I haven’t read Murakami since 1Q84 burst that balloon, so I wasn’t familiar with the source material here. Turns out (!) the titular car is a red herring (as is the Beatles allusion, but so was Norwegian Wood). The real conceit, as embellished by Ryusuke Hamaguchi here, is a stage production of Uncle Vanya that serves as a multifaceted metaphor for all of the characters in one way or another. I found this aspect to be far less subtle than the visual aesthetic, which is invariably austere but often quietly beautiful. And it’s complemented by Eiko Ishibashi’s wonderful score which taps into that Murakami sensibility without wallowing in hipster jazz nonsense. In short? I loved it, with all its flaws. ★★★★
Cross-posted from Letterboxd