Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved. As a result of the process, he finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back with his wife to his old hometown because living expenses are less in this area. He will look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency. He discovers that the job is actually for a Nokanshi or encoffineer. This is a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. His wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of Nokanshi. He is acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death. Also 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.
Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) learns that his orchestra is disbanding. His life as a cellist has been a safety net and this regular income vanishes. Daigo doesn’t know how he will pay for the new cello? He dreads going home to tell his wife his bad news. He decides his only choice is to sell his new instrument and to try to find another line of work. His confidence has been crushed by these new developments. They must have a more simple life away from the bustle of city life. The house they move into is the empty home of Daigo’s mother, she has passed away. Daigo finds his childhood cello and he begins to play his favorite tunes again. He starts his new job but he feels hesitant and completely unaccustomed or prepared for his new profession. 4* (I liked this movie)
130 min Drama directed by Yojiro Takita and written by Kundo Koyama with Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosure, Tsutomu Uamazaki, Kazuki Yoshiyuki, Kimiko Yo, Takashi Sasano, Tetta Sugimoto, Toru Minegishi, Yukari Tachibana.
Note: Imdb 8.1* out of 10* with 49,237 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 80% with 108 critic reviews 92% with 50,000+ audience scores, Metacritic 68 out of 100 with 17 critic reviews 7.9 out of 10 with 62 user scores, Roger Ebert 4*, Letterboxd 3.9* with 187 fans.
Special Note: Masahiro Motoki learned how to play a cello for the earlier parts of the film. The Japanese title "Okuribito" means "the sending (away or off) of people" (as in: people who send) but this word is not normally used in Japanese. Although the character of Mika was initially planned as being the same age as Daigo, the role went to pop singer Royoko Hirosue. He had previously acted in Takita's Himitsu (Secret) in 1999. Takita explained that a younger actress would better represent the lead couple's growth out of naivety. In a 2009 interview, Takita stated that he had cast "everyone who was on my wish list".
Mistakes: The main protagonist (Masahiro Motoki) has his cheek cut during filming of a scene. This is covered in subsequent scene. In the next scene both the cover for the cut and the scar of the cut are gone?
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