Perfect Days

Leave it to boundary crossing German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire; Paris, Texas) to direct a film that became Japan's entry into the Academy Awards. Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) is content with his mostly solitary life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Beyond his structured daily routine, he reads, takes photos of trees with a throw-back camera, and listens to his cherished cassette recordings of The Animals, The Kinks, Patti Smith and Lou Reed on his drive to and from work. When his teenage niece shows up unexpectantly, he attempts to show her how to lead a simpler, quieter life.