New career brings new life's perspective

Rating: 5/10 (1 June 2011)

Okuribito is a story of a young man who finds an unusual change in his career from a musician to a mortician. Needless to say, drastic change in his private life came along with it.
Daigo (Masahiro Motoki) is a cello player in an orchestra, but one day finds himself out of work. Recognizing that he didn't have the talent necessary as a musician to survive, he starts to look for a new job. He finds an ad in the newspaper saying "Help people travel". Thinking that it's an ad by a travel agency, he goes for his interview. He's surprised that his monthly salary is over $5000 just as an apprentice. He also learns that an ad had an error in it and is told that the ad should have said "Help people's departures". He learns that his new job is actually that of a mortician. While not motivated, he takes the job because he needed the money, but keeps his job secret from his wife. New job bring much difficulties for him, but he finds different perspective on life through seeing people's reactions to the loss of their loved ones.
This IMO is one of the great new movies that are coming out of Japan. Japanese are finding their niche in unique stories that explores peoples lives from a different perspective. This movie is one example. It's also a step up in Mokkun, or Masahiro Motoki's acting. He's been gradually working his way up, and while an accomplished actor in his own right, he's been challenging new roles that are experimental for him. He nails this one as a musician, mortician, and a husband that is in a compromising position.
While not as big budget as Hollywood movies, these new movies from Japan are high quality and original, and should be considered as classics in their own rights.