In addition to its current run at the Harris Theater (through February 17), the acclaimed 2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) will play in Pittsburgh from March 20 as part of "Oscar Movie Week." A brief synospis from a December 7 NPR review:
The story follows a middle-aged Tokyo stage actor named Kafuku, superbly played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. He's a calm, mild-mannered guy who's been married for two decades to a screenwriter named Oto. We get a sense of their mutual devotion when we see Kafuku driving around in his bright red Saab, rehearsing his lines by listening to audio tapes that Oto has painstakingly recorded for him.It is scheduled to play at the AMC Loews Waterfront on March 20, 22, and 24, and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Robinson on the 22nd and 24th. The shows are in Japanese with English subtitles, and tickets are available online.
But their relationship is more complicated than it appears. Years ago, Kafuku and Oto experienced an agonizing loss that has led her to find solace — and perhaps something more — in relationships with other men. Kafuku has deep compassion for his wife, which doesn't make her betrayal any less painful. And then another tragedy strikes when Oto dies suddenly.
