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Nobody Knows
2004
Four siblings live happily with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. The children all have different fathers and have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. One day, the mother leaves behind a little money and a note, charging her oldest boy to look after the others. .. Read more
| Starring | Yuya Yagira, Hiei Kumura, Momoko Shimizu, Hanae Kan |
|---|---|
| Director | Kore-Eda Hirokazu |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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Nobody Knows
Four siblings live happily with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. The children all have different fathers and have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. One day, the mother leaves behind a little money and a note, charging her oldest boy to look after the others. And so begins the children's odyssey, a journey nobody knows. Though engulfed by the cruel fate of abandonment, the four children do their best to survive in their own little world, devising and following their own set of rules. When they are forced to engage with the world outside their cocooned universe, the fragile balance that has sustained them collapses. Their innocent longing for their mother, their wary fascination toward the outside world, their anxiety over their increasingly desperate situation, their inarticulate cries, their kindness to each other, their determination to survive on wits and courage…
| Starring | Yuya Yagira, Hiei Kumura, Momoko Shimizu, Hanae Kan |
|---|---|
| Director | Kore-Eda Hirokazu |
| Studio | DRAKES AVENUE PICTURES |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 20 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: Japanese |
| Released | DVD: 16 May 2005 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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In 1988, what was dubbed the “Affair of the Four Abandoned Children of Nishi-Sugamo” scandalised Japan and inspired Hirokazu Kore-eda's screenplay, which took 15 years to bring to the screen. The wait proved worthwhile, as this is a deeply moving study of juvenile endurance that earned Yuya Yagira the best actor prize at Cannes. As the oldest of the siblings left to fend for themselves by their mother, who is not so much cruel as recklessly romantic, the 12-year-old displays both ingenuity and insecurity in trying to keep his secret from the outside world. Even more impressive, however, is Kore-eda's increasingly disjointed directorial style which mirrors the household's increasing pressures.
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When Keiko (You) checks into a new second-floor Tokyo apartment, she introduces the landlord to 12-year-old Akira... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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14 out of 14 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Sublimely acted, beautifully filmed, one of the best Japanese films I've seen
Wow. What a great film. It lasts 2 and a quarter hours and normally Japanese films that are this long are very slow to develop - think M/Other etc. But this is a joy from start to finish. You don't want it to end. SO SO MOVING. OK back to the review: this is about four kids whose mother abandons them in a flat while she goes out for months at a time, leaving Akira, the oldest kid (who's about 12 or so) in charge of his energetic little brother and two little sisters. The three youngest kids have to stay in the flat because if the neighbouring landlord finds out there is more than one child in the flat, they will be out. As the money gets scarce, the kids get more and more desperate. This is not a feelgood film, but it is absolutely BEAUTIFULLY filmed... the passing of time is expertly done (small details such as nail-varnish fading, the change of the weather, how Akira's trouser hem gets shorter and shorter as he grows, how plants on the balcony grow, etc). This film doesn't have to say 'TWO MONTHS LATER' or 'FOUR MONTHS LATER', we know how much time passes from small things that are pointed out to us. Beautifully done, really. The film is so moving, and the kids are brilliant in their roles. RECOMMENDED FAMILY VIEWING.
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Most recent members' review
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3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Good - but long
This film just felt too long for me. They could have cut out half an hour easily without losing anything from the story.
After sitting through what seems like forever the story never really comes to a conclusion (which pissed me off a bit)
I did enjoy this film. The acting from the children was amazing. But it just felt way too long.
If your not in a patient mood don't bother renting this. I would also not reccomend this to people who like everything wrapped up at the end. -
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