Alienor

Member since 6/28/2009, last signed in awhile ago.

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Personal statement:

I like most movies, even bad ones. Especially bad ones. I especially like good movies too.

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Departures

Departures
By Alienor in Alienor Blog
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"The beginning was quite misleading, and for the first fifteen minutes I was afraid I'd unwittingly got myself into an overacted comedy about decaying bodies. The worry didn't last long, though, as the movie quickly progressed into a beautifully shot, touching and respectful insight into loss, the importance of rituals, and the sometimes difficult decision to do what makes you happy (and, for a western viewer, Departures also provides, on a purely documentary level, a fascinating insight into Japanese funeral customs). The acting is remarkable on all counts - Masahiro Motoki's Daigo quietly blooms over the duration of the movie from a fidgety, aimless character into a peaceful and content one, and, as he evolves, so does his perception of his boss, played by Tsutomu Yamazaki - who starts off as dodgy and somewhat rude and eventually comes to embody the solemn beauty of the funeral rites. Ryoko Hirosue is impressive as the quiet and submissive Mika, who carried entire monologues in o ... " [More]