Drive My Car
7.418
1232 Votes
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  • 2021-08-18
  • 2 h 59 mins
  • Drama

Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to drive his car. In between rides, secrets from the past and heartfelt confessions will be unveiled.

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Trailers & Clips
Hand-picked by MUBI
2024-03-10T20:00:05.000Z
Hand-picked by MUBI
2023-03-22T16:00:09.000Z
Official Trailer #2
2022-04-01T11:55:09.000Z
Official Trailer
2022-03-11T15:10:55.000Z
Official Clip
2022-03-03T18:12:21.000Z
Official US Trailer
2021-11-08T14:17:05.000Z
Trailer
2021-09-16T18:03:14.000Z
Clip
2021-09-14T21:29:59.000Z
DRIVE MY CAR Q&A | TIFF 2021
2021-09-10T14:00:04.000Z
Images (Posters)
Images (Backdrops)
Cast
Hidetoshi Nishijima
Yūsuke Kafuku
Toko Miura
Misaki Watari
Masaki Okada
Kōshi Takatsuki
Reika Kirishima
Oto Kafuku
Park Yu-rim
Lee Yoo-na
Jin Dae-yeon
Gong Yoon-su
Sonia Yuan
Janice Chang
Ahn Hwi-tae
Ryu Jong-ui
Perry Dizon
Roy Rossello
Satoko Abe
Yuzuhara
Hiroko Matsuda
Yumi Etô
Toshiaki Inomata
Takashi Kimura
Takako Yamamura
Kaoru Komagata
Details Of Movie
Music
Photos Hidetoshi Shinomiya
Revenue 15356046
Location Japan
Producer Yoshito Nakabe, Jin Suzuki, Sachio Matsushita, Keiji Okumura, Osamu Kubota, Misaki Kawamura, Tsuyoshi Gorô, Teruhisa Yamamoto
Director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi
User Reviews
CinemaSerf March 27 2022 05:32:50 PM

"Kafuku" (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is an accomplished stage actor who is directing a performance of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" with a group of young actors. He arrives at the venue in his red Saab motor car, determined that only he will drive himself. That's not the policy of the theatre, though, and soon he is placed in the capable hands of the somewhat laconic "Misaki" (Tôko Miura) and as the two start to get used to one and other, and he starts to get to know his new cast, the story unfolds revealing his past - his marriage to a famous playwright that ended in tragedy, and of his driver's own demons as the pair - entirely platonically - begin to fill the gaps left in each other's lives by times gone by. I did quite enjoy this, there are quite a few quirks to the story, not least from the handsome and curiously enigmatic 'Kôji" (Masaki Okada) whose storyline intertwines intriguingly with that of his mentor, and the film adopts a pace of it's own which you will appreciate right from the start (or not!). The dialogue is sparse though, perhaps a little too much so at times, and at almost three hours long it can feel like a bit of a slog at times. Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi has possibly over indulged himself a little with the style of the film, it dawdles, cinematographically speaking, and I suppose at the title suggests, there are quite a few scenes suggesting that more of a road trip movie might be in order. It is still a very easy film to watch, it requires concentration and somehow the fact that it's that Chekhov play seems apposite, too. I would see it on a big screen if you can - I suspect on television even the most focussed of us might find our attention wandering after a while.

badelf June 30 2022 02:12:21 AM

I find this film to be a near perfect drama. I understand that most Americans and perhaps younger viewers everywhere will not appreciate the pacing of the movie. There are two things about this movie that make it an actor's movie. First is the play within the play: the play within is Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, and, like most Russian classics, it's about the human condition and the response to suffering. It's the play within the play because the film slowly reveals a mirror of Chekhov's play itself. Second, some playwrights have the gift of writing dialog that leaves the real storytelling to the unspoken dialogue - Shakespeare, Pinter, Stoppard - they all had this gift, and I nominate Hamaguchi to this list. It is amazing to watch this kind of production because it only survives with the richness and depth of the acting. It is the sole reason that theater companies can do these kind of plays and each version is completely unique. Even if you are not aware of this aspect of a play, Lee Yoo-na (Park Yu-rim) pointed out that her silence allowed her to see the deeper dialogue more clearly. As to the pacing? It's a brilliant reflection of the way Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) was directing Uncle Vanya.