Departures
User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 34
  3. Negative: 5 out of 34

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  1. Dave
    Jul 25, 2009
    3
    Wow, the Academy sure missed the boat this year! Waltz with Bashir, The Class and Revanche are all light years better and FAR more deserving of the Oscar than this sappy drivel. I can only guess that there were a bunch of votes divided up between the other three with this sneaking in on top. Not only is this not the best foreign film, it isn't even the best Japanese film. I highly suggest Tokyo Sonata which is far superior to this.… Expand
  2. Pat
    Aug 5, 2009
    1
    Well, I'm in the minority here but I agree with Dave. While the intentions were good, it just came off too manipulative and heavy-handed for my taste. I also agree that the other nominations for the foreign film Oscar were much more deserving than this. At least The Class won the Palme D'or at the Cannes Film Festival. If it weren't for the great visuals I would probably give this a zero.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    50
    It will resonate with anyone who has ever buried a loved one and struggled to reconcile the myriad emotions--grief, anger, helplessness. Which is to say, everyone. And yet out of this premise comes glop. Departures needed a little more work in the morgue--like cutting to the bone.
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  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Eddie Cockrell
    70
    TV scribe Kundo Koyama's first bigscreen script peppers the proceedings with rich character detail and near-screwball interludes that shouldn't fit but somehow do.
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  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Maggie Lee
    80
    Yojiro Takita, who directed enduring commercial hits like "The Ying Yang Master" and "The Yen Family," has made a popular gem -- thematically respectable, technically hard to fault, artfully scripted to entertain and touch.
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