Departures, the review that Rodney has been patiently awaiting, is finally here. This drama is unlikely to appeal to the masses, but has enough heart to win over most. The biggest hold up for us Americans is the Japanese language spoken in the film, but if you happen to speak Japanese or are ok with the subtitles, then there is hope for you yet. Then you have the slow flow of the film and the amazingly repetitive structure of the point the film is trying to drive home. In fact, I actually found myself speaking directly to the film at one point; “I get it, really, I get it.” Don’t let my harsh words turn you off though, this is truly a very good film even with the few negative points.
As with most foreign films, it is harder to discern the quality of the acting. However, there were some emotions expressed that felt honest and powerful so even if some of the cultural differences won the benefit of the doubt, there were definite instances of quality in the acting. The main character is the one who sets the tone, but the supporting roles tend to work on adding the emotion in the appropriate directions. For example, the owner of the business adds some needed humor to the film and the wife adds purpose to the main character with passion and conflict.
The characters are believable for the most part, but the entire concept of the film left a little to be desired as far as motivation and the conflict that occurred. Basically, the main character loses his job and so they decide to move to his childhood home. After a brief search for a job he finds an ad for a job that pays well and is for “departures” which he thinks has to do with a travel agency. When he gets there, he finds out that the business is about preparing bodies for burial or cremation and doing it in a manner that is very respective of the deceased and their family. The hard thing to accept is how much the culture seems to frown upon this occupation. Possibly it is just me, but I see nothing wrong with someone preparing dead bodies for proper burial and presentation to the family so they can say their goodbyes. This is actually quite commonplace in our culture so I find it hard to understand why the characters in this film found it so offensive. After getting over that cultural gap though, there is plenty to be found in the writing and directing. There is enough humor to keep the movie upbeat even with all of the dead bodies and the hard hitting emotions throughout are well placed and effective. Again, the main complaint is how tiresome the film is. I can’t recall the length, but it felt quite long and it could have done the same job in much shorter a time.
Overall, if you are looking for a drama that is a little different from the norm and do not mind the subtitles, then Departures is a good film. The message is in the right place and the acting is top notch. I no little about the actors themselves, but I doubt they many are big names. The film is rated PG-13, but could almost use the PG rating since it is rather tame and aside from there being many dead bodies in it, quite harmless. The film has an original feel to it and was well worth the watch. Thanks for the suggestion Rodney.
The Skinny Version
Raw Score: 812,323
Sharon Movie? no
Director: Yôjirô Takita
Writer: Kundo Koyama
Genre: Drama/Music
