DEPARTURES (Okuribito, Cert. 12A, Out on 04 December)

Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamasaki, Ryoko Hirosue, Kasuko Yoshiyuki, Kimiko Yo, Takashi Sasano, dir Yojiro Takita, 2008, cert. 12A

 85%

What it's about:

Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) loses his job as a cellist when his orchestra is dissolved. Moving back to his hometown with his wife to start over, he replies to a job ad entitled 'Departures' thinking 'travel agency', only to find out the job is actually that of a 'nokanshi' (or 'encoffineer'), a traditional Japanese funeral professional who prepare the dead for burial. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living.

What MovieMonkeys thought:

What a breath of fresh air. Departures somehow portrays the world of "NK Agents" as a gentle, humane service to both the living and the dead -  Daigo's boss sums it up when hiring him as an assistant: "You don't look depressing." From job to job Daigo discovers that you can take pride in performing this role, seen as "unclean" by most: the families involved need closure, and a chance to make their peace with both each other and the deceased. The nokanshi is central to this: in preparing for the part Masahiro Motoki learnt the beautiful and silent ritual that looks and feels almost like a dance. His performance is nothing short of brilliant. He brings nuance and humanity to the role, as Daigo goes from shame to pride, realising that one cannot lead a full life without acknowledging death. Director Yojiro Takita navigates the difficulties of dealing with death with mastery, without ever crossing the bad taste, depressing or morbid lines. He also brings his comedy background to Departures: there's a great sense of timing throughout, with each scene perfectly choreographed and even a few funny moments to lighten the mood. The small town where the film takes place contributes to giving Departures grounding: as Daigo and his wife leave the neon lights of Tokyo behind, they have a chance to regroup and rediscover what drives them. Japanese cultural traditions such as nokanshi are eroded by big cities life but Yojiro Takita shows that those age-old rituals can help us make sense of modern life.  Departures will probably go down in film history manuals as a very important piece: audiences where the film has already come out agreed to the tune of over 80 awards and a 40-million dollar + box office. This is no surprise as the moving story is told with beautiful cinematography, exceptional performances and a most stunning score. Departures is a treat for the heart and soul.

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