Nobody Knows is the 2005 work by the brilliant, brilliant Japanese director, Hirokazu Kore-eda, tells the story of 12-year-old Akira (played by Yuga Yagira) and his 3 siblings. After being abandoned by their mother, Akira takes on the role of caregiver to his younger siblings and tries as best he can to keep the family together as the money runs out, the hydro is disconnected and the stresses of confinement in a tiny Tokyo apartment start to take their toll. I loved this film. I loved Kore-eda's remarkable direction with the story told in quiet, unorthodox frames: Akira's mid-drift as he tries to play baseball with a stick and ball; the close up of the kids hands working the crayons; the refocusing on feet and tiptoes; the reoccurring shot of the stairs the kids climb. The sadness you feel for the family situation is real and when little Yuki dies, oh the tears. Yagira is brilliant; what a find! He won Best Actor at Cannes in 2005.
My rating 9 out of 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment