Movie Review: Like Father, Like Son

The above poster features the tagline 'At what point does a father truly become a father?'.  Hirokazu Kore-eda's Like Father, Like Son (Soshite chichi ni naru) explores themes of family and fatherhood in this extremely moving film that just might have you reaching for the whole box of the tissues and not just a single tissue.  

As much as I love French comedies for their absurdities and boisterousness, I love Japanese dramas that quietly bring home the point with beautiful storytelling and emotions.  I expected no less with Kore-eda's latest.  The story deals with two vastly different families - the Nonomiyas and the Saikis - who have two young boys just about to start school.  When the Saikis discover through a blood test, that their son and their DNA doesn't match, it all leads to a possible accidental swap at the hospital the day he was born.  Suddenly, the Nonomiya's orderly world is threatened as well and their fears come true.  Their son is not their biological son.

Both families are devastated to learn this and at the first meeting negotiated by the hospital, awkwardness and anger ensues. Though not at each other but at the strange turn of circumstances.  The hospital would like them to swap children as soon as possible as the boys are still young and might not be affected much once they get older.  However, the parents are much more reluctant.  The situation is unique and the wounds are still raw.  They decide to meet frequently to get to know each other more. 

Thorough these meetings, the differences between the two families are never more evident.  The Nonomiyas are the wealthier of the two and live in a modern high-rise apartment building in the city while the Saikis live in a small cramped house two hours from the city and behind their hardware store.  The contrast between the two little boys is more so.  Keita Nonomiya is a thoughtful, quiet only child and Ryusei Saiki is the playful eldest of three. They are the reflections of two opposite styles of parenting.

Ryota Nonomiya (Fukuyama Masaharu) is at times cold, demanding workaholic who believes that one should be independent.  Therefore little Keita learns the piano even though he's only fair at it, attends a top-end school and has impeccable manners.  Ryusei is more outgoing, chews through his straw while sipping a drink and focuses all his attention on his handheld video game.  In short, the boys have much to learn from each other.

But they never do get that much time to as their parents decide on swapping them on weekends as they ease into swapping them for good eventually.  Keita and Ryusei are bewildered at this sudden change and look upon it initially as a mini-vacation that suddenly turns into a permanent situation.  They have now to call these strangers 'father' and 'mother' and get used to a whole new way of life. 

As do their parents, having prepared for their future in one way and have to rethink how to approach their own sons.  Writer-director Kore-eda chooses to hones in on the two fathers, Yukari and especially Ryota.  Ryota is a self-made architect while Yudai (Lily Franky) is more fun-loving and has a more hands on approach to raising his three children.  He fixes toys, takes them to fly kites and is an equal hand to raising his kids with his wife Yukari (Maki Yoko).  Meanwhile, Midori Nonomiya (Ono Machiko) might as well be raising Keita alone for all the time he spends at work.

Like Father, Like Son won the Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.  The jury featured directors Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee, both of whom have explored the often difficult relationship between fathers and sons.  In fact, the Spielberg-owned DreamWorks has officially commissioned a Hollywood remake of the film.  But I urge you to first watch the original because I am sure that much will be lost in the cultural transfer.  

Kore-eda's editing has fewer cuts and gives the movie a slow pace that most Western audiences won't be used to.  But I enjoyed the camera lingering on its subjects and showing the action from the viewpoints of the little boys as well.  The children in this feature, especially little Keita with his expressive, emotional eyes, are the big reason to tune in to this film.  And unlike Hollywood, here the dramatic outbursts are kept to a bare minimum.  It takes many things to become a father, one of which is unconditional love, as the characters find out themselves in their own sweet time.  That's a good thing, a really good thing. Like Father, Like Son joins my list of favourite Japanese films alongside Tokyo Story, Rashomon, Departures and more.  Do watch it if you can.  

Written, Edited and Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda; Cinematography by Takimoto Mikiya; Music by Takeshi Matsubara, Junichi Matsumoto, Takashi Mori

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Movie Review: The Sapphires

This enjoyable Australian film about an enterprising group of Aboriginal singers and sisters who toured Vietnam in the 1960s is one of those feel-good films that are "inspired" from real life events.  Based on the play, The Sapphires, by Tony Briggs, the son of one of the actual Sapphires, the film invents a key character to take the story further. In this day and age, we can call it the 'Argo-effect', heightening the story for effect onscreen.

Gail (Deborah Mailman) and Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell) audition at a local competition where they are overlooked for a white contestant.  However, struggling talent manager Dave Lovelace (Chris O'Dowd) notices their potential, especially when their youngest sister Julie (former Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy) joins them.  He thinks they have a chance to perform for the US troops in Vietnam but they need to become a proper team to go abroad.

Their estranged cousin Kay (Shari Sebbens) is the fourth part of the group and they head off to Vietnam, where they realize the stakes are quite real. They have landed in an unstable war zone.  But the Sapphires perform well at their gigs with some delightful covers of hits like 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' and 'Who's Lovin You". There's also a romance sub-plot between Dave and Gail who bond as the caretakers of the group. Their interactions are the most memorable in the film and Chris O'Dowd particularly stands out with his infectious desire to succeed on the tour.

If you're looking for a fun feel-good film to see over the weekend, you can't go wrong with The Sapphires. It bends the truth (but then again, what film doesn't?) but it will give you a glimpse of the challenges faced the Aboriginals who lived in Australia at that time. The film shows how these particular sisters chose to be proactive and grab their future in their hands.  

Directed by Wayne Blair; Based on the play by Tony Briggs, Screenplay by Keith Thompson and Tony Briggs; Cinematography by Warwick Thornton; Edited by Dany Cooper; Music by Cezary Skubizewski

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Movie Review: No

One of this year’s nominees of best foreign film from Chile at the Oscars, No is one of those based-on-real-life events that seems scripted. Except it isn’t.  This slice of history from a tumultuous period of Chilean history when the referendum to either retain or boot General Pinochet from power came down to two simple words: Yes or No. Each side is given 15 minutes of TV air time for nearly a month to present their view. A vote for yes means another 8 years of Pinochet. 

Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal), an adman who is considered one of the best in his field, is approached by the ‘No’ campaign to helm it.  He is hesitant at first but gets pulled into the challenge when he sees what they have. The campaign is made up of real testimonies which are harsh and somber.  Saavedra’s idea is a bit different.  He wants to sell democracy as a product and not everyone is on board with it.

Filming secretly as not to reveal the identities of the ‘No’ supporters and without revealing their campaign, they come up with an ode to happiness complete with a logo featuring a rainbow behind the word no.  There’s even a catchy song which you will be humming by the end of the film.  The ‘Yes’ campaign doesn’t take this lying down and trying to create similar ads to attack them.  Renee, a single father, is threatened and worries for the safety of his activist ex-wife.  

The ‘No’ campaign slowly gains momentum as the word on the street begins to shift in their favour. In the beginning, the ‘No’ campaign just wants the world to be informed of the truth.  But as the days pass, they begin to think that they can actually win.  The film is shot on low definition 80s video so as to seamlessly blend with the actual footage of the period and it’s a decision that really sells home the idea of history coming to life.  

Like eventual Best Picture winner Argo, I’m sure No too has many embellishments and exaggerations for the sake of film but the fact of the matter remains that the ad campaign was also an important part of the movement that allowed for democratic elections.  Director Pablo Lorrain has made a wonderfully engaging  film that will make you want to check out the real story behind the big vote. Make sure you say yes to No. 

Directed by Pablo Lorrain; Screenplay by Pablo Lorrain; Based on the play by Antonio Skarmeta; Cinematography by Sergio Armstrong; Editing by Andrea Chignoli; Music by Carlos Cabezas.

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Movie Review: Intouchables

Intouchables is the story of two men from completely different backgrounds and tastes who by the end of the film know each other as well as they know themselves.  It really is the feel-good French film of the year. 

Driss (Omar Sy) is driving his friend Philippe (Francois Cluzet) at night through the streets of Paris.  He glances behind at a police car and wagers Philippe that he can lose them for a 100 euros.  Philippe challenges him and they are off.  Speeding away, he almost makes until a van stops abruptly in front of them and the police angrily approach them.  But Driss is unfazed.  He turns the situation around and says that they were on their way to the ER as Philippe, being quadriplegic, is having a fit. He's not really having a fit but Philippe plays along as now the bet is up to 200 euros that they will get a police escort to the hospital.  They do.  Thus we are introduced to the unlikely friendship of Philippe and Driss.

It all begins with a call for a job.  In the flashback, we are shown that Phillippe is a wealthy man who is injured in paragliding accident and is paralyzed from the neck down.  He therefore needs someone to constantly take care of him.  He has a line of qualified yet stuffy prospective candidates all lining his hall waiting for their turn at an interview.  Driss is the odd man out and grows impatient waiting.  He bursts into the room holding interviews and demands that his paper be signed so he can be on his way.

He needs the signature to show he tried and get his welfare benefits.  There is something about his attitude and personality that impresses Philippe and he calls him back the next day.  Driss is surprised to learn that he's on a trial to see if he can last as Philippe's caregiver and he comes to learn more about Philippe's condition.  It's timely that he accepts Philippe's offer as he thrown out of his own home for being irresponsible and wayward by his mom.

As Driss learns all that goes in the care of a quadriplegic, Philippe comes to know more about his new employee and his spontaneity.  There are number of amusing moments.  Driss is dismayed to know he has to help Philippe were blood pressure stockings to stimulate his legs while Philippe is so used to be taken around in his wheelchair accessible van that he's surprised when Driss insists on the Maserati to go out.  Both of them teach each other something new and give their perspectives on it.  Philippe introduces Driss to classical music and opera while Driss puts on some Earth, Wind and Fire for him, music to dance to. Driss can't understand the abstract art that Philippe spends thousands of euros on and decides to paint his own which everyone agrees is impressive for a beginner.

They begin to have an effect on each other lives as they open up on their past.  Philippe is grieving for his late wife who died of cancer and thinks his disability is his way of suffering as she did.  His adopted daughter Elisa is a typical sullen teenager who Driss sorts out and helps her with her boyfriend troubles.  Philippe also writes letters to a woman named Elenore in Dunkirk.  Driss pushes the relationship along and insists that they talk on the phone and eventually meet up.  Meanwhile, Driss opens ups about his life and how he's actually adopted by his aunt and uncle and feels responsible to look out for his younger cousins.  Despite his criminal record of robbery, he does have good intentions at heart but can't see things through.

Eventually, they do move on as Driss has to go back to go take care of his family and get another job and Philippe hires one of those qualified candidates from the beginning of the film.  But it's not the same.  As Philippe rightly points out towards the middle of the film, Driss treats Philippe without pity and often times forgets that he can't just pick a phone or do many normal things.  Philippe appreciates this.

At the end of the film, we are back to the hospital and Driss and Philippe set off on a drive again towards the sea.  There's a lovely and sweet ending which I won't spoil but I was left with a smile on my face.  In fact, there were many instances where I laughed or smiled.  It's easy to see why this film became the second most watched film ever in France and won Omar Sy the Cesar Award for Best Actor.  His performance is infectious and without any artifice.  Cluzet is terrific as well, alternating through despair at his situation and secret smile at Driss' antics.  The film is based on the documentary made in 2004, A la vie, a la mort on the friendship of  Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Sellou who are shown in the end credits.  This will join the list of my favorite French films.

Written and Directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, Cinematography by Mathieu Vadepied, Edited by Dorian Rigal-Ansous, Music by Ludovico Einaudi

Additional cast: Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, Clotilde Mollet

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DVD Review: El Secreto De Sus Ojos (The Secret in their Eyes)

El Secreto De Sus Ojos (The Secret in their Eyes) is a fascinating film, one that spans over 25 years, telling a story about murder, justice and unrequited love.  The film won the Oscar for the Best Foreign Film this year and rightfully so.  The rules for the Best Foreign Film Oscar are such that every voter must see the films they are voting on before making their decision.  Therefore most often than not, the best film ends up winning.  Very unlike the Best Picture of the year which sometimes becomes a competition in favoritism and populism.  This year, it beat out two other very fine films, Un Prophete and Das Weise Band and it's easy to see why.  El Secreto De Sus Ojos is about very good storytelling and as the title suggests, it all in the eyes.

In 1974 Buenos Aires, Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Davin) is a criminal investigator who is assigned to a case of rape and murder of recently married Liliana Colotto.  He and his partner Sandoval (Guillermo Francella) become obsessed with catching the killer as another corrupt rival tries to pin the murder on two innocent workers.  They finally pinpoint a suspect and spend a lot of time trying to track him down.  So does the husband of Liliana, Ricardo Morales, who becomes fixated with getting justice for his wife's murder.  Helping Esposito and Sandoval is the Irene Menendez Hastings (Soledad Villamil), an assistant to the judge and their superior; she is later instrumental in helping catch the killer.

But as everyone involved in the saga comes to know that things don't turn out the way you might have hoped.  Due the crooked politics of Argentina (at the time), the killer, Gomez, is out and free and does the dirty work for the government.  It comes as a slap in the face for everyone who worked so hard to bring justice about for Liliana.

Back to 2000 Buenos Aires, where Irene is now a judge and Benjamin is newly retired.  They meet after many years and he tells her of his plans to write a novel based on the Morales case.  He hasn't been able to forget it even after all these years.  They talk of the past and are skittish about discussing the future.  There is a lot of unspoken thoughts between the two of them and it's all in their eyes, their hurt, their regret and their longing.

I'm not even hinting at what the ending is but it definitely brought me closure and had me thinking about what exactly justice should be.  Should the punishment fit the crime?  The movie brings up some terrific questions.  El Secreto De Sus Ojos had me absorbed in from the beginning thanks to the fine acting of the leads.  The direction was perfect and executed so well across the decades it takes to tell Benjamin and Irene's story.

And there is this one shot that leaves me absolutely astounded, it's a long take for about 5 minutes that goes from aerial view of the stadium to tracking the football players on the ground, to the fans in the huge stadium and finally to the detective duo of Esposito and Sandoval high in the stands.  How did they do it?  You'll simply have watch to see it.

Directed and Edited by Juan Jose Campanella, Cinematography by Felix Monti, Written by Eduardo Sacheri and Juan Jose Campanella (Based on Sacheri's novel)

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