japrice-26876 This film was definitely a favorite of mine. It is about a man named daigo who loses his job and must return to his hometown. Once he returns to his hometown he is confronted by his past and must reconnect with his past. He is desperate for a job and decides to search for anything that will pay well. He calls an ad listed as departures, which turned out to be misspelled. It was suppose to say the departed, as the job requires one to handle dead bodies through bathing, washing, and clothing. It is a job considered beneath others and filthy because you earn your money through the death of others. At first Daigo, does not like his job by little by little he comes to a new understanding it. The process of preparing the corpse is shown in detail within the context of the story. The film eventually captures the audience through the beautiful display of sending off the dead. It is displayed as a ceremony including only close family members and the occasional close friend. The undertaker cares for the dead with utmost precision in shaving and clothing of the dead in front of the audience. This film is very powerful in instilling in the viewer that we should take each precious moment as if it were out last. While watching this film I also noticed marvelous acting by the cast, but the wife of the protagonist seemed a bit misplaced and shallow. Overall, the film is sincere in its nature and captures the beauty connected with the sending off of the dead. This film could also be seen as comedic through the acting of the boss of the departure service who seems to make the best of any situation.

Lily Schneider The film, "Departures," filmed and directed by Yojiro Takita, was a very well put together film, in my opinion. One of the main themes was somewhat creepy. This theme was funeral services in Japan. However, the film also focused on other things like family and the circle of life, which were both heartwarming to watch. Although the services were exotic and different as to how we celebrate and grieve for the dead in the United States, it was very interesting and gave the viewers a very cool global perspective. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys learning about different cultures, especially cultures in Asia, including Japanese culture. This movie also had some comical parts, so the film was not just depressing and interesting, but also funny at some points.

lilopez Departures is an okay movie about a former orchestra cellist who has to move back home, to the countryside, with his wife. Diago, the husband and main character, finds a job as a traditional mortician. However dealing with the dead is considered a shameful job. Though being a mortician is shameful in a lot of cultures. I thought the way Diago prepares a body for a funeral was interesting; however, I would not want to do it myself. On another note, I did not care too much for the wife. I understand that she was trying to be supportive, but she did not seem like a real person to me. The only time she really got upset is when she found out that Diago was mortician. However, that might just be a cultural difference. From this movie the wife seems to take care of the husband and be a "dutiful wife", but in the US women are more outspoken.

ironhorse_iv It's very surprising to see a movie about the taboo practice of encoffinment, become so university praise by critics. You would think, this movie would, fall under the radar of American & Japanese society, because of the dark subject matter; however, this movie became one of the highest-grossing domestic Japanese films of that year. It was even, a bigger hit international abroad; winning many awards from critics like the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film of 2009. However, for me, I saw it as a one-time watch. A good movie worth checking out, but not worth revisiting, time after time, again. Loosely based on 'Coffinman', a memoir by Shinmon Aoki, and originally titled "Okuribito" means "the sending away"; Departures follows the story of a young man, Kobayashi Daigo (Masahiro Motoki) who returns to his hometown after a failed career as a cellist and stumbles across work as a nōkanshi—a traditional Japanese ritual mortician. He is subjected to prejudice from those around him, including from his family and friends, because of strong social taboos against people who deal with death. Eventually he must try to earn their respect and learns the importance of interpersonal connections through the beauty and dignity of his work. Can Kobayashi Daigo achieve that or will he be disconnect from his family & friends for the rest of his life? Watch the movie to find out, if you want to! Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, this movie by director Takita Yojiro was very informative to how Japanese culture prepare their dead for the afterlife. This is pretty much, the main appeal of the film for me. To see, what steps, it takes for them to prepare their dead is very interesting; and I'm not known for having a morbid curiosity for such things. You really do learn, a lot about Japanese culture, by watching this. However, besides those, the movie doesn't have much, going for itself. Yes, the classical cello music by composer Joe Hisaishi was indeed beautiful to hear and some of the film is very well-shot, but as a main stream appeal; it doesn't really have some. It's morbid curiosity at its best. I really don't know, if American audiences would revisited this film, time after time, again like me. After all, the film moves in a somewhat slow, heavy-handed, and predictable pace. In my opinion, the conventional simple story is a little too-stretch out. The result of this, cause the movie to falls into a pit full of pointless filler scenes in the second act. Even, the third act, break up is very clichés. You can see it, coming from a mile away. However, most of the changes from the novel, in the climax for the film, was well-written and perform. I love the ending with the message stone. It was somewhat redeeming and heart-warming. As much, as it's sounding like, I didn't like the movie, I honestly did love it. The actors in the film are all, well-played. One thing, I'm pretty glad, the movie has, is English subtitles then English dubbing, because I would hate to see the movie suffer from bad lip sync. The subtitles really help a lot, because some of these rituals can seem somewhat confusing. After all, there are not many people that eat live squids, go to bath houses and drink Japanese tea in rituals ceremony, here in the States. It was nice to try to understand, such practices. I also kinda glad, the movie had some lighten moments. A good example is when Kobayashi and his boss, Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamazaki) are cleaning a body that they thought was a woman, but they find out, it's a man. However, one thing, worth noticing, about Japanese humor is how that joke and many after that, doesn't have that much of a punch-line, because the film tries too hard to be respectful. I think, this film would work, better, if they allow more leeway in how they were able to portray the dead. Maybe there was a little too much calming, hypnotic grace with this PG-13 film. It mask people's fears, too much that humor and drama can't really shine through. I think this is why, the movie kinda suffers, when it comes to rewatch value. Maybe, it could had work better, as an R-Rated film, but that's just a maybe. Anyways; Overall: Departures is alright movie. Somewhat overpraise, but still a great film worth checking out. After all, it's nice to see films like this, reverse prejudice against a once taboo subject.