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★★★
Directed by: #NicolasMorgantiPatrignani
Written by: #StefaniaAutuori
Starring: #GiorgioColangeli, #ValeriaCavalli
Loss is a part of life, an unavoidable part that we wish to avoid at every interval but to no avail. Whether it be freeing or tragic, loss shapes our future and past in unsuspecting ways. Losing those cherished to us is one of the most haunting pains we can experience in this life, but Departures showcases the solemn beauty of saying goodbye and letting grief pave the way to celebration. The film focuses on an older couple portrayed by Giorgio Colangeli and Valeria Cavalli; Cavalli’s character on her death bed, Colangeli’s preparing a euthanising agent in the form of a foreboding red drink. Stefania Autuori’s script pushes away from dramatic exposition on how these characters got here, instead builds the scene with the little details of life and memory.
With an ornate glass, a photo album, a favourite record playing as the characters lay together, director Nicolas Morganti Patrignani lets the audience fill in the gaps for themselves. They shared a life together, through good and bad, and now it is time to say goodbye. It’s a universal bond we have all shared, and the intimacy in Colangeli and Cavalli’s performances makes their scene bittersweet. The production design also enhances these emotions, with the scene taking place in a pale looking bedroom, almost sterile. The only noticeable colours being the vibrant reds of a lone flower and the aforementioned drink; life and death. These characters, especially Colangeli, can’t avoid their fate as Patrignani keeps the camera close to them, reminiscing over memories, trying to stay focused on the past as long as possible.
Marta Mazzucco’s cinematography does good work in creating visuals from these intimate moments. Beyond just close-ups on Colangeli, Cavalli and reverses, the camera focuses on the little details of Autuori’s script. One of my favourite shots was a low angle reflection on the platter held by Colangeli, framing both the red drink and his unease. Though Patrignani bookends the film with two scenes between Colangeli’s character and his daughter as they fondly remember her mother after the fact. While the latter scene definitely adds emotional resonance through Colangeli’s monologue, the editing of the two sequences could have been handled better.
Departures avoids easy traps of theatrics and maintains a respectful tone to its themes of love and loss. The structuring could have been smoother, but Patrignani doesn’t let it detract from the strength of Colangeli and Cavalli’s layered performances.
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