Review: “Evil Does Not Exist”

Patience is not merely a virtue when it comes to viewing Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s work; it’s a demand, a requirement he places upon the audience when they enter in to one of his worlds, whether it’s the tentatively building intrigue of his Vertigo riff, Asako I & II, the drawn out car rides and conversations that […]

Review: “Passion” (2008)

When friends gather at a restaurant—a glimpse at the sign above the entrance, El Secreto, not-so-subtly foreshadowing what’s about to occur inside— to celebrate Kaho’s (Aoba Kawai) birthday, the jovial gathering spirals into an evening fraught with questions and confusion when Kaho and her boyfriend Tomoya (Ryuta Okamoto) make an announcement that ought to have […]

Review: ”Drive My Car”

By the time the title and opening credits of “Drive My Car” drop approximately 45 minutes into its three hour runtime, it already feels like we’ve experienced a complete mini movie. But the embarrassment of riches that director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s film, based on the short story by Haruki Murakami, contains are yet to unveil themselves. […]