Released in Japan almost two years ago, Hirokazu Koreeda’s latest film, I Wish, finally arrived on our shores earlier this year, and it was well worth the wait. Centred around two young brothers growing up apart from each other, in the wake of their parents’ divorce, the film is a wondrous and heartfelt journey as they wish for a miracle to reunite their families when the first trains pass each other on the new bullet train service.
These young child actors and their on-screen friends are flawless throughout, and it’s incredibly rare to see such bright talent from children this young, especially amongst a group size of seven. Their performances, alongside the adults surrounding them, bring a real charm to the screen that feels so genuine and uplifting, and they are an integral part as to why it’s been worth the wait to see I Wish.
We...
These young child actors and their on-screen friends are flawless throughout, and it’s incredibly rare to see such bright talent from children this young, especially amongst a group size of seven. Their performances, alongside the adults surrounding them, bring a real charm to the screen that feels so genuine and uplifting, and they are an integral part as to why it’s been worth the wait to see I Wish.
We...
- 5/30/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Hyde Park on Hudson; The Sessions; Planet of Snail; I Wish; Gangster Squad; The Last Stand
After the success of The King's Speech and the embarrassment of W.E., Albert and Elizabeth Windsor return to our screens once again in Hyde Park on Hudson (2012, Universal, 12). Samuel West and Olivia Colman fill the roles previously inhabited by Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, here endeavouring to overcome their royal disdain for vulgarity and enjoy a hot-dog in order to cement the "special relationship" with America. The real draw, however, is Bill Murray as Roosevelt, courted by the Brits in the looming shadow of the second world war. Obsessed in equal measure by stamps and women, this Fdr is a contradictory figure, seen through the eyes of his distant cousin Daisy (Laura Linney), whose company he craves and physical attentions he demands in darkly comic fashion. It's a peculiar film, notable for...
After the success of The King's Speech and the embarrassment of W.E., Albert and Elizabeth Windsor return to our screens once again in Hyde Park on Hudson (2012, Universal, 12). Samuel West and Olivia Colman fill the roles previously inhabited by Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, here endeavouring to overcome their royal disdain for vulgarity and enjoy a hot-dog in order to cement the "special relationship" with America. The real draw, however, is Bill Murray as Roosevelt, courted by the Brits in the looming shadow of the second world war. Obsessed in equal measure by stamps and women, this Fdr is a contradictory figure, seen through the eyes of his distant cousin Daisy (Laura Linney), whose company he craves and physical attentions he demands in darkly comic fashion. It's a peculiar film, notable for...
- 5/25/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Celebrated Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda delighted international audiences once again this year with I Wish (Kiseki, 2011), a sweet and endlessly touching tale of two young brothers separated by their parent's amicable divorce. To celebrate the DVD and Blu-ray rerelease of Kore-eda's latest endeavour on Monday 27 May, we've kindly been provided with Three Blu-ray copies of the enchanting I Wish to give away to our readers, courtesy of our good friends at UK distributor Arrow Films. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
Stoic, grounded 12-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda) lives dutifully in coastal Kagoshima with his mother and grandparents, while 10-year-old tearaway Ryu (Ohshirô Maeda) is living it up with his deadbeat musician dad in urban Kyushu. Meanwhile, the Kyushu train line connecting these two cities is...
Stoic, grounded 12-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda) lives dutifully in coastal Kagoshima with his mother and grandparents, while 10-year-old tearaway Ryu (Ohshirô Maeda) is living it up with his deadbeat musician dad in urban Kyushu. Meanwhile, the Kyushu train line connecting these two cities is...
- 5/24/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
No | Hitchcock | Warm Bodies | I Give It A Year | Wreck-It Ralph | I Wish | A Liar's Autobiography – The Untrue Story Of Monty Python's Graham Chapman | The Fall Of The Essex Boys
No (15)
(Pablo Larraín, 2012, Chi/Fra/Us) Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle. 118 mins
Advertising and revolution form an unlikely but powerful allegiance in this factually based Chilean movie, in which archive TV footage blends seamlessly with a bold, retro-video aesthetic. It's 1988 and, bowing to international pressure, General Pinochet has ceded 15 minutes of state airtime to the campaign to vote against him. Enter Bernal as a smart ad exec charged with "selling" democracy, though his Coke-commercial strategy exposes political divisions, media ironies and personal vulnerabilities.
Hitchcock (12A)
(Sacha Gervasi, 2012, Us) Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson. 98 mins
Disappointingly, the real making of Psycho is a mere backdrop for this fanciful tale of Hitch's (fictional) marriage anxieties,...
No (15)
(Pablo Larraín, 2012, Chi/Fra/Us) Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle. 118 mins
Advertising and revolution form an unlikely but powerful allegiance in this factually based Chilean movie, in which archive TV footage blends seamlessly with a bold, retro-video aesthetic. It's 1988 and, bowing to international pressure, General Pinochet has ceded 15 minutes of state airtime to the campaign to vote against him. Enter Bernal as a smart ad exec charged with "selling" democracy, though his Coke-commercial strategy exposes political divisions, media ironies and personal vulnerabilities.
Hitchcock (12A)
(Sacha Gervasi, 2012, Us) Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson. 98 mins
Disappointingly, the real making of Psycho is a mere backdrop for this fanciful tale of Hitch's (fictional) marriage anxieties,...
- 2/9/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Chicago – Hirokazu Koreeda is one of the most interesting and acclaimed international filmmakers alive and his latest drama is one of lingering power, a film that moves a bit too slowly for its own good but has remarkable cumulative strength by its emotional finale. “I Wish” is about those days in which scope is subjective. The smallest things – physical and emotional – can be given life-changing importance. And a kid can convince himself that a miracle can happen.
Twelve-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda) and younger brother Ryunosuke (Ohshiro Maeda) are products of a newly-broken home. Their parents have divorced after their mother has tired of their musician father’s lack of focus. While mom has moved in with her parents with Koichi, Ryunosoke and his father live hundreds of miles away. Ryu is young enough that he seems mostly unfazed by the situation (and Koreeda smartly draws parallels between Ryu and...
Chicago – Hirokazu Koreeda is one of the most interesting and acclaimed international filmmakers alive and his latest drama is one of lingering power, a film that moves a bit too slowly for its own good but has remarkable cumulative strength by its emotional finale. “I Wish” is about those days in which scope is subjective. The smallest things – physical and emotional – can be given life-changing importance. And a kid can convince himself that a miracle can happen.
Twelve-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda) and younger brother Ryunosuke (Ohshiro Maeda) are products of a newly-broken home. Their parents have divorced after their mother has tired of their musician father’s lack of focus. While mom has moved in with her parents with Koichi, Ryunosoke and his father live hundreds of miles away. Ryu is young enough that he seems mostly unfazed by the situation (and Koreeda smartly draws parallels between Ryu and...
- 5/31/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The message of Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s new film, I Wish, can be summed up as follows: Despite our best efforts and wishes, the world isn’t how we’d like it to be. Just as in Kore-Eda’s 2004 film Nobody Knows, children who are alone and dealing with a difficult situation are the primary focus. In this case, two brothers struggle with the separation of their parents. The older brother, 12-year old Koichi (Koki Maeda), lives with his mother and retired grandparents in the southern region of Kyushu, Japan, in the shadow of an active volcano. His younger brother Ryunosuke (Ohshiro Maeda) lives...
- 5/17/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
Title: I Wish Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda Starring: Koki Maeda, Ohshiro Maeda, Nene Ohtsuka, Joe Odagiri, Kirin Kiki If Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne were Japanese instead of French-Belgian, or perhaps set out to craft a homage to Yasujiro Ozu that was crossed with a sort of whimsical yet melancholic version of “The Parent Trap,” it might well resemble “I Wish,” writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest effort. A tender but yawning story of childhood desires and maturation, the movie features some superlative adolescent performances, but also seems a bit caught up in its own relaxed rhythms and beatific point-of-view. A premiere at last fall’s Toronto Film Festival that was recently featured as part [ Read More ]...
- 5/16/2012
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
The frustrating thing about most modern "kids films" is that many filmmakers seem like lost balls in tall grass when it comes to portraying what makes children tick. Perhaps it's tougher than we imagine to capture the youth/kid experience, but is it just us or does it seem like nearly all child characters in movies exist in some bizarro world where they're smarter than the all the adults, know just the right thing to say at every moment and hardly ever act like, you know, kids? (See every American indie and Hollywood rom-com from the last 10 years for examples of this annoying, ridiculous trend.) That's why, when a thoughtful, intelligent director takes the reins of such a film, one that actually remembers and respects what it was like to be a kid, the result can be so refreshing. In the best examples of the genre from recent memory --...
- 5/9/2012
- by Erik McClanahan
- The Playlist
Many reviews of Hirokazu Kore-eda's "I Wish," opening in U.S. theaters this week, mention its lighthearted tone. While it's an accurate description of the blithe soundtrack and apparent lack of conflict, Kore-eda doesn't gloss over the deeper substance of his scenario in favor of good vibes. Instead, he spins a unique blend of melancholy without getting mopey about it. Providing yet more ammo to those who compare his youth-centric dramas to Ozu, Kore-eda's latest story of alienated children is both simple and profound. Kore-eda's screenplay gradually settles into its two main settings and the two boys connecting them. In the wake of their parents' divorce, 12-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda) and his younger brother Ryunosuke (Oshiro Maeda, Koki's real-life brother) have been split up against their will: Koichi has been stuck with his grandparents in the low-key neighborhood community of Kagoshima, an island region in the shadow of a volcano.
- 5/7/2012
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The official website for Hirokazu Kore-eda’s upcoming film I Wish (Kiseki) has been updated with a new full trailer.
Plot: After his parents get divorced, Koichi (Koki Maeda) winds up living with his mother and grandparents in Kagoshima, while his brother Ryunosuke (Oshiro Maeda) lives with their father in Fukuoka. The brothers dream of their family being reunited one day, so they’re both very excited when the Kyushu Shinkansen is completed, especially when they hear that a miracle will occur when the first trains meet. Because of this, they decide to do whatever they can do make sure this miracle actually takes place.
Gaga Communications will be releasing “I Wish” in Japan on June 11, 2011.
Watch »...
Plot: After his parents get divorced, Koichi (Koki Maeda) winds up living with his mother and grandparents in Kagoshima, while his brother Ryunosuke (Oshiro Maeda) lives with their father in Fukuoka. The brothers dream of their family being reunited one day, so they’re both very excited when the Kyushu Shinkansen is completed, especially when they hear that a miracle will occur when the first trains meet. Because of this, they decide to do whatever they can do make sure this miracle actually takes place.
Gaga Communications will be releasing “I Wish” in Japan on June 11, 2011.
Watch »...
- 3/17/2011
- Nippon Cinema
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