Two dozen recently deceased are interviewed in a kind of afterlife holding room. They have a few days to determine their most precious memory, of the time when they were happiest, and have it recreated for them to dwell on for eternity. One man, Watanabe (Taketoshi Naitô), realizes upon reflection that he can't think of a single happy memory and his exploration of his past hits close to home for Mochizuki (Arata Iura), one of the counselors.
There's no twist, no edge, no bait-and-switch. People are literally asked to choose their favorite memory and then the Community Theater of the Dead pulls together a set and recreates it for them. It is completely charming and sweet, a balm for the soul. Here lately it has seemed like everything is a slog but this movie felt restorative.
It's currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.
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