Perfect Days (Subtitled) (PG)

No matter how much of his previous work you’ve seen, you’re still not prepared for what he brings to the everyman at the epicentre of Wim Wenders‘ Perfect Days.

The extraordinary Japanese actor Koji Yakusho plays Hirayama, whose life, it may seem at first, is defined by his job: he cleans public toilets in Tokyo, and every day he zips himself into a blue jumpsuit, retrieves his keys and flip phone, and drives through the city making his rounds. He polishes mirrors to a sterling gleam, wipes down faucets and levers with care, and inspects a toilet’s underside with a small mirror to ensure he's scrubbed every inch of it. It's not so much that Hirayama is dedicated to his job; it’s more that the ritual of doing it right means something to him.

The genesis of Perfect Days comes from Wenders being invited to Tokyo to do a series of shorts about the city’s facilities, many of which had been redesigned as something akin to modern-art instalments and a source of civic pride. Relaxing, and full of beauty and warmth. Perfect Days is a quie and serene experience.