Soshite chichi ni naru (Like father, like son)
I’ve known this film ever since it was announced, since I am (loosely) following a blog which lists every film that comes out in Japan. The overwhelming majority of it (like… 99%) is utter crap, but then I saw a poster of “Soshite chichi ni naru” and Hirokazu Koreeda’s name associated with it. I have very very mixed feelings about Koreeda, I think he is a good film maker, but up until now I loathed his stories. It certainly didn’t help that critics are irrationally in love with him, and I will never get over how hateful the characters in “Still Walking” are. But with the premise of “Like father, like son”, nothing could go wrong, right? How can you screw up a story about two babies being switched out at birth, where the story is all about cute 6 year olds finding out about their family identity?
Well, this time, Koreeda didn’t disappoint. When Gorp told me he saw it on the airplane, it was only a month after the last time I tried to procure the film. After the PIFF, I tried again and voilà, I was finally able to get it. The film did not disappoint even for a second. It was everything I expected (and I had high expectations to begin with) and then it was even more. More than just asking about family, it was also about different family ideals. Koreeda spends a lot of time showing Keita’s room and his lifestyle, as well as his seemingly sweet relationship with his parents. It reminded me of ourselves with O, and makes me wonder how I would deal with the possibility that O may not fulfill the expectations we had in him. What expectations do we have anyways? “Like father, like son” deals with these questions in a subtle, sensible way. There are no people crying or screaming at each other, and these underlying problems they have show in the smallest details, much like in real life. Koreeda’s script analyzes a child’s heart carefully and gently, then puts it on screen with the utmost respect. That is almost better than Keita’s father’s development, who finally had to come to terms with the demons of his family past.
Gorp said “Like father, like son” was one of the best movies of the year for him. Well, I have to admit that I had a lot of “oh wow, best movie of the year!” moments this year, and this film was definitely one of them. I would watch it again anytime.
I’m glad you enjoyed this film. Maybe I’m one of those people who hypes up Koreeda movies, because every one of his that I’ve seen has really impressed me.
The premise of the story sounded a bit strange to me at first, but the way it progressed felt very ‘organic’ and natural. ‘Subtle and sensible’ is a great way of describing it! I thought the father was a bit unsympathetic at first, but the reasons why he was that way were well explained I think. The messages I got from this story were 1. parenting is HARD and 2. there’s more than one ‘right’ way of raising a happy family.
I watched this on a long plane flight, but I’d love to see it again too!
Hahaha I understand. Koreeda’s films are definitely quite special and well-executed. I can see where all the love is coming from, but up until now, his stories just drive me crazy.
I totally thought the premise was awesome and an interesting way to question parenthood. If anything, the “switched up at the hospital” premise is a little cliché, at least it is in Asian culture. I am so glad that the result turned out great, and I have strong doubts the American remake can compare to it.
What is most lovely about the story is that the two families grew together, and the two boys seem to have accepted all four parents as their own parents in some form or another. At least that is the way I interpreted the end. I thought that was great, and the way the film presented this somewhat strange constellation was realistic.