Asian Dvd cover: Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with … see full wiki
It took me 3 seatings to finish this movie. And, it's not because it's boring. It's because I was neither ready nor had time to see it. In short, it spanned almost 2+ years before I was truly able to appreciate this movie in its entity. I had heard about it from a colleague way back when I was still in the office working in Singapore. I was told by a pretty old man so I didn't really seriously thought about it. Then I was emailed a link by a friend and was … more
Japanese films have always had the remarkable reputation of turning the simplest premise into something so full of moving emotions and sensibilities. Yojiro Takita’s multi-award winning film “DEPARTURES” (aka. Okuribito, 2008) is no different. There is a lot of excessive hype surrounding the film as it has almost nearly swept the Japanese Academy awards and has been awarded the Best Foreign film honor in the recent 2009 Oscars. No film can … more
Yojiro Takita's winner of best foreign film in the Academy awards. The Japanese really know how to make a film with such a depressing theme into something uplifting and yet, heart-breaking. see full review here.
Let's not dance around words like "thought provoking" "insightful", "existential" - Okuribito isn't your typical arty-farty movie with beautiful scenes, cryptic monologues and hidden meanings; it has a certain quality that makes it a joy to watch: it's accessible. That's right - no more staring at the screen wondering what the protagonist standing in his underpants in front of a mirror to the sound of clockwork means. Hooray! … more
It was slow and humorous in the beginning, however, it turns out to be a powerful and moving experience. For those with an open mind... and if you haven't got one, try it, you might find that you're not so immune afterall ;-)