After Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) loses his job as a cellist, he feels lost. Daigo returns to his hometown in search of work, and a job ad leads him to work at a funeral home. While those around him shun his new career, Daigo finds solace and direction in his work. This thought-provoking look at life and death was Japan's submission for the Oscars in 2008.

Rating: PG-13 (MPAA)

Rating Reason: n/a

Runtime: 131 minutes

DVD Code: Region 1 US, CA

Genre: Foreign Films

Color: Color

Rating: DVD Features:

Region [unknown]
Note: Interview with director Yojiro Takita
Widescreen - 1.78
Audio:
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - Japanese
Dolby Digital 5.1 - Japanese
Subtitles - English

Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Yo Kimiko, Takashi Sasano

Yojiro Takita

Toshiaki Nakazawa, Toshihisa Watai

"The score, heavy on the cello, is gorgeous, the visuals are painterly in their composition, and the film is calm and stately, even when depicting grief at its most raw."
USA Today

"[B]eautiful moments abound. In DEPARTURES, the contemplation of death prepares the way for an appreciation of life."
Wall Street Journal

4 stars out of 4 -- "The music is lush and sentimental in a subdued way, the cinematography perfectly framed and evocative, and the movie is uncommonly absorbing."
Chicago Sun-Times

3 stars out of 5 -- "Winner of this year's Best Foreign Film Oscar, DEPARTURES offers a gentle, unashamedly sentimental take on death and reconciliation."
Total Film

4 stars out of 5 -- "[B]lack comedy is interspersed with moments of tenderness....Unique, clever and full of warmth."
Empire