Non-Japanese directors who film Japanese subjects don’t always get them right — or even try. A prime example is Rob Marshall’s 2005 period drama, “Memoirs of a Geisha,” whose exoticized version of geisha culture was roundly bashed in Japan.
And then there is Wim Wenders’ Zen-like “Perfect Days,” which was selected as Japan’s best international feature nominee for this year’s Academy Awards, a first for a non-native, non-resident filmmaker. Also, star Koji Yakusho was awarded the best actor prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Wenders has long been a passionate fan of Japanese cinema, as evidenced in his 1985 documentary, “Tokyo-Ga,” about master director Yasujiro Ozu. But for all its Ozu-esque touches, such as shots of two characters moving in tandem, “Perfect Days” expresses its maker’s artistic identity and outsider’s perspective to — pardon the wordplay — perfection.