Nobody Knows – starting to get into theaters (1 Viewer)

[Eric Howell]

Nobody Knows is a terrific Japanese Drama by Hirokazu Koreeda (After Life). I prefer to go to movies without a lot of plot information, but the setup is basically a single mother and her 4 young children trying to survive everyday life in modern day Japan. This drama is at times heart breaking and other times uplifting, both scary and joyful, both tragic and heroic.

This was one of my favorite films I saw last year, and it looks like IFC Films has the US rights and is starting to roll out its release. It is in New York now, and they are adding LA this weekend(2/11). In a few weeks it will be in the top 20 markets. If you have a few hours to spare at the theaters, please consider this movie, over say the Boogymans and Wedding Dates out there.

 

[Haggai]

I saw After Life a few years ago, and I really liked it. I'm all over this one when it comes to my area.

 

[teapot2001]

It opens this Friday near me.

I've only seen Maborosi.

~T

 

[Brook K]

I've also only seen Maborosi but plan on seeing this one. I think it opens either this Friday or next here.

 

[Elizabeth S]

This played at the museum arthouse recently, and Eric, this is indeed a wonderful film. Liked it even more than "After Life" and "Maborosi". What I really appreciated is Koreeda's almost matter-of-fact storytelling, without the manipulative tearjerking that the situation could easily have brought about. There's such a palpable sense of dread as things become more dire, but also moments of such innocent childlike joy. Wonderfully done, and the faces of those children are embedded in my mind.

 

[Haggai]

Just got back from seeing this--yikes, this is a wrenching experience. The kids sure are great, and there are lots of wonderful moments sprinkled throughout. I'm not sure I like how/where they chose to end it, but it doesn't matter that much, this is powerful stuff.

One thing worth knowing if you stick through the credits--the actress who plays the mother goes by the single name "You." Not knowing that until afterwards, I was like, "Huh? What's this? Audience condemnation via the credits? I'm somehow guilty here?" But then I read the Washington Post review that was on display in the lobby, and I felt better once I realized that it was her name.

 

[Pascal A]

Yeah, apparently You is a well-known pop singer, so I guess it's like Cher.

I liked Nobody Knows a lot, but not to the extent of After Life or Maborosi (although I did like it more than Distance). I agree that it's a draining experience, and I think the length of the film contributes to that sense of "neverending", like their circumstance. Like Maborosi, we keep seeing what seems to be the same day to day routines, but then modulated slightly each time until by the end, you realize how markedly different that routine has become over the course of a year(s?). I can see why the boy who played the older brother, Yûya Yagira, won the equivalent of Best Actor at Cannes.