Departures, the multi-award winning film by director Yôjirô Takita, stars Masahiro Motoki (Shall We Dance) as a man named Daigo Kobayashi whose venture into orchestra ends abruptly and he is left with a Cello which has cost him a considerable amount of money (18 million yen or nearly $200,000 US). Considering his situation he sells the Cello and moves into his childhood home, with his wife, left to him by his deceased mother. Its in his hometown that he finds work that was not what he expected, a Nokanshi or Escoffier, someone who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. Though its nothing Daigo has ever done or even considered before, and the fact that people think it’s a lowly job, Daigo takes pride in it and learns more from death then he ever did in life.

The film is geared towards drama, which there is a considerable amount in the folds of the films depth, but the film really has a dark comedy feel to it as well. Not disrespectful comedy towards the material but more so a natural everyday humor that shines with chemistry. Motoki interacts extremely well with the characters in the film and even the process in which he finds himself at work with. The beauty of the film is that any two people can watch it and come away with two totally different meanings but that the substance is there for different perspectives gives you a hint at how deep and well written the film really is.

Reading up on Departures a lot of people have stated that they feel this is a movie about death and how we cope with it and learn from it and in a way that is true but the overlaying message, to me anyway, is that of fate and or purpose. I made the mistake of listening to other peoples reasoning behind the film and spent my time looking for that only to feel, half way through the film, that I had somehow missed something of importance. I watched the film a second time without those expectations and found it to be something larger then just monologues on death and the importance of being appreciative of life but as a whole the way in which life is simply in line to lead to specific destinations. The film talks a lot about fate as its primary message not hidden but threaded through the picture until you reach the films conclusion and realize its been there all along. Its just a breath of fresh air to be entertained on a level that is comforting for its ordinariness as well as being given something thought provoking to ingest after the film is over. I highly recommend Departures. Enjoy.