What is a comic farce with Daigo undergoing the probing and the plugging of his various orifices, becomes something else again in the real world. With the beauty and precision of a tea ceremony, Sasaki and Daigo clean and dress bodies as devastated, and often divided, families watch; repairing whatever damage life has done in whatever way they can.
The encoffiners' real task is to bring dignity to death, respect to the deceased and solace to those who grieve, and it is hard not to be moved, not to imagine what the death of a loved one will look like, feel like to you.
Death, of course, brings many revelations with it; some harsh, some kind. And "Departures" has many for Daigo, Mika and the rest.
Along the way Daigo finds the first cello his father gave him as a child. There is a precious stone too and a story behind it. In the end, death is always near, but hope is too, as Daigo picks up his bow, settles the small cello against him and again begins to play.
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betsy.sharkey@latimes.com
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'Departures'
MPAA rating: PG-13 for thematic material
Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Playing: In limited release at the Arclight, Hollywood, and the Landmark in West L.A.
