Definitely deserved the Oscar

Rating: 10/10 (13 August 2009)

Departures, as you know, is the drama that surprisingly won the Oscar for best foreign picture. Me, having no idea what it was, went to see it since I was interested in it after it won the Oscar. I am happy to inform you that even with some of the other great foreign films from 2008, Departures definitely deserved the Oscar more than any of these other films. I'm not saying these other films are bad, I'm saying they're nothing compared to Departures. Masahiro Motoki is excellent as Daigo Kobayashi, an ex-violinist, who accidentally works at a funeral home. The film has a great mix of humor and heart. Daigo is a man we feel for, having to deal with death everyday, it must be hard, and there are some very funny moments, such as when the runner of the funeral home knows Daigo is inexperienced, but hires him anyway. I didn't go into the theater with very high expectations. Sure, it won the Oscar, but I never heard of it, but the film was excellent, poignant with great storytelling. If this didn't win the Oscar, and I saw it, it would of been ever more of a surprise than this winning the Oscar at the time.