Departures

I watched this movie bookending the death of my father-in-law. I was watching it, we decided we needed to go to be with him in his last moments on earth, and I returned to finish it.
Which is oddly appropriate for the subject matter. The hero in our tale, Daigo, is a failed cellist who moves back to his mother's house. Some things cross-cultures. This is not a good sign. On the upside, his mother has died and he inherited the house--he has financial issues, so this is a prudent choice, and he goes with his wife. So better than it first sounds. It is an isolated village in rural Japan, a gorgeous setting with Mount Fuji in the background. And they like the rhythm of life there.
But Daigo stumbles into a job that is all about death. And the Japanese are squeamish about death and those who deal in it. The job is casketing, the art of preparing the corpse for placement in the casket. It is a moving and peaceful ceremony that is performed in front of the loved ones, and he is really good at it. He struggles with the pride this brings him, the comfort he provides for grieving family members, and the knowledge that he will be shunned for doing it.
In the end he comes to make peace with his father, who left him as a child 30 years before, and who he caskets. It is a movie with a small scope, but I loved the pace, the beauty and the attention to detail that pervaded it. Go in beauty. Rest in peace.