Departures

Director Yôjirô Takita provides another fascinating look at the Japanese culture with this film about the ritual of preparing the dead before their cremation. The story about an unemployed young cellist who moves back to his hometown where he finds his calling into preparing the dead for their coffin. What starts as an odd job becomes a profound journey of accepting the reality of life and death. Takita manages tactfully to address a delicate but universal issue with a lot of heart and humor thanks to his excellent cast and crew. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.