Dylan Thomas urged us not go gently into that good night. Nevertheless, watching the opening scene of Masaya Kakei’s Accuracy of Death (Sweet Rain), when soulfully beautiful actor Takeshi Kaneshiro reassures the ghost of a young girl about to depart for the afterlife, the option of going gently seems both necessary and mournfully sweet.
Kaneshiro is Chiba, a grim reaper, charged with examining the lives of mortals who are to die suddenly (reapers don’t handle “expected” deaths, like illnesses or suicides.) Accompanied by a black dog (who, in a creative narrative twist, speaks to him only via subtitles) he observes his subjects, decides whether they’ve fulfilled their purpose on Earth, and delivers his verdict: “proceed” or “suspend.”
His decision is almost always “proceed,” and the mortals are sent to their deaths. But when required to pass judgment on three interconnected lives – a lonely customer service rep, an aging yakuza, and a reclusive hairdresser with a mysterious past – he’s forced to consider the nuances of life and death and develops a deeper sympathy for and understanding of humanity.
Kaneshiro (House of Flying Daggers, Chungking Express) is an actor of incredible soulfulness and dashing charisma, and he shines here in a role that demands great versatility. He slips into the parts he has to play for each of his cases – the eccentric knight gallant, the sage gangster, and the wandering student – with mercurial ease. All the time, Chiba’s unique personality – full of naïve wonder about the human world, coupled with a stoic outlook on mortality – shines steadily through. Watching him deftly balance all these personality traits, both feigned and real, is a true pleasure.
The story is sweet and inventive, even if some of the plot twists are foreseeable early on, and Kasei makes excellent use of special effects and a unique visual style to capture the otherworldly elements of Chiba’s job, as well as the tiny miracles of ordinary life that he learns to appreciate. There’s a little bit of everything in this far-flung tale – urban romance, shoot-‘em-up gang drama, and existential self-reflection – all woven effortlessly together by Kaneshiro and the strong supporting cast. The ending is surprising and wondrous; a perfect, life-affirming conclusion to a most eccentric and entertaining film about the great beyond.
Comments