Ososhiki

I was really enjoying this film up until the random and out of place "affair" scene. It was too long and was such a left turn that it completely took me out of the movie. The acting was by far the best part. If you like this also check out Festival 1996 by Im Kwon-taek which I found similar but much better.

Funerals are solemn and tragic but they’re still gatherings of people, with all the absurdity, warmth, and conflict that comes with that. No movie has ever understood that better than this one.

Has some interesting tonal ruptures but oddly enjoyable.

Astonishingly terrible. For two hours we have to watch people sort of sitting around and talking and going to a funeral. THERE IS NO PLOT (except for one plot point of a man cheating on his wife that is only in one scene and never goes anywhere). There is only one good moment in the whole movie, and that is when they are taking to the guy at the crematory. A serious waste of time.

Easily my favourite Itami so far. Although often touching, the humour is continuous; the only brief loss of momentum is the mistress in the forest scene. The ending is well-earned.