This film was definitely a favorite of mine. It is about a man named daigo who loses his job and must return to his hometown. Once he returns to his hometown he is confronted by his past and must reconnect with his past. He is desperate for a job and decides to search for anything that will pay well. He calls an ad listed as departures, which turned out to be misspelled. It was suppose to say the departed, as the job requires one to handle dead bodies through bathing, washing, and clothing. It is a job considered beneath others and filthy because you earn your money through the death of others. At first Daigo, does not like his job by little by little he comes to a new understanding it. The process of preparing the corpse is shown in detail within the context of the story. The film eventually captures the audience through the beautiful display of sending off the dead. It is displayed as a ceremony including only close family members and the occasional close friend. The undertaker cares for the dead with utmost precision in shaving and clothing of the dead in front of the audience. This film is very powerful in instilling in the viewer that we should take each precious moment as if it were out last. While watching this film I also noticed marvelous acting by the cast, but the wife of the protagonist seemed a bit misplaced and shallow. Overall, the film is sincere in its nature and captures the beauty connected with the sending off of the dead. This film could also be seen as comedic through the acting of the boss of the departure service who seems to make the best of any situation.

I really enjoyed watched the film Departures. This was my favorite film that we have watched this year. This film is about a man named Daigo who quit his passion of playing the cello. Daigo and his wife move back to his hometown in Northern Japan to look for a new living. Daigo finds an ad for a job in which he thinks is a travel agency. Once Daigo was hired, he found out he was actually working as a mortuary. He learns the rituals used in preparing the dead for their final rest. I enjoyed watching this film because it was extremely easy for me to follow, unlike other films I have watched. It is very easy to tell that this film is not American because there is barely any fighting or rivalries. I did not like the beginning of this film because the start of it was a very slow pace. The more I watched this film, the better it got. My favorite part of this film is how the main character, Daigo quits his one and only passion to find a new one. I was expecting that Daigo would have different life because he quits what he loves the most. I like how the director displayed Daigo's character to be bold and willing try new things even if he fails.

Departures isn't going to be my favorite movie of all times, in fact I would place in towards the bottom of my list. The movie depicts a young married man who lost his job as a cello player in an orchestra, but he needs to find a job soon. An NK departure agent isn't a glamorous job, in fact it's a job that nobody really wants. First off the main character, Diago doesn't look like the right person for the job, but that kinda is the point. To me it just doesn't look right and I think it would be better if Diagonal was a little older. My second problem with the film is the fact that it was so slow. There wasn't any action and day in and day out, they just went to funerals. I know that's what the film is really about, but it would be nice if they could put in a little bit more action.

Okuribo has many qualities of classic, beautiful Japanese movies: a quiet rhythm that brings you along gently, a poetic setting re- enforced by the Japanese countryside so typical and so beautiful to look at.Seasons and the passing time, as is sometimes the case, play a great role in the movie. The topic of death is treated gently and beautifully, full of emotions and, again, poetry. What doesn't work is once in a while the jarring change of tones. One can argue this is Japanese as well, but it can be done better. The characters can sometimes be overdone, contributing to these moments where the poesy is broken.But it's still a great movie - you will cry! - well worth watching.