How ‘Drive My Car’ crashed the Oscars — with the help of film critics
3 years ago

How ‘Drive My Car’ crashed the Oscars — with the help of film critics

LA Times  

Times critic Justin Chang named “Drive My Car” the best movie of 2021 and calls the film — which tracks the winding roads of two individuals, a rider and a chauffeur — “a haunting masterpiece of art and life.” He’s not alone. The three-hour Japanese drama has been a favorite of critics, and even made former President Obama’s list of the year’s best movies, since its Cannes Film Festival debut last year. Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi recognized himself in his protagonist, a man finding escape from unresolved tragedy through his work. All the buzz buoyed the movie to a steady run in arthouse theaters and even landed it an unusual deal to make its streaming debut on HBO Max.

Film Film Critics  drive  help  york  way  best  car  debut  critics  international  winding  film  crashed  movie  oscars  work

History of this topic

How do you follow up ‘Drive My Car’? Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi finds a new lane
10 months, 4 weeks ago

How do you follow up ‘Drive My Car’? Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi finds a new lane

LA Times  

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi has never felt an affinity for the great outdoors. After the unlikely Hollywood triumph of “Drive My Car,” Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist” is a daring left turn, an enigmatic, vaguely sinister work in which the unknowability of the forest seems to affect the characters. Hitoshi Omika in the movie “Evil Does Not Exist.” When Hamaguchi presented his …

India turned its back on ‘RRR.’ Will Oscar voters embrace it?
2 years, 4 months ago

India turned its back on ‘RRR.’ Will Oscar voters embrace it?

LA Times  

Animal mayhem is just one of the wild action scenes in S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR,” which its makers are pushing for a best picture Oscar nomination. The end credits are rolling, the final celebration sequence is unfolding, people are dancing in the aisles — and one exuberant fan is up on the stage — and when the song finishes and Rajamouli …

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi reflects on his Oscar-winning feature Drive My Car, its popularity
2 years, 11 months ago

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi reflects on his Oscar-winning feature Drive My Car, its popularity

Firstpost  

Drive My Car, the 3-hour-long film based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, won an Oscar last week for best international feature film Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi says he was surprised by the international popularity of his Oscar-winning film Drive My Car, but attributes it to the universality of the short story by Haruki Murakami on which it is …

Director of ‘Drive My Car’ surprised by Oscar, popularity
2 years, 11 months ago

Director of ‘Drive My Car’ surprised by Oscar, popularity

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi says he was surprised by the international popularity of his Oscar-winning film “Drive My Car,” but attributes it to the universality of the short story by Haruki Murakami on which it is based. While attributing its popularity to the universality of Murakami’s story, Hamaguchi said the actors “put it on the screen in a …

Drive My Car movie review: Oscars 2022 Best International Feature is an intimate tale of love, loss, and loneliness
2 years, 11 months ago

Drive My Car movie review: Oscars 2022 Best International Feature is an intimate tale of love, loss, and loneliness

Firstpost  

Language: Japanese There is a hypnotic quality about Drive My Car that quietly defines the pages of Haruki Murakami from which the film draws script material. The Ryusuke Hamaguchi directorial, based on the Japanese literary maestro’s short story of the same name, captures the Murakami essence as completely as few cinematic attempts have done. The three awards including Best Screenplay …

Will the Oscar win for Drive My Car help Japanese cinema gain recognition among international audiences?
2 years, 11 months ago

Will the Oscar win for Drive My Car help Japanese cinema gain recognition among international audiences?

Firstpost  

The Oscar for Best International Feature notwithstanding, the lackluster domestic performance of Drive My Car is notable in a country where homegrown movies have been outselling American blockbusters for the last 14 years. Hamaguchi’s movie, based on short stories by Haruki Murakami, portrays “a Japan that is easy to accept and understand for foreigners,” said Tamaki Tsuda, a television producer …

‘Drive My Car’ wins Oscar award for best international film
3 years ago

‘Drive My Car’ wins Oscar award for best international film

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The emotional epic from Japan “Drive My Car” won the Academy Award for best international feature film Sunday night. With four Oscar nominations, including the first best picture nomination for a Japanese film, and several early wins in awards season that made it appear to be a best picture frontrunner, no one was surprised by Sunday’s win …

Oscars 2022: Japan's Drive My Car, also nominated for Best Picture, wins Best International Feature
3 years ago

Oscars 2022: Japan's Drive My Car, also nominated for Best Picture, wins Best International Feature

Firstpost  

Drive My Car at Oscars 2022 is the fifth time a film from Japan has won the Best International Feature award, and the first time since 2008. Japan’s Drive My Car has won the Oscar for best international feature. Drive My Car tells the story of an actor and stage director, played by Hidetoshi Nishijima, who goes to Hiroshima to …

Oscars 2022: Will Smith's slap aside, it was a shambles
3 years ago

Oscars 2022: Will Smith's slap aside, it was a shambles

BBC  

Oscars 2022: Will Smith's slap aside, it was a shambles Reuters The moment when the best actor winner hit Chris Rock on stage overshadowed the awards themselves – and symbolised everything wrong with this year's event, writes Nicholas Barber. Rock was on stage to present the documentary prize, he made a mean joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's short hair – …

Oscars 2022 predictions: Here's a list of who will win Best Picture, Actress, Director, Actor and other honours — and who should
3 years ago

Oscars 2022 predictions: Here's a list of who will win Best Picture, Actress, Director, Actor and other honours — and who should

Firstpost  

Here is a rundown of all the main Oscars 2022 categories, with my predictions for who will win and who actually should win. Here is a rundown of all the main award categories, with my predictions for who will win and who actually should win: International Feature Film Nominees: Drive My Car, Flee, The Hand Of God, Lunana: A Yak …

Signaling a shift, ‘Drive My Car’ rides into the Oscars
3 years ago

Signaling a shift, ‘Drive My Car’ rides into the Oscars

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Since the flurry of text messages that greeted him when he stepped off a plane in Berlin on Oscar nominations morning, Ryusuke Hamaguchi has had some time to reflect on why his film, “Drive My Car, ” has resonated as it has. While Hamaguchi’s films -- he last year also released the beguiling anthology film “Wheel of …

Drive My Car, the first Best Picture Oscar nominee from Japan, spins Haruki Murakami story into affecting melodrama
3 years, 1 month ago

Drive My Car, the first Best Picture Oscar nominee from Japan, spins Haruki Murakami story into affecting melodrama

ABC  

At a time when our connections with others are often mediated by algorithms and screens, taking a long ride in an automobile can feel like one of the few spaces left where we can share an honest, open moment with someone else. In writer-filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's newly Oscar-nominated Drive My Car, a cherry-red 1987 Saab 900 Turbo is the latest, …

‘Drive My Car’ deserves a best picture Oscar. Do academy voters agree?
3 years, 2 months ago

‘Drive My Car’ deserves a best picture Oscar. Do academy voters agree?

LA Times  

Oscar Picks Justin Chang's Dream Ballot Oscar voting has begun. Here’s what our critic would put on his fantasy ballot I think “Drive My Car,” the much-acclaimed drama from Japanese writer-director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, is the best picture of 2021. Masaki Okada, left, and Hidetoshi Nishijima in”Drive My Car.” If I’m being a bit presumptuous about my colleagues’ tastes, I’m a …

He made one of the year’s most acclaimed movies. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi talks about ‘Drive My Car’
3 years, 3 months ago

He made one of the year’s most acclaimed movies. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi talks about ‘Drive My Car’

LA Times  

Getting behind the wheel of a moving vehicle doesn’t much entice thoughtful Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi. Hamaguchi’s critically exalted masterwork “Drive My Car,” which has been adapted for the screen from a short story of the same name by revered author Haruki Murakami, tracks the winding roads of two individuals, a rider and a chauffeur. “Drive My Car,” which won …

LA film critics pick ‘Drive My Car’ as year’s best
3 years, 3 months ago

LA film critics pick ‘Drive My Car’ as year’s best

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — It was a showdown between Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” and Jane Campion’s “ The Power of the Dog ” for members of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, but the group managed to give top honors to both on Saturday. Simon Rex took best actor for his turn as an ex porn star in Sean Baker’s …

LA film critics pick ‘Drive My Car’ as year’s best
3 years, 3 months ago

LA film critics pick ‘Drive My Car’ as year’s best

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Inside the L.A. Film Critics’ best of 2021 vote, from ‘Drive My Car’ to ‘Barb & Star’
3 years, 3 months ago

Inside the L.A. Film Critics’ best of 2021 vote, from ‘Drive My Car’ to ‘Barb & Star’

LA Times  

“Drive My Car,” an elegant, multithreaded drama from Japanese director-co-writer Ryusuke Hamaguchi, won best picture from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. Penélope Cruz won lead actress for “Parallel Mothers,” Ariana DeBose won supporting actress for “West Side Story” and Simon Rex won lead actor for “Red Rocket.” Céline Sciamma’s “Petite Maman” was named best film not in the English …

New York film critics name ‘Drive My Car’ best film of 2021
3 years, 3 months ago

New York film critics name ‘Drive My Car’ best film of 2021

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The New York Film Critics Circle on Friday named “Drive My Car,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s intimate three-hour epic and Haruki Murakami’s short story adaptation, the best film of the year. Best actress went to Lady Gaga for her performance as Patrizia Reggiani in Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci.” Kathryn Hunter won for her ghostly witch in Joel Coen’s …

Take a spin with Japan’s Oscar entry, ‘Drive My Car’
3 years, 3 months ago

Take a spin with Japan’s Oscar entry, ‘Drive My Car’

LA Times  

Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies. This leads them into a world of the powerful and possibly the paranormal, as Nekrasova pays homage to Italian giallo thrillers and Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” Noel Murray reviewed the film for The Times, saying, “It’s hard not to be impressed by the …

Review: In ‘Drive My Car,’ Ryûsuke Hamaguchi delivers a haunting masterpiece of art and life
3 years, 4 months ago

Review: In ‘Drive My Car,’ Ryûsuke Hamaguchi delivers a haunting masterpiece of art and life

LA Times  

The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the simplest of its many intricate levels, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” is a masterpiece — haunting and true, melancholy and wise — inspired by another. It follows a middle-age actor and director, Yûsuke Kafuku, who specializes in experimental multilingual theater productions, the latest of which …

Discover Related