Tackling the subject of death in a movie can be tricky. Finding a balance of sadness, hope and realism can easily go awry. To avoid this, Departures cleverly handles the topic vicariously through the main character Daigo Kobayashi – meaning that the audience never has to. Daigo returns to his home town from Tokyo following a failed spell as a cellist and, after misinterpreting a want ad (he thinks it’s for a travel agency), he reluctantly begins learning the unpopular art of preparing dead bodies for departure from this world. The intimate scenes between Daigo and his wife Mika (Ryoko Hirosue) are extremely cute (so is she), while the relationship that develops between himself and his boss/mentor is depicted in a way that also allows for some comedy. The film is beautifully shot and delicately paced, with no dull moments I can recall. Watching Daigo’s life change over the course of the film is engrossing; as his skills develop with his new job, so does his skills as a husband and respected contributor in his home town. This is a trip to the cinema that will leave you pondering your own departure – while laughing at the expense of the unfortunate others whose departures, who unlike this film, have gone awry.

- Doug