De tal padre, tal hijo

Two families learn the devastating news that their sons were swapped in the maternity hospital, and each has been raising the other's biological offspring for the last six years. In trying to solve this unholy mess, one father has to face his own vulnerabilities.

Koreda has one again taken his scalpel to family life and crafted a masterpiece. Fukuyama as the driven, high-achieving Ryota is a revelation, an advocate of the tough love school of child-rearing, who never wastes an opportunity to tell his son he should be trying harder, succeeding more. One word - 'yappari' - reveals his disappointment and ultimate lack of humanity, and proves to be a pivotal statement in his journey to self-awareness.

Two archetypal elements of on-form Koreeda make this move a masterclass in dramaturgy. One is the sparkling, naturalistic performances from the children. When Ryota tries to explain to his biological son that he now should be addressing him as 'father', the stubborn, implacable resistance of the young actor is deftly played. There is a similar moment when Ryota confronts his tormentor, only for her young son to appear and remind Ryota of the kind of son he should have been himself. The other element is judicious deployment of point-of-view. Four parents go through this traumatic experience, but while the gravity of the situation for the other three parents is never in doubt, the journey we experience is Ryota's. He learns not only to love, but to accept, and even, in one phone call to his stepmother, to repent. Rirî Furankî is exceptional as electrician handyman Yudai. At first he seems more concerned with financial gain than natural justice, but slowly proves himself to be the better father. The fact that he is never shown suffering over the loss of his own biological son, and yet seems imbued with the humanity Ryota lacks, is testament to Furanki's performance and Koreeada' scripting and helming. Machiko Ono and Yôko Maki as the two wives who support each other are equally impressive.

The situation portrayed is every parent's nightmare, and the film succeeds in conveying that, while also mining a deep vein of humanity and compassion, and even managing a few comic flourishes. Superb.

There are worse nightmares for parents but this one is pretty bad, to find out that your 6-year-old son is biologically not your own, that he was switched at birth with another baby. In telling this story about the dilemma the two sets of parents find themselves facing, Kore-eda touches on nature vs. nurture, parenting styles, and class differences. The rich father seems ice cold emotionally, and it's telling that his first thought is that he'll pay the other man and take both kids. We learn that he is the way he is for a reason as the story spans three generations, though it would have been even better if we had gotten a little more backstory on the mothers. As in all of Kore-eda's films, there is a gentleness here, but it's perhaps too gentle, since painful situations like this often seem to bring out more trauma than amicability. There are lots of adorable moments with the kids though, and the film's central message is so sweet - spend time with your kids, love them for who they are, and be as good or better than your own father was.

I just discovered Koreeda's films and I'm surprised, and angry with myself, I didn't know about this great director and storyteller. The film is a wonderful story about parenthood in which its hardship and beauty are well balanced.

The story drives the audience into the lives of two (almost antagonistic) families who had to go through a tough situation together, a situation imposed by a third party in the past. Koreeda tell us the story by examining these two very different families. By portraying these almost antagonistic families the story creates contrast and allow the characters to grow an evolution while they discovered themselves.

I will not say more... watch it if you are looking for touching, delightful and well directed story about family and love.

Everyone has an opinion about what constitutes good parenting. Does it boil down to rules and regulations, pushing a child to excel, letting them just enjoy themselves, or the amount of time you spend with them? These issues are on the table in Hirokazu Koreeda's latest child-centered film, Like Father, Like Son, winner of the Jury Prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival. Ryoto Nonomiya (Masaharu Fukuyama) is a somewhat aloof architect who works long hours at his job, leaving little time for his six-year-old son Keita (Keita Ninomiya). Ryoto and his wife Midori (Machiko Ono) live in a luxury Tokyo apartment that relatives tell them looks like a hotel.

Keita is comfortable and apparently quite happy, enjoying a close and caring relationship with his mother, even though his father is not always around. Ryoto loves Keita, however, and wants the best for him, pushing him to excel in academics and music, but his character is painted in such broad strokes that he doesn't come across as truly caring. The family's comfortable world is turned upside down, however, when the Nonomiya's receive a phone call from the hospital telling them that Keita is in fact not their biological son, that testing has revealed that two boys were switched at birth, presumably by accident.

Both curious and anxious, Ryoto and Midori make plans to visit their biological son and here Koreeda draws a sharp contrast between the two families. Yudai (Lily Franky), a good-natured, playful storekeeper and his wife Yukari (Yoko Maki), are working class people, living in the rear of a general goods store with their three children, a boy named Ryusei (Shogen Hwang), and his younger brother and sister. Although tongue in cheek, Yudai tells his wife that his philosophy of life is "I always say, put off to tomorrow, what ever you can." When the mistake of the hospital is realized, the shocked families must decide how (and if) they are going to exchange sons.

The upper class Ryoto says that it "now makes sense" why his son Keita is not talented and ambitious like himself, a statement that is very hurtful to Midori. His desire is to continue the bloodline, urged also by his own father who suggests that he should make every effort to raise both boys. While this may sound good in theory, when Ryoto raises the possibility with Yudai and Yukari, the reaction is one of deep insult and Ryoto has to go to Plan B. While awaiting a financial settlement from the hospital, the two families agree to let the boys come for a visit to gradually get to know their real parents, at first for one day, then later on the weekends.

Awkwardly, Ryoto tells Ryu to call them father and mother, reserving daddy and mommy for Yudai and Yukari, the only parents he has truly known. Friction begins to develop between the parents when Yudai let's Ryoto know that he should spend more time with his son. Though both children adjust, Ryu expresses a longing to return to daddy and mommy. Ryoto wants the exchange of children to work out but Midori misses Keita and reacts with anger when she perceives that her husband blames her for what has happened. The exchange of the boys becomes a catalyst for Ryoto to look at his life and see what has been missing in his approach to parenting and he has the courage to make changes.

Like Father, Like Son is a riveting experience that once again demonstrates that the performances Koreeda can elicit from children are little short of amazing. Like Father, Like Son can meander, has some formulaic aspects, and does not have the weight of some of his earlier films, yet it is an entertaining, thought-provoking, and beautifully realized two hours at the movies.

"Work hard now, so there is no struggle later" declares a hard-driving and pushy Dad. As if work makes the man. As if it is so simple. Upon discovering his 6-year-old son was switched at birth, the Dad continues to focus on form and not heart. The family taking care of his real son is everything that he is not; fun-loving, adventuresome, and loving of the natural world. He pools his lawyers and his money in order to prove a point, yet the point proved may be his own demise. Though the story might be better developed in places, the theme is compelling and poignant, the actors are believable, and the disparate characters are intriguing. Winner of a Cannes festival jury prize. This film is about the importance of achieving real connections with others.