Nobody Knows

A woman by the name of Keiko moves into an apartment with her son, Akira, smuggling in her other three, younger children so the landlord doesn't know of their existence. Some weeks go by, and the mother meets a man. She goes off with him and doesn't return for many months, leaving twelve-year-old Akira in charge of the household. He struggles to care for his family, barely scraping by with what little money his mother left. Somehow, he manages to do it with no serious ramifications. Keiko eventually returns, but it's not for long, and young Akira is forced once again to take up the mantle and look after his siblings; though this time it will be a much more difficult and lengthy process, with far more devastating results.

Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Nobody Knows' is a powerful, poignant drama based on the infamous Sugamo child abandonment case of 1988. The film is quietly affecting, telling the simple story of how Akira is forced to act like an adult to his siblings, trying to keep them safe and sound while being but a child himself: a Sisyphean task if ever there was one. Kore-eda's screenplay is free of unnecessary sentiment or pretention; it is direct and unflinching, exploring many themes, the importance of parenthood being but one.

Kore-eda's story is honest and emotionally charged, with minimal dialogue and layered characterization that is full of vivid believability and depth. The audience cares deeply for Akira and his siblings, as well as understanding- if not liking- Keiko and how she could leave her family for so long. It is masterful, understated screenwriting that will really hit home. Kore-eda's best films explore humanity and connection, how everybody needs somebody sometime (to paraphrase the Dean Martin song). 'Nobody Knows' does too; to great effect.

It is worth mentioning that- in addition to writing and directing- Kore-eda also acts as his own editor, so the tone and pacing is consistent from page to screen. The film moves at its' own pace, which is reserved but steady; ever-forging onwards towards the dramatic conclusion like a soldier in the snow. Also of note is Yutaka Yamazaki's restrained and naturalistic cinematography. His work is subtle and assured, resulting in images captured both with clarity and an artistic sense of space and composition. Yamazaki and Kore-eda have worked together numerous times, with their collaborations usually resulting in striking, visually inventive films that one remembers long after seeing them. 'Nobody Knows' is another notch on their proverbial shared belt.

An old showbusiness adage goes "you should never work with children or animals," which is proven to be complete poppycock when one witnesses the efforts of the remarkable cast in 'Nobody Knows.' Yûya Yagira stars as Akira, delivering a captivating, masterful performance of integrity, profundity and subtle emotional perspicuity. Yagira is a brilliant performer, who can transmit emotions and say much- near incomparable in intensity and eloquence- with his physicality and through his silence. He was only thirteen when the film was shot and Yagira shows more intelligence and depth than most actors four times his age. He is a remarkably intuitive and natural actor who is fascinating to watch; and the power of his performance will have you frequently in tears while watching 'Nobody Knows.'

His siblings are played wonderfully by Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura and Momoko Shimizu, with Shimizu particularly impressing as the youngest child Yuki. Yukiko Ehara- better known as You- plays the mother, Keiko, and is perfect for the character. You doesn't play her as totally selfish, more as a young woman whose life raising children alone isn't what she wanted, and is desperate for things to change. She brings to the character much depth and charm; despite being slightly incorrigible. Rounding out the main cast is Hanae Kan, who plays a school-girl Akira befriends. She makes for a welcome addition to the film, and delivers a strong performance to boot.

Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Nobody Knows' is a sad, quiet film about abandonment that will move any with heart strings left to tug. Featuring powerful performances from the cast- especially the young Yûya Yagira- and striking cinematography from Yutaka Yamazaki; the film is not easily forgotten. Poignant, profound and powerful, 'Nobody Knows' is unaffected, uncompromising and unforgettable cinema.

This film is beautiful in its simplicity...it is at times sweet, warm, funny and always heartbreaking...it is essentially about four children surviving on their own after their mother leaves them in search of her own happiness....

The show seemingly lacks any action or any exciting moments, but i was totally absorbed during the two plus hours of the film...this is largely because of the superb performances of the adorable children, who were all really natural and likable. You just feel for them and wonder at the callousness of their mother and respective fathers. The dialogue is simple yet meaningful and through the day-to-day unraveling of the plot, one sees the contrast between the courage, maturity and innocence of children, and the selfishness and childishness of adults. The realist, documentary style of filming allows viewers to see things from the eye of the children...

a great film that will make u feel rather depressed at the end of it...not for those who do not like slowly-paced films with not much action.

This film was very well received at the latest Telluride Film Festival where I saw it. Based on a true incident it is the story of 4 children,each a child by a different father, abandoned by their mother, and trying to survive in modern Japan on their own. The film is paced wonderfully slow, allowing the viewer to focus on small details that overlay other details. It does not drag at all and has moments of humor mixed with pathos.

The oldest, a son of about 13 or 14, incredibly acted, becomes the parent. He is in transition from becoming the responsible one of the family and a typical kid, but one with real values.

There are moments where a box of tissues are in order. The film ends in a moment of hope mixed with a real desire to know what ultimately happened to them all.

A mom that should not be a mom.

A kid that wanted to be a kid and is never allowed to be it.

Fantastic acting overall.

A punch in the stomach.

When we are talking about family dramas, Koreeda does it like no other.

"Children can not choose their parents" This was what came into my mind after I saw this movie.

This movie is based on actual incident happened in 1988. It was much more miserable than the movie. A woman was living with a man. She thought he had filed the marriage notification. When their son was born, the man said he had filed the birth notification. One day he left her to live with another woman. When the boy reached the primary school age, she knew neither the marriage notification nor the birth notification were filed. Facing this situation, she decided to hide her children from the society. (According to another source, the mother told the police that she thought the birth notification of a bastard child would not be accepted.)

She had met several men and had 5 children, two boys and three girls, who were not registered and hidden from other people. When the second boy died of sick, she hid the corps in the closet. While she works in a department store, the eldest son took care of three sisters. When the eldest son was 14, she went out to live with her new man, who was 16 years older than her. She gave the eldest son her address. When the children were protected by the police half a year later, a girl was dead, and the two were debilitated, as they were confined in a room and poorly fed. The girls were 3 and 2 y/o and still used diapers, but they were changed only once every day. It is reported that the eldest boy blamed himself for not being able to take good care of his sisters, instead of blaming his mother...

Compared to the real story, the movie is less miserable. In the movie, even the little boy and girl look normal and pretty, but in the real story they were very poorly developed. But it was still more than enough to surprise me. What a mother! In a conversation with the eldest boy, she says "May I not become happy?" She acts on this thought, without thinking of the same right about her children. Her childish lisping talk describes her immaturity. And of course, men were more guilty. Sadly, children can not choose their parents.

Every child acted amazingly well, very natural. Particularly, the eyes of the eldest boy, Akira, are very impressive. The eyes tell many things from their miserable life.