Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2012

Perhaps it has to do with the interesting mixture in the Japanese religious tradition of Buddhism—with its emphasis on reincarnation—and Shintoism—with its emphasis on spirit—but Japanese films about otherworldly lives tend to be successful in a way that Western films are not. One only needs to look at Robin Williams’ awful What Dreams May Come (1998) to see how badly things can go wrong. Soup was written and directed by long-time Japanese film industry insider Yukichi Otsuka. While it requires tremendous suspension of disbelief, it manages a simultaneous realistic and dreamlike quality, laced with humor and some pathos.

Fifty year-old Kenichi (Katsuhisa Namase), who works at an interior design company, divorced his wife a number of years ago. The separation put a great strain on his relationship with his daughter Mika (Yuiko Kariya). He and his boss Yumi (Manami Konishi) die in a lightning strike. In the other world, Kenichi learns of a special soup that will allow you to be reborn, but with no memories of your prior life. The man struggles to find a way to come back to this reality and also remember his daughter. While not without melodrama, the piece is oddly compelling and surprisingly thought provoking. (117 min)