Movie review: A dear 'Departures'

Last winter's surprise foreign language Oscar winner, "Departures" is one of the most shameless examples of emotional manipulation I've seen -- and one of the most effective.

Daigo (Masahiro Motoki) is a callow cellist cast adrift when his orchestra goes broke. He confesses to his wife, Mika (Ryoko Hirosue), that he's not good enough to find another post, so they relocate to his snowswept northern hometown and move into the modest bar his mother owned. His father, who deserted the family when Daigo was a child, is a fading memory.

A newspaper ad leads Daigo to a job with elderly Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamazaki), who "encoffins" the deceased for burial. Preparing the body entails a ritual as refined and formal as a tea ceremony. The corpse is tenderly eased into a resting posture, the long funeral kimono sleeves are folded just so, makeup is applied carefully, all while the mourners observe. It's a graceful procedure that conveys a feeling of closure.

It's also a job involving serious social stigma. Daigo can't believe how much Sasaki will pay him to sign on at what he assumes is a travel agency. When he realizes that these departures are permanent and he'll be handling corpses for a living, he's aghast. He hides the details of his employment from Mika and dodges childhood friends who are appalled at his new position.

People keep dying, however, and the dead need tending. Daigo grows accustomed to the work and begins taking pride in the service he provides, while gruff, good-hearted Sasaki becomes a sort of father-surrogate to the younger man. When Mika learns how Daigo earns their keep, she bolts.

Daigo, who has begun playing again on his old beginner's cello, finds unexpected serenity in his craft. He has the soul of an artist, and now he has the craft that enables him to express it. He matures and learns humility, just as the film evolves from dodgy dark comedy in its opening scenes to touching drama.

As the town's elderly characters come under his care, Daigo comes to accept that impermanence, grief and loss are basic conditions of every life. His calm professionalism offers solace to the bereaved, just as his musicianship soothed his audiences. Mika comes to respect his newfound soulfulness, as do we. And when he gently prepares the body of a loved one -- well, I'm not ashamed to admit I had tears pooling in my collarbone.

Colin Covert • 612-673-7186