it is . Much like many japanese media - literature not included - it was an empty shell and THE VIBE was all it had . No extraordinary ordinary dialogueI or astonishing story . I found the picture to be pretentious and hollow .… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

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MetacriticOnurMar 28, 2022

admirable
[ ad-mer-uh-buhl ]

adjective
worthy of admiration; inspiring approval, reverence, or affection.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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LumdogFeb 13, 2022

I really wanted to like this movie more than I did. It's obviously very well-made with excellent performances but it's excruciatingly slow with an over-indulgent length. I really felt the 3 hours, and I lost engagement that I had to finish itI really wanted to like this movie more than I did. It's obviously very well-made with excellent performances but it's excruciatingly slow with an over-indulgent length. I really felt the 3 hours, and I lost engagement that I had to finish it in two sittings. It was a chore to get through. Dare I say....its boring for most of it's length. This film would've benefited by being tightened up in the editing room. Watch it for the direction and performances, but beware a film like this will turn a lot of viewers off.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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TVJerryFeb 6, 2022

This 3-hour Japanese import has lots of driving (as you might expect). A stage actor/director listens to his lines while in the car. When he travels to a theater festival in Hiroshima, he listens to the dialogue from Uncle Vanya whileThis 3-hour Japanese import has lots of driving (as you might expect). A stage actor/director listens to his lines while in the car. When he travels to a theater festival in Hiroshima, he listens to the dialogue from Uncle Vanya while driving. After the plot's setup 2 years earlier, the rest of the film takes place during the rehearsals for the play and there's lots of rehearsal time with them reading Checkov. Interspersed thru all of this is the director's longing for his former wife, while grappling with the mysteries she left behind. The filmmaking style is flat and straightforward. There's little emotion until near the end and even that is subdued. As a restrained examination of the art and life, it may be fulfilling to some, but at 3 hours, it won't appeal to most. (Japanese with subtitles)… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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everettMar 16, 2022

Like others, I really wanted to like this movie, and for a while I did. The set-up captured me (though I found one bedroom element ridiculous, something taken seriously that — come on! — verged on comedy). But the longer it played out, theLike others, I really wanted to like this movie, and for a while I did. The set-up captured me (though I found one bedroom element ridiculous, something taken seriously that — come on! — verged on comedy). But the longer it played out, the less my interest held up. The devolving middle might have been worth the wait if the denouement had paid off. But it didn't, finally landing without a real payoff — nothing special, nothing to take away that was original or insightful or worth all that time. There's a repression verging on implausibility in the third act that made me wonder about what, exactly, a filmmaker's job is, and whether he or she owes some respect to an audience that invests three hours into a film. Is it fear of being seen as sentimental, or is it pretension, or simply a lack of insight? In any case, I'm bewildered by all the praise, the usual bandwagon. And sad to say it. Yet again.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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albertocastillaFeb 19, 2022

Too long. It is the biggest problem of this poetic and exquisitely narrated film, where silences have as much prominence as words. The performances are wonderful and the film's metaphor of life's own journey is exciting and moving. However,Too long. It is the biggest problem of this poetic and exquisitely narrated film, where silences have as much prominence as words. The performances are wonderful and the film's metaphor of life's own journey is exciting and moving. However, it is by no means a round movie. In fact, it is not a film for all audiences.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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