Nobody Knows (2004): Sad, but true.
In the mid ’80s, a mother left her four children to live by themselves in Tokyo, for how long she planned on leaving them be, nobody knows.
This film is definitely hard to digest as if there really is a possibility of someone doing this to their children. How can a parent leave their kids to fend for themselves with nothing? In a world were families mean so much, it's rare to see something as atrocious as this, but it has happened before. And I guess this is why Nobody Knows hits on such a personal level.
Keiko, the extremely childish mother, played wonderfully (and even annoying at times) by You makes me wonder how accurate she took on this maternal role. There is the inkling that Keiko was really trying to do good for her family, but her actions are greatly overshadowed by her disappearance from her children's lives. But through this misfortune, her children are able to grow, and that's what this film shows best: the growth of the children.
Even before Keiko left, Akira, the eldest child, tended to his siblings. He was the head of the household, though he may have not fully recognized it. Akira was fortunate enough to attend school, whereas his siblings weren’t as lucky, but now is not able to, since there is no income able to support his education. Akira is the only child to be able to go outside. The owners of the apartment where his family lives only know that he the only supposed child living there. His siblings are not allowed to go outside. The only exception is the second oldest child, Kyoko, who is able to go out on the balcony to do laundry.
Akira (Yuya Yagiru) and Kyoko (Kitaura Ayu) are portrayed to a punch. They are the two most important characters, looking after the siblings. They are essentially the mother and father to their younger brother, Shigeru, and sister, Yuki.
Yagiru received most screen time, carefully living the life of of Akira. Akira does his best for his family, first watching over the money, spending it wisely, sometimes carelessly on useless necessities, but he tries to do it all in the name of his family. Akira sacrifices everything for his siblings, finding ways to keep things going, even if they are minuscule.
It’s hard to watch the film, because once you see that understand what these children went through, you may begin to wonder why no one noticed that the children were alone. Maybe it was because nobody knew, or maybe it was that nobody cared.
This is where I think Nobody Knows becomes much more heartbreaking. As the money runs out, Akira searches for ways to find food and money. He’s able to bum out old food from a local convenience store clerk. Akira also speaks with the fathers of his siblings (each child has a different father), in which some only give out little or no money. This also helps broaden Akira’s heroism, he’s doing everything he can for his half-siblings. Family is family.
Finally, the last thing I have to talk about is the story and directing. Writer and director, Kore-eda Hirokazu, had a fantastic story on his hands, and I think he knew that. He did a wonderful job at telling the story. The shooting for films usually lasts around a month, then post-production sets in. Kore-eda spent a year filming this movie. No matter what, that’s absolute dedication. He literally let his characters grows and become real.
Now, I know this movie is Jason’s favorite, and probably nothing I can say will remotely hold up to what he has to offer. This movie is a great film, though horribly depressing at times, yet it shows how life truly is and how much it should be treasured. As I deliberated on the final score, I pondered the thought of a “9,” but as I see as how it leaves such a resounding look at the lives of others, I know there’s much more to it.
If you haven’t seen this film, then do so. Don’t miss out.
This film is definitely hard to digest as if there really is a possibility of someone doing this to their children. How can a parent leave their kids to fend for themselves with nothing? In a world were families mean so much, it's rare to see something as atrocious as this, but it has happened before. And I guess this is why Nobody Knows hits on such a personal level.
Keiko, the extremely childish mother, played wonderfully (and even annoying at times) by You makes me wonder how accurate she took on this maternal role. There is the inkling that Keiko was really trying to do good for her family, but her actions are greatly overshadowed by her disappearance from her children's lives. But through this misfortune, her children are able to grow, and that's what this film shows best: the growth of the children.
Even before Keiko left, Akira, the eldest child, tended to his siblings. He was the head of the household, though he may have not fully recognized it. Akira was fortunate enough to attend school, whereas his siblings weren’t as lucky, but now is not able to, since there is no income able to support his education. Akira is the only child to be able to go outside. The owners of the apartment where his family lives only know that he the only supposed child living there. His siblings are not allowed to go outside. The only exception is the second oldest child, Kyoko, who is able to go out on the balcony to do laundry.
Akira (Yuya Yagiru) and Kyoko (Kitaura Ayu) are portrayed to a punch. They are the two most important characters, looking after the siblings. They are essentially the mother and father to their younger brother, Shigeru, and sister, Yuki.
Yagiru received most screen time, carefully living the life of of Akira. Akira does his best for his family, first watching over the money, spending it wisely, sometimes carelessly on useless necessities, but he tries to do it all in the name of his family. Akira sacrifices everything for his siblings, finding ways to keep things going, even if they are minuscule.
It’s hard to watch the film, because once you see that understand what these children went through, you may begin to wonder why no one noticed that the children were alone. Maybe it was because nobody knew, or maybe it was that nobody cared.
This is where I think Nobody Knows becomes much more heartbreaking. As the money runs out, Akira searches for ways to find food and money. He’s able to bum out old food from a local convenience store clerk. Akira also speaks with the fathers of his siblings (each child has a different father), in which some only give out little or no money. This also helps broaden Akira’s heroism, he’s doing everything he can for his half-siblings. Family is family.
Finally, the last thing I have to talk about is the story and directing. Writer and director, Kore-eda Hirokazu, had a fantastic story on his hands, and I think he knew that. He did a wonderful job at telling the story. The shooting for films usually lasts around a month, then post-production sets in. Kore-eda spent a year filming this movie. No matter what, that’s absolute dedication. He literally let his characters grows and become real.
Now, I know this movie is Jason’s favorite, and probably nothing I can say will remotely hold up to what he has to offer. This movie is a great film, though horribly depressing at times, yet it shows how life truly is and how much it should be treasured. As I deliberated on the final score, I pondered the thought of a “9,” but as I see as how it leaves such a resounding look at the lives of others, I know there’s much more to it.
If you haven’t seen this film, then do so. Don’t miss out.
The Final Call:
10/10
10/10
Labels: Nobody Knows, Review
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