De tal padre, tal hijo

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.

'Like Father, Like Son' is the latest film from Hirokazu Koreeda that won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Like 'Nobody Knows' and 'I Wish', Koreeda's previous films, it deals with family conflicts and children. A successful businessman discovers that the boy he has been raising for 6 years is actually not his son, as his son was switched with another child after birth. Now he needs to choose between his biological child and the child he has raised…

The actors in this film are great, not only Masaharu Fukuyama as father but also the young actors who play Keita and Ryusei. Koreeda always works well with kids. Keita is so adorable. The film handles the conflict very realistically and well reflects how the way of upbringing have influence on the children. It is quite emotional at the end of the film, so be prepared you may shed some tears.

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.

The story is about two Japanese families who got their sons exchanged at birth but only to find out about it 6 years later. The big dilemma that both families face is whether to switch children or not. The main strength of this film is the unique story and the complexities that comes with this theme. Already from the start when both families meet a lot of tensions occur due to the different backgrounds and personalities of the characters. The acting performances are top notch creating a convincing scenario between these families. Koreeda has always been good with handling fun and deep family stories with underlying conflicts. A masterful combination of both humour and grief. This film will make you both laugh and cry. As always in Koreeda films the children are the biggest reasons for enjoying his films. Full of charisma and innocence pulling us through a emotional journey from start to end.

"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.