Freshly unemployed, young cellist Daigo (Masahiro Motoki) has an epiphany in which he realizes he's been heading down the wrong career path. Retreating to his hometown, he trains for a new professional role as a nakanshi, or one who prepares the dead for burial. Tsutomu Yamazaki provides comic relief as Daigo's eccentric mentor in director Yojiro Takita's Oscar-winning, richly detailed -- if unlikely -- drama about finding your bliss.

Rated PG-13 2 hours 11 minutes 2008

4.5 stars (Dale-4, David-5). a bit drawn out but a lovely story. Beautiful and poetic, good circles (circle of life and death, circle of relationships, etc)