Rating of
4/4
Okuribito
jezon2000 - wrote on 04/09/09
Okuribito is an excellent film that deals with what it means to have a place in life after one's dream career has come to nothing. It is about starting over, in one sense, and family in another: but the simple way in which Okuribito pulls this together in the end is by far its most moving achievement.
While Okuribito may carry a stigma due to its subject matter, it is by far the best film I've seen dealing with the business, humour, and power death has over how we live our lives. The narrative does not feel like an excuse for its message or even coincidental: it is not about profoundly staring off into the distance, or going on a road trip to show off national scenery. Okuribito avoids bloated sentiments, jaded notions, trite philosophical dialogues, equally trite transcendent imagery and metaphors, and everything else which can make films in the death and dying genre taxing to watch.
Masahiro Motoki's performance in Okuribito is natural and inviting, and above all, convincing. The sensible realism he carries through the film is refreshing when so many screen actors seem to share the kind of “dramatic” stock-emotions vocabulary which makes so many hard scenes and portrayals fall flat, feel phony or downright insulting to everyone involved. No beat seems unjustified or sudden in Okuribito; and when dialogue is absent, Masahiro Motoki’s presence and transparency are at their most impressive. Ryoko Hirosue, who plays Kobayashi’s wife Mika, is also an absolute delight to watch, and beyond excellent in her role.
I may sing its praises, but Okuribito is certainly not a perfect film. There were a few moments I questioned what the director was thinking, but not many. Still, by the end I found myself counting the little imperfections among Okuribito’s most powerful and endearing qualities. It is certainly among the most powerful and refreshing films I've seen.
4 out of 4, and a score by Joe Hisaishi for the win.
