Like Father, Like Son

Acclaimed Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-Eda took home the Jury Prize at Cannes for this poignant film that explores the age-old debate of nature versus nurture. Like Father, Like Son tells the heart-wrenching story of two sets of parents whose worlds are turned upside down when they learn that their six-year-old sons were switched at birth.

Ryota and Midori Nonomiya live with their only child, Keita, in a modern Tokyo high-rise. Ryota is an ambitious architect who puts in long hours climbing the corporate ladder. Midori is a loving, if docile, stay-at-home mother who carefully monitors Keita's academic and cultural education. After discovering the truth about their son, the Nonomiyas suddenly find their lives populated with a whole new cast of characters. Their birth-son, Ryusei, is being raised by the easygoing Yudai and Yukari Saiki. In stark contrast to the Nonomiyas, the Saikis and their three children live in a modest apartment above the family's appliance shop outside the city. While Keita practices piano before bedtime, Ryusei plays in the bath with his siblings and watches his father tinker with his toys. Both couples are hesitant to force an abrupt environmental and emotional change on their families, but soon engage in socialization, including swapping boys on weekends.

Like the work of a seasoned symphony conductor, Kore-Eda's direction is at once gentle and powerful, favouring small, tender moments over a single dramatic incident. Japanese pop star Masaharu Fukuyama delivers a moving performance as the reserved Ryota, whose soul searching about what it means to be a father lies at the heart of the film. Although framed in a Japanese cultural context, the questions Kore-Eda poses around parenthood and lifestyle choices are universal. Like Father, Like Son reminds us that any definition of family needs to be constructed around unconditional love, first and foremost.

GIOVANNA FULVI

Special thanks to The Japan Foundation, Toronto.