Told by Wabisuke Inoue (Tsutomo Yamazaki), this is a story about his father in law's sudden death from a heart attack and the ensuing arrangements for the wake and funeral, culminating with the actual rituals themselves. This film runs the gamut of emotions, and that is where its brilliance is. At times you laugh at the sometimes zany characters, but then there are moments so touching you find yourself, if not in tears, at least becoming part of the moving experience. For anyone who has ever been involved in the planning of a wake/funeral, here it is: The quibbling over the cost, the obnoxious relatives (one guy, Aoki, brought his video camera), the squabbling between the principal characters on "what he would have wanted", the people who are drinking and enjoying themselves too much to leave etc. But, when you feel there is a point where this is all absurd, there is a moment where someone really feels the loss. That, to me, is what makes the film so great. It has a smile on its face, but sometimes pain in the heart. Enjoyable and moving, its a real gem.
Review of The Funeral
