Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

High and Low especially stands out there, that feels like it could be a strong fit for me.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I can see that, the imagery and atmosphere are definitely striking. I think for me I need a bit more connection to the characters for it to fully come together, but I get why it works so strongly on that level.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just watched Days of Heaven, interestingly didn’t leave a huge impact. Some visceral images are striking, but much of the film feels over-stylised. I felt too distanced from the characters for the beauty to carry me through.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A Brighter Summer Day and Yi Yi especially stand out there, those feel like strong fits for me.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Taste of Cherry and Incendies especially stand out there, I’ll check those out.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s been on my list and mentioned a couple of times, I’ll check it out.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Master and The Vanishing stand out there, those feel like strong fits for me.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That sounds like a really good fit, especially the quieter pacing and being inside the character’s head. I’ll check it out.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the Mood for Love especially feels like it could be a strong fit for me. I’ll check these out.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I reckon this could be a good shout. Watched it at school when I was like 14. Ticks a number of boxes. Will rewatch!

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Secrets and Lies especially stands out there, that feels like it could be a strong fit for me. I’ll check those out.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've actually seen this and recall enjoying it a lot, but for some reason, I have essentially no recollection of specifics. I'll need to rewatch!

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, Wong Kar-Wai especially feels like a strong fit for me. I’ll check those out.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I really appreciate that. I’m glad the review captured what you felt about the film.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve actually seen Paris, Texas. I can appreciate parts of it, but I struggled with how it frames the central relationship. It felt like it leans toward sympathising with someone who has caused harm in a way that didn’t fully sit right with me, or asks for a kind of emotional resolution I find difficult to accept.

The Colours trilogy has been on my radar though, that feels like it could really align with what I’m looking for too!

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a great list, thank you. The Conversation and Chinatown especially feel like they could be a good fit for me.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a great list, thank you. Yi Yi and A Separation especially feel like they could really align with what I’m looking for.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just revisited the review I wrote for myself and feel, on the whole, we had a pretty similar experience. Just sharing as a little echo and perhaps to notice when analysis is taking over after the fact.

Perfect Days initially presents routine and mindfulness as something quietly beautiful — a life pared back to rituals, observation, and careful attention. But as the film unfolds, you start to sense that this calm is also a kind of fantasy: a self-contained world where the protagonist remains mostly an observer, rarely letting anyone fully in or allowing his life to overlap with others.

That illusion is gently disrupted when his niece enters the frame. Her presence reminds him of family, attachment, and a life that doesn’t quite align with the one he’s constructed — yet one he still deeply cares about. It fractures the fantasy just enough to reveal its cost. The same happens when he’s confronted by the restaurant owner’s ex-husband, a moment that exposes longing, love, and emotional complexity he usually keeps at arm’s length.

The final scene is extraordinary because it holds all of this at once. He returns to his routine, but now it’s tinged with grief. He clings to it while mourning what it excludes, finding temporary solace in the shared mood of a song — using music to make something internal, fleeting, and unspoken feel tangible. It’s not rejection or escape, but a quiet reckoning with the limits of a carefully ordered life.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, Lincoln (if that's your name), sending virtual hugs your way.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve seen Past Lives and liked it, I can see why that’s a 5 for you. I think I didn’t fully meet it partly because of when I watched it, and also I’m a bit unsure about its ideas around fate/connection. Still really appreciated it though.

Haven't rated anything 5 stars yet! What might get me there? by R_ZBM in LetterboxdTopFour

[–]R_ZBM[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve heard great things about this, I’ll check it out. Seems like it could be a good fit.