Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2011

Contrary to what the fanboy set in the US might think, the leading filmmaker in Japan is Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose work is consistently celebrated at Cannes and has won awards around the world. His latest piece comes on the heels of the edgy Air Doll (2009), about a blow-up sex doll that comes to life, and it is far sweeter than anything he’s produced to date. The fact that the film is about children and was financed by JR on the occasion of the shinkansen being extended throughout Kyushu could be a recipe for disaster. But in the hands of such a talented director the work blossoms into a compelling and touching tale. Serious 10-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda) lives with his mother and grandparents in Kagoshima while his younger brother, the optimistic and playful Ryo (Ohshiro Maeda), resides with dad in Fukuoka. The brothers (in real life as well) often chat via cell phone, wishing their parents would reunite, and plot a miracle to make it happen. Kore-eda works many angles on the children’s dreams and desires while contrasting them with the adult world, and it’s often not clear who is taking care of whom. Sweet but not saccharine Kiseki is another must-see from Japan’s genius auteur. English title: I Wish. (128 min)