By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.75 cats
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Starring: Cara Uchida | Kanna Hashimoto | Koki Maeda | Ohshirô Maeda | Rento Isobe | Ryôga Hayashi
Original language title: Kiseki
Country: japan
Year: 2012
Running time: 128
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1650453/
Thom says: “Director Koreeda is a huge festival favorite having been lauded for such films as AFTER LIFE, NOBODY KNOWS, & STILL WALKING (already a part of the Criterion Collection). The story is reasonably simple here, but very sweet and lyrical. Two young brothers are separated after their parents’ divorce and the goal of one of the adolescent boys is to connect up to see his brother while at the same time bringing his adorable school pals to see the up-to-the-minute Kyushu Bullet Trains crossing. The film goes back and forth from city to city while observing the children that will end up going on the trip in school and at play, as well as time spent with their families. When they gather together in various scenes they end up playing the ‘I Wish’ game. We also get to know some of the adult family members as well as the kid’s teachers. I’ve heard that Koreeda, while having a great international reputation as well as an independent one was trying for a broader appeal here for his home market. That could be, but his assured storytelling brings this to another level. I thought he had a difficult time in knowing when to end the film but otherwise I was thoroughly enchanted. I’ve also heard comments that the many child actors were unprofessional but I wasn’t remotely bothered by the performances and I’m usually quick to jump on bad child actors. Walking out of the theatre I heard a viewer say, ‘That was delightful, I think I’ll give it 3 ***’ (out of 5). Huh!? 4.5 cats”
Jason says: “I WISH wanders away from its main story on occasion, following side stories that in a lesser movie would seem like an attempt to disguise just how wispy its main story actually is. And while that maybe the case here, it more often serves to show just how rich the world Hirokazu Kore-eda has created around two separated young brothers is.
“Those brothers are Koichi (Koki Maeda) and Ryonosuke (Oshiro Maeda), who have been separated since their parents’ divorce. Koichi is eleven or twelve and lives in the relatively quiet port city of Kagoshima with his mother Nozomi (Nene Otsuka) and grandparents (Kirin Kiki and Isao Hashizume); Ryo is a couple years younger and lives in Fukuoko with his father Kenji (Joe Odagiri), who still dreams of being a rock star. Though the boys talk over the phone daily, their cities are on opposite sides of the island. A bullet train will soon connect them, and a tall tale going around Koichi’s school about how wishes made at the point where the two trains pass may come true soon has Koichi plotting a trip to the line’s midpoint in the hopes of miraculously reuniting his family.
“That, at least, is the framework, but Kore-eda does not make a quest out of it except for relatively brief stretches. Instead, he has the audience watch the boys and the people around them, allowing the connections and reflections to sink in. Kor-eda is very careful not to allow either to have anybody in their circles of friends who could serve as any sort of substitute for the other: Though Koichi’s friends are not quite so solemn as him, that are, like he is, often defined by the desire for an impossible relationship; the Fukuoko characters are younger and more energetic, with most involved in something creative, whether it be gardening or acting. By building these sets up in parallel, the film not only makes it clear that the brothers are each missing something, but lets the variations on a theme develop all the characters at once. It also implies two halves to human nature – one searching for connection even though it will often end poorly, and the other looking to create something for oneself even if that can be somewhat callous.
“Combine that with an ominpresent volcano constantly covering Kagoshima with ash (you can’t hand a filmmaker a mountain-sized visual metaphor and not expect him to use it!), and it’s easy to get the impression that I WISH is much more pessimistic than it actually is. While Kore-eda does spend a fair amount of the movie smashing children’s innocence, he does so carefully, never breaking it into so many pieces that it can’t be put back together as wisdom. And while parental figures in the kids’ life are often uncomprehending sources or the neuroses their kids reflect, there’s also grandparents, who seem to have recovered some of their optimism as they’ve gained wisdom.
“Directing kids is something of a specialty of Kor-eda’s; though the cast of this movie is very young (as in his NOBODY KNOWS, there’s nary a misstep to be found. Considering that several actors share names with their characters and others have scant credits even by child-actor standards, it’s no surprise that Kore-eda evolved several of the characters from watching the kids playing them. Real-life brothers Koki and Oshiro Maeda are especially good as Koichi and Ryo; though not actually on-screen together very much until late in the film, they share just enough in appearance and mannerism to tie the two halves of the movie together even though the pair have very distinct personalities.
“Plenty of good stuff comes out of this improvisation and tailoring things to the kids, and plenty was likely in the original script. A couple of side-stories are enjoyable enough that I wouldn’t have minded seeing more, and Kore-eda quietly hits a number of genuinely beautiful notes as the movie glides toward its conclusion.
“And so, despite not a lot happening during the movie, it still manages to culminate in a very satisfying way. That’s not surprising; it’s what Hirokazu Kore-eda does, and he does it especially well here. 5 cats
“Seen 22 April 2012 in Coolidge Corner Theatre #1 (Talk Cinema, 35mm)”
Chris says: “Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest is not just a film about children (like NOBODY KNOWS); it’s one that seems specifically made for children. That’s not a criticism, but it’s an important consideration. The peppy soundtrack, the juvenile (to adult ears) dialogue, one fantastical turn of events—all are meant to appeal to a younger audience. Fortunately, Kore-eda doesn’t speak down to that audience. Instead, he’s come up with an intelligent kids’ film whose appeal extends to all ages.
The story hinges on a legend that one can make a wish at a point where two particular trains intersect. Thus, two brothers in a family whom, due to their parent’s separation, has fractured (one remains in Tokyo with their father, the other has moved to Kagoshima with the mother) plan to meet up at this midway point to reunite and make their wishes. Both bring along friends who also each have a desired wish. After much exposition regarding the brothers and their separate, contrasting environments, the wish-making pilgrimage comes late in the film and it’s the most compelling part of it; still, the preceding scenes are also important, for they’re full of the rich character development one expects from the director.
When the kids finally make their wishes, Kore-eda inserts a splendid montage calling back to objects and settings from throughout the film, driving home how resonant these ordinary things are in relation to the wishes. It would have made for a lovely conclusion, but the film goes on for another five or six scenes, each one suggesting a potential ending before moving on to the next. This same shapelessness somewhat diminished his last film, AIR DOLL and I hope this doesn’t become an ongoing problem. Up through its climax, however, I WISH succinctly places the viewer at a child’s viewpoint and does so without being sentimental or condescending. 4 1/4 cats
(This film screened at the 2012 Independent Film Festival of Boston. It opens in Boston on May 25).
Julie says: “Because we’re running out of time and there are already several very good reviews on the Chlotrudis site, I’ll just say that I loved this movie. Loved the story, cinematography, production and the acting (the main characters were all kids), but all the character’s acting was superb…(well in one case I think the very young actor who played the brother who stayed with the father was just being himself but it worked) I found nothing to criticize on this one….the story is not super complex, but it’s a good story, with a focus on what’s really important in life and I liked the ending plus all the pieces that were woven together and made this movie work. 5 cats”