I first learned of Juzo Itami when he committed suicide in 1997. However, it's only now that I've gotten around to seeing one of his movies. His directorial debut "Osôshiki" ("The Funeral" in English) depicts a family's gathering after a father-in-law's passing. As it turns out, this gathering will reveal a lot about the family.
The movie often gets called a comedy, but it's not a comedy as we usually understand the term. The movie could definitely qualify as a black comedy, with unpleasant things taking place over the course of saying goodbye to the relative. It's not a sad movie, but definitely not slapstick. Whatever the case, it's a fine piece of work. I'll be eager to see the rest of Itami's movies. I wonder what he would've done had he lived longer.
The movie often gets called a comedy, but it's not a comedy as we usually understand the term. The movie could definitely qualify as a black comedy, with unpleasant things taking place over the course of saying goodbye to the relative. It's not a sad movie, but definitely not slapstick. Whatever the case, it's a fine piece of work. I'll be eager to see the rest of Itami's movies. I wonder what he would've done had he lived longer.