Departures
Departures Image
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Metascore
68 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

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  • Starring: Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki
  • Summary: Departures follows Daigo Kobayashi, a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and who is suddenly left without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled “Departures” thinking ing it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. 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. (Regent Releasing)
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    The movie is uncommonly absorbing.
  2. NPR
    Reviewed by: Bob Mondello
    80
    It will absolutely delight the art-house crowd. Multiplexes will be crowded with noisy summer films, after all, from which Departures will represent a sophisticated and elegant departure.
  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.
  4. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    58
    Departures is sappy and wacky – not the best combination.

See all 27 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 17
  3. Negative: 2 out of 17
  1. reiovi
    10
    Beautiful film, great story and an amazing lead performance. The little details are the ones that makes you to not stop watching!! A very deserving winner of the oscar!!… Expand
  2. IevaM.
    10
    This is a beautiful, extremely moving picture. Baa-humbug to those who gave it a negative review.
  3. schwarz_kellogg
    8
    Great music scores are what the japanese does best.
    Your review must be at least 150 characters long.
    Your review must be at least 150 charact    ers long.
    Your review must be at least 150 characters long.    … Expand
  4. Dave
    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

See all 17 User Reviews

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