 Philip French of The Observer considered Departures to be a " moving , gently amusing " film , which the director had " fastidiously composed " . Sharkey found it an " emotionally wrenching trip with a quiet man " , one which was well cast with " actors who move lightly , gracefully " in the various settings . In Entertainment Weekly , Owen Gleiberman gave the film a B − , considering it " tender and , at times , rather squishy " , though certain to affect anyone who had lost a parent . Barber found Departures to be " heartfelt , unpretentious , [ and ] slyly funny " , worth watching ( though ultimately predictable ) . Mike Scott gave the film three and a half stars out of four , finding that it was " a surprisingly uplifting examination of life and loss " , with humour which perfectly complemented the " moving and meaningful story " , but lent itself to characters " mug [ ging ] for the camera " . 
