Drive My Car is a three-hour film based on writing by Haruki Murakami. I was particularly excited to see such a long movie in theaters so I’d have fewer distractions and could sink into whatever the movie presented itself to be.

For the most part, the film is pretty somber without spoiling anything. But this guy, this fucking guy, one row behind me and two seats to the right, found every other line HILARIOUS. Granted, there are a small handful of moments I could point to as “funny” but more in a smirking manner or deserving of a light chuckle. But this guy must have been particularly stoned, I’d taken an edible but was nowhere as high as this fucker must have been, cause he was busting up like it was a new Will Ferrell movie. Worst of all his laughter was infectious to those seated on his side of the theater, his laughing brought out laughter in a few others sometimes, to the point that my right ear would be filled with guffaws while my left ear heard nothing. Got to the point where I started to anticipate his laughter before it would come, on edge for another gale of ha-has constantly. It was disorienting, distracting, and ultimately ruined my greater appreciation of the film. When a highly climactic scene happened I could only think “I know I’m supposed to be feeling this moment, but I’m too irritated to be in it.” and I truly would have shushed him, but it’s hard when his offense was technically non-verbal.

Aside from all that, I think I adored Drive My Car but have to see it again to consolidate my true feelings.