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Showing all 24 reviews...
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Surprisingly moving while not being macabre or morose. I found the characters very compelling and the story an opportunity to explore the idea of funerial ceremonies, and how very revealing they can be about the meaning of significant relationships in our lives, similar to how "Love, Actually" reflected on how greetings at airports reveal the love we have for close family and friends.
9/10
17.11.2009 -
john,w,kirkwood@ - age: 36-49
Amazing movie- beautiful, touching, memorable -a must see!
10/10
2.11.2009 -
glowe04@ - age: 36-49
One of most memorable film. Superb directing, acting and cinemathography. The plot takes you through full range of emotions without any sentimentality. You leave the cinema but the film stays with you for quite few days.
10/10
11.10.2009 -
abbiekagan@ - age: 50+
A different kind of movie in the sense that it makes you think about the end of life and how we all ignore that part.
9/10
13.9.2009 -
mrmoshe@ - age: 36-49
A Beautiful movie! Wonderful direction, acting and linking of the individual events in a very touchy manner. I would highly recommend this film.
10/10
6.9.2009 -
mincer72@ - age: 36-49
The shooting of this film is very effective and beautifully done. The characters are interesting and the Protagonist is definitely someone you care about. At first the film appears to be a comedy. The humour is poignant and funny. However, serious tones gradually engulf the film. This metamorphosis is also effective but as the message becomes apparent, the scenes become too lengthy. Still…well worth seeing.
7/10
5.9.2009 -
report@ - age: 50+
A touching and evocative view of a man's struggle to reconcile the challenges of his present and those of his past. The former rooted in the culturally taboo world of working as an undetaker, the latter his not-so-deeply buried hurt at his father's abandonment. The two situations resolve themselves simultaneously in a tender moment that connects with the audience. A movie full of understated elegance and reverence.
9/10
3.9.2009 -
jimpelot@ - age: 36-49
A phenomenal movie all around. Wonderful acting, beautiful cinematography, lovable characters and a touching soundtrack made for a unique and unforgettable film experience. The passionate acting really brought every scene to life and made each and every scene an accomplishment on its own, whether happy or sad. Congratulations on a fantastic film! [...], 14 Toronto, Canada.
10/10
2.9.2009 -
olaliberteelse@ - age: 13-17
An entirely extraordinary experience! This movie stays with you and it is beautiful. Beautifully acted, beautiful cinematography--extraordinary!
10/10
31.8.2009 -
kareneberdt@ - age: 50+
I am the only one who thought this film is overrated? Predictably melodramatic with huge plot holes. The wife never asks her husband what he does everyday at work? They live in a small town and no one mentions anything to her? Why doesn't he teach music? Would have also liked to see the wife character developed more.
7/10
16.8.2009 -
nekten,1901@ - age: 36-49
A wonderful film! Completely absorbing on many different levels, but mostly for the emotional impact throughout. Superb direction, and the performances are riveting.
9/10
11.8.2009 -
n,macintyre@ - age: 50+
A simple and beautiful movie. Exploring relationships and respect for many things, especially for those you and others love (d)
10/10
7.8.2009 -
scouteriain@ - age: 50+
It was an exploration into a different culture and their treatment of the deceased. It had it's funny moments, but there were many sensitive moments. The lead character having stumbled on an occupation, not of his choosing, learns to develop an appreciation for the work and it takes him back to his first love and offers him the opportunity to express it in his music.
8/10
6.8.2009 -
destiny_mp@ - age: 50+
Beautiful. One of the best Japanese movies. Recommended to the fans of Japan :3
10/10
5.8.2009 -
p0rnokiller@ - age: 18-25
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A Good Movie is like a good poem; it contains a variety of elements. Coincidentally, this years Oscar winner for the best foreign film "Departures" serves as a fitting example. Upon skimming through the plot summary, one may find the film to be simplistic; however, the film is actually filled with a bucket full of profoundness. The director started the first hour of the film by sprinkling humor on top of the story. I will admit that the director got a few chuckles out of me. Just as I was I was gradually mesmerized by the beauty of the story, the movie transitions nicely into a moving and overpowering film. As the film motors along, I was given a foretaste of the profession of an encoffiner (a person who prepares the corpses before their cremation) as it demand utter concentration, precision and competence. On the same note, the movie also succeed in depicting the pride and joy of the job society looks down upon. Even though the movie was a bit longer, the flavorful and ear pleasing music made the time tolerable. Fill with superb acting from the cast, beautiful music, perfectly framed cinematography and solid directing. The movie is magnificent and without a doubt worthy of the prestigious Oscar award.
9/10
24.7.2009 -
cenarock54@ - age: 18-25
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It brings to light a topic that is shunned by most societies. A great movie to watch which leaves you open to a new gate in life.
10/10
16.7.2009 -
h20aris@ - age: 18-25
Hilarious moments not to be missed, plus a very profound topic that leaves you changed forever.
9/10
9.7.2009 -
ehyodo@ - age: 36-49
I found this film to be an amazing window into a very rich Japanese cultural history. I would highly recommend this film.
10/10
3.7.2009 -
matt_dela@ - age: 26-35
A beautiful film that deals with the subject of death with a lot of dignity. It is a sad but beautiful film.
10/10
2.7.2009 -
kingedward525@ - age: 50+
Yes, a film which constantly makes you 'blub' into and through your beard and out past your chin and onto your knees during its two hour run deserves (at least) to be called a masterpiece."Departures" is this kind of film. Motoki, Masahiro (who is a superb film actor), as the lead protagonist, gives us a cinematic skin to crawl into and live in for the entire time we are in the theatre. We feel his life. But it isn't a sad film. It is a beautiful movie. Add to Mr. Motoki's performance a typically strong Japanese cast and riveting script plus the masterful directing of Takita, Yojiro and "Departures" is a film not to miss. It is a cinematic classic-to-be that should be seen, possibly, before any other film, this year. Bill Reiter.
10/10
30.6.2009 -
radio@ - age: 50+
The film starts out well enough but becomes quite predictable and heavy handed by the end of the story. Could have been about 30 minutes shorter as well.
6/10
24.6.2009 -
lindsaymgeorge@ - age: 26-35
Beautifully handled a very sensitive subject. Wonderful acting, direction and linking of the individual events in a very touchy manner. Haunting.
10/10
20.6.2009 -
thakurj@ - age: 50+
Full range of emotions from belly laughs through to tears. A very evocative and emotional film with some quirky moments.
9/10
15.6.2009 -
rikok@ - age: 50+
Such a gentle blend of ritual, taboo, humour, grieving, and love -- so expressive of the complexity of Japanese society -- with just an added touch of whimsical irony to give the film a curious lightness. Beautiful cinematography. The message is universal: death is a critical phase of life. It is to be fully embraced as those we love pass through the union of opposites. We meet again those we have loved and lost, as long as we have the strength to travel the pathless path.
9/10
13.6.2009 -
iispiral@ - age: 50+
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