Accuracy of Death - Sweet Rain

Adapted from the bestselling novel by Kotaro Isaka “The Accuracy of Death”. Chiba (Kaneshiro) is one of the many reapers who are sent to observe and make contact with humans who are nearing their ends, before deciding whether to proceed or to forsake the entire ‘reaping’ procedure. He wears white gloves to prevent himself from getting into embarrassing situations. He abhors the rain, which pours whenever he is on the job. He loves music of all genres and loves staking out in the local music store, sashaying to the jarring noise even. He speaks to a black dog who is apparently his supervisor. And most importantly, he is realllllllllllll charming.

From the unpolished days of Chungking Express to the goofy days of Anna Magdalena, Takeshi Kaneshiro has indeed gone a long way. Apart from this striking features and abundance of good looks (and genes) which is always the highlight of ANY review, his acting skill has improved leaps and bounds over the years. He was convincing in taking up different personae within the three inter-connected stories of a twenty seven year old telephone operator desperate to cling onto life; a forty year old yakuza boss clinging onto life and lastly how a seventy year old hairstylist clings onto her remaining lifetime. Yes, it’s not a typo error, the common denominator is how individuals of different ages and social classes reflect upon their life as it draws closer to the end. This is a film that will keep you thinking about how you wish your life would turn out to be. Should it remain mediocre as it is now? Or should you make it exceptional, by grasping onto something that you really adore? Or just make it outright brilliant by doing something in your wildest, boldest dream? The role of Chiba gathers the different viewpoints of the various protagonists in the stories and giving the viewer an opportunity to ponder about his/her life. Nevertheless, Kaneshiro’s on-screen presence is immense and I truly enjoyed the way he played Chiba to perfection. I could feel the admiration which my fellow movie buff held for the impeccable Takeshi Kaneshiro, declaring her silent but utmost affection for this on-screen God with stunning good looks and remarkable charisma. I could even hear her heart pumping and her holding to the edge of her seat whenever he came on screen, where he smiles in the silliest manner but could still swoop any woman off her feet. Well, I wish I could be him. (Yah right hahahaha)

If you are watching this film alone, I am sure there will be a lot of emotions evoked. But who watches movies in the theaters alone nowadays(well..)? As for myself, I started to think about what happiness constituted and how one grapples with the idea of life itself. Without being too emo, this film works on several levels and is a movie that would probably stick in your head for several months before you move on to Kaneshiro’s new film The Battle of the Red Cliff. Nevertheless, it remained a little too shallow for the big screen as it resembled three little segments of a mini-series where footage for the first few minutes of the three segments being almost uncannily similar. To make it clearer, an example would be to think of the TV series Heroes where the initial minutes always repeat the same footage (“PREVIOUSLY IN HEROES….”). Well at least this is what I thought.

Nevertheless, once again, with the right company and the right mindset, the film can be a treat for the movie goer. I am so going to rummage for old copies of Kaneshiro's old films in my cupboard! 3.8/5