Japan's Drive My Car creates history! The Ryusuke Hamaguchi directorial wins the Best International Feature Film category. The movie is also Japan's first official entry to the Oscars.
The movie is based on Haruki Murakami, a legendary Japanese writer's short story of the same name from his collection - Men Without Women. The movie is a gut-wrenching tale about two individuals who are trying to find closure in their lives. The cast includes a stellar Yūsuke Kafuku, whose marriage is in shambles. He catches his wife red-handed with her lover. But, before he can confront her about this affair, his wife passes away, leaving him with unanswered questions. A few months after the incident, he travels to Hiroshima, with a young woman driver, played by Tōko Miura. The two actors put forth a soul-stirring performance making you question the cruelty of life and death. The movie ends with a note saying, "We must keep on living."
Drive My Car is also nominated in the categories Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The movie is streaming on MUBI.