Departures is a beautiful film about death. One that doesn't shy away from exploring the loss, helplessness, and the inevitable mortality faced by the living. The dead pass away but it's hard for the ones left behind to deal with the loss and grief for the departed. Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) lands this job quite by accident after losing his job as a cello player in an orchestra. He applies to the NK agency's ad in the newspaper for a person with no previous experience required in the business of 'departures.' Taking this to mean a travel agency, he's entirely unprepared and unwilling at first to work as a professional casketeer--professionals that prepare the dead for their final passage, allowing the family and close ones to bid their last farewell. All of this done in a manner so dignified with a calmness that can otherwise be icy cold to the harshness of life, yet now gentle in caring for the peaceful passing away.This is one movie that leaves behind a residue of a poem sad but exquisite.
Rating: Four out of 5 stars.
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