Like Father, Like Son

Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda’s latest film is another contemplative piece on the dynamics of family, with a thought-provoking premise. The parents of two 6-year-old boys discover that their children were swapped at birth, resulting in discussions and experiments to determine what is the best solution for everyone. Some of the actions are scarcely believable, and the main character (titular father Ryota Nonomiya) is occasionally too selfish and cold for us to empathise with. The story is engrossing and heartbreaking however, and although the pace sagged significantly in the middle third, the emotional journey of Ryota is subtle, moving and powerful cinema.

Duke’s At Komedia, 27 November 2013
Rating:
Joe Fuller

This screening was part of Picturehouse’s Discover Tuesday strand – where a different arthouse, foreign language, indie or documentary film is screened each week.