Departure

Departures, directed by Yojiro Takita (left), won Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st annual Academy Awards. The Japanese movie about an unemployed cellist who is forced to take a job as a coffiner stars Masahiro Motoki (The Bird People of China, Gonin, Longest Night in Shangai) and Tsutomu Yamazaki (the cowboy from Tampopo). The film is arty but not obnoxious, funny but not goofy, touching but not melodramatic, and very, very understated and smart. See it for yourself in May, unless Regent pushes up the release date after last night's big win. (I picked up the Oscar, and it was heavy!)