Belief in reincarnation is widespread in South and East Asia, but less so in the West. So Ryuichi Hiroki’s multilayered melodrama “Phases of the Moon,” in which reincarnation is a central theme, may not easily cross certain cultural and religious barriers.
Not that the film, based on a bestselling novel by Shogo Sato, proselytizes for a given religion. Instead, it treats reincarnation as a fact — one that the protagonist, a former elite salaryman who lost his wife and teenage daughter in a tragic accident, can’t readily accept.
A veteran maker of commercial romantic dramas and acclaimed indie films, Hiroki brings his usual sensitive visual touch and tasteful musical approach to this material, with vocalist and songwriter Mari Fukushige providing a poignant musical counterpoint to the on-screen action. But the script, by Hiroshi Hashimoto, leans toward the literal, while the proceedings occasionally descend to the ponderous. If you find the idea of dead people speaking through the living odd or unsettling, this film will give you some queasy moments. As a reincarnation agnostic, however, I found its take on the subject revealing, bringing to the surface deep-seated beliefs that are often unspoken in Japan.