Departures

Daigo (Masahiro Motoki) moves back to his home town after a failed cello career in an orchestra. The job that jumps out and grabs him is one to be a tour guide for the dead. A profession that exists but one that we rarely think about; to prepare the dead for the final journey. He finds himself inexplicably drawn in to the bizarre job much to the chagrin of his wife and friends. There is a also the parallel drama of Daigo's his non existent relationship with his father who abandoned him as a child. A film about death that deals with the rediscovery of what life is all about.

Rating: * * *

When the Last Sword Is Drawn

The Shinsengumi were a militia that formed during the Meiji era who were fiercely loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate. Their main charter was to keep the peace in Kyoto. The film concentrates primarily on two characters. Saitō Hajime (Koichi Sato) was one of the kenjutsu senseis in the group and figures prominently in its history. Yoshimura Kanichiro (Kiichi Nakai) is a relatively unknown member but is the main protagonist the film. Through the tumultuous inter-personal relationship between the two men, the movie shows a slice of the Shinsengumu during its peak and decline. A decent enough flick though it tends to drag at certain points.

Rating: * * +