I Wish (2011) User Reviews (23)

When The Train Comes Along . . .

[flickernatic · 8/10 · 22 February 2013]

This is the story of two young Japanese brothers who live apart following the break-up of their parents' relationship. The older boy dreams of his family reuniting and prays for a miraculous intervention in the form of a volcanic eruption, hoping this might lead to his evacuation from his grandparents' region and a return home. Then, when he discovers that the passing of the speeding Bullet trains, approaching from opposite directions, creates a 'cosmic' moment during which wishes are granted, he sets out with a few friends to meet his brother at the meeting point on the railway line. There they make their wishes - with varying results.

The two brothers are forced to deal with the consequences of their parents' choices, ones they have had no part in making. Their belief, to varying degrees, in the power of 'faith' (believing that wishes can come true) then leads them to have to face the consequences of their own choices. Given their youthful immaturity, there is real poignancy in witnessing their confrontation with some harsh realities.

The movie features brilliant performances from the young actors and an excellent supporting cast of adults. There is also gorgeous and evocative cinematography, scenes of the Japanese countryside and its urban impositions, not least the Bullet line itself elevated on its concrete trackbed.

It takes some time, too long perhaps, for the story to gain momentum. But once the youngsters embark on their journey to meet the trains, the story moves at a brisker, more engaging pace. The climax (yes there is a climax, contrary to the view of another reviewer) brings moments of intense beauty and sharp sadness, regret for the loss of childish innocence of as well as optimism in the hope for a better future.

So this is a slow-burner, but persistence brings rewards. Recommended.

(Viewed at The Cornerhouse, Manchester, UK 21.02.13)

Simple and Sensitive Tale of Loss of Innocence

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 17 August 2013]

In Kagoshima, the boy Koichi (Koki Maeda) lives with his mother Nozomi (Nene Ohtsuka) in the house of his grandparents. Koichi misses his younger brother Ryunosuke (Ohshirô Maeda) and his father Kenji (Jô Odagiri), who live in Fokuoko, and he dreams on his family coming together again. One day, Koichi overhears that the energy released by two bullet trains passing by each other would grant wishes and he invites his two best friends, Tasuku (Ryôga Hayashi) and Makoto (Seinosuke Nagayoshi), to travel to the point of intersection of the two trains. Koichi also tells his plan to Ryunosuke that invites his three best friends to join him. Soon the seven children arrive to the meeting point in the journey of discoveries.

"Kiseki" is a simple and sensitive tale of loss of innocence of children that need to face reality instead of immature and naive dreams. The come of age of Koichi that accepts the divorce of his parents and of Megumi (Kyara Uchida) that decides to move to Tokyo to become an actress and Makoto that decides to bury his dog are clearly are depicted in the story. Ryunosuke is still a child and believes that his wish is the responsible for the chance his father and his friends will have in their career of musicians.

The direction of Hirokazu Koreeda and the performances are top-notch and the movie shows landscapes of the countryside of Japan that are unusual in Japanese features. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Que Eu Mais Desejo" ("What I Desire the Most")

Common movie that's uncommon

[ebiros2 · 8/10 · 20 July 2012]

Kouichi (Kouki Maeda) and Ryunosuke (Oushiro Maeda) who's parents are separated and now lives apart in Fukuoka, and Kagoshima hears about a rumor that if you see the meeting of the first bullet trains from Fukuoka and Kagoshima, a miracle will happen. Wishing that the miracle will be the reunion of their parents, they set out to see the meeting of the two trains, while involving their friends, teachers, and adults around them.

Child prodigy stand up comic team Maeda-Maeda performs the role of Kouichi, and Ryunosuke. Director Hirokazu Koreeda originally had a different plot for the story, where a girl living in Fukuoka, goes to see the two trains crossing each other on the track, meets a boy from Hakata and love story ensues. But upon seeing Maeda-Maeda at the audition, he changed the story to that which involves the two brothers. The project was a promotional campaign for the opening of the Kagoshima route of Japan Railways bullet train line. They brought the project to director Koreeda, and he accepted.

Very common story that involves nothing but the life of few children, but is made extraordinary by the direction of Koreeda, and the performance of Maeda brothers. Observation of people in common life, and attention to detail is extraordinary, and can only come from the eyes of a genius. I can see why Koreeda is regarded so highly as a director. I'd say only few directors can take a theme like this, and create a truly intriguing movie like this one.

In reality it is virtually impossible to pinpoint where the two trains will meet on the track, so the story is purely fictional.

It may be difficult to see all the inner workings of this movie at a first glance, but it is worth the time to sit in and really enjoy the performance.

more magic from Koreeda

[jamesdamnbrown · 23 April 2012]

If, as many have pointed out, Koreeda is Ozu's cinematic heir, then I Wish is Koreeda's take on Ozu's Good Morning. Both films focus on adorable young kids and Japanese family life, and I have no qualms about saying between the two films, Koreeda easily outdoes Ozu. Not only is Koreeda's depiction of children subtler and more intuitive (no fart jokes here), but he coaxes wonderfully naturalistic performances from his child actors. Is there a director alive who does better work with kids than Koreeda? The movie really takes flight once the kids hit the road on their quest, and I loved the Ozu-ish part where they meet an elderly couple that takes in all the children for a night. Just a wonderful movie with tons of heart. Puts the human in humanistic filmmaking.

A charming and lighthearted film

[howard.schumann · 8/10 · 27 May 2013]

As a result of their parent's separation, 12-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda) lives in Kagoshima with his mother (Nene Ohtsuka) and grandparents (Kirin Kiki and Isao Hashizume) while his younger brother Ryunosuke (Oshiro Maeda) lives with his intermittently employed musician father (Jo Adigiri) in Fukuoka. Both talk to each other daily on their cell phone but have not seen each other in six months. Acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda's I Wish is a comedy/drama about the consequences of a split family and of the children's longing to reunite them. In contrast to Nobody Knows, an earlier Koreeda film about children, I Wish will not break your heart.

The brothers (brothers in real life as well) are very different in personality but both seem happy and well adjusted in spite of the difficult circumstances of their life. Ryu is fun loving and his toothless smile will warm your heart. Koichi is more serious and thoughtful but very engaging. He becomes elated when he hears that a bullet train is coming that will connect his city to his brother's. Even more exciting are the rumors that are floating around that when two trains pass each other in opposite directions, your wishes will come true out of the energy the trains create. Koichi's wish is for the nearby volcano to explode so that his family will have to move, and he will be reunited with his brother.

The plan is to meet his brother half-way and do some serious wishing. The fun starts when they have to find creative ways to raise the money. There's also the pesky part about Koichi and his two friends leaving school in the middle of the day. For this he recruits his grandfather to provide an excuse to the school authorities and includes the school librarian who once had a similar experience of wanting to escape from school to attend a concert.

The group of friends of both brothers adds a lot to the film as well. Tasuku (Ryoga Hayashi) wants to marry his teacher, a bit of magic realism there. Makoto (Seinosuke Nagayoshi) wants his dog to come back to life. Megumi (Kyara Uchida), much to her mother's indifference, wants very much to go to Tokyo and become an actress. Kanna (Kanna Hashimoto) wants to be a better painter, and Rento (Rento Isobe) wants to be a faster runner. While the focus of the film are the wishes of the group of children and their trip to the trains' midpoint, the film also provides a rounded portrait of all of its characters without syrup or other sweeteners, though it certainly views children through a somewhat rose-colored lens.

I Wish is a charming and lighthearted film, though its over two hour's length can makes the goings-on a bit tedious. Although the children arrive at the point of realizing that accepting what is can produce happiness, the growth in reaching that point is what the film is about. Ultimately, however, though hoping, wishing, and yearning are all part of childhood, some adults come to realize that, a step beyond wishing and hoping and praying for something to happen, is our ability to create, to make things happen. Unfortunately, most people have not gotten past the hoping stage.

A children-centered movie not necessarily for children

[Kicino · 8/10 · 18 July 2012]

I first saw this at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. It was so good that I watched it again when it was publicly released.

What was your dream when you were small? To be a dancer? To be an actor? To marry your teacher? To run faster? To reunite with your family after your parents' separation?

For 12-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda), his dream was for the volcano in Kagoshima to explode so he could go back to Osaka with his mom and live with his dad and younger brother Ryunosuke (Oshirou Maeda).

Koichi accidentally heard that miracles happened when the first north and south bound bulletin trains passed each other in Kyushu. Elated, he called his younger brother in Osaka to plan for this secret rendezvous.

What is appealing of the film is that it is totally carried by the children cast. Even grandpa, mama, teachers and strangers on the road were on their side – everyone was kind and everyone had their own dream. Grandpa was determined to try making his exclusive desert karukan. Mama missed his younger son but was too proud to get back with her husband. The teachers were all so kind to go along with the kids' kind lies.

What I admire is how autonomous the children were in this movie. Not only did they have a dream, but they also actually developed a plan to realize their dream: Koichi and his friends looked for changes under the vending machines. When they found out it was not enough, they sold their toys and comic books and even gave up their swimming tuition. Then they made a detailed itinerary complete with train schedule and maps. The important point was their parents gave them a lot of freedom to do what they want.

It did not come to my mind that the two brothers are real brothers behind the screen until I saw their old pictures in the later part of the movie. No wonder there were such strong resonance between them. All the characters were lovable in the film, even if they lie, even if they were too trusty - because they all have dreams and they believe in them.

The message is also very positive: when there is dream, there will be miracles and things will fall into places. Even if miracles did not happen, we would be glad that we tried.

A feel-good movie at the highest level. And it is exactly what Japan needs to rebuild itself from the ruins after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Kore-eda in cruise control

[LunarPoise · 7/10 · 22 July 2013]

Pre-teen brothers Ryunosuke and Koichi (played by real-life brothers Ohshirô and Koki Maeda) are forced to live apart when their separated parents end up residing in opposite ends of Kyushu. Ryunosuke broods on this, while Koichi seems more at ease with the arrangements. Together, the brothers hatch a plan to meet at the point where the new shinkansen trains pass each other, after hearing an urban legend that the vortex created by the speed of the trains has the power to grant wishes. Meanwhile, granddad tries out a new sponge cake recipe, a friend of Koichi's has acting ambitions, and Dad is writing a new song.

The usual Kore-eda themes of fractured families and kids finding magic in a flawed universe are present, but by the director's own standards this is a much lighter, almost sugar-coated engagement with those themes. There is the signature naturalistic, engrossing performances from the child actors, with Ohshirô as Ryunosuke especially impressive in his conflicted, caring attempts to be re-united with his brother. Koki is more of a one-note outing, required to be relentlessly upbeat, which he does superbly. The scene where he moves his mother to tears on the phone plays on this astutely. Forcing two young brothers to live apart for their own selfish ends could be represented in darker tones, even as abuse, but Kore-eda keeps it all light and humorous, through the simple trope of having the children be sensible and down-to-earth, and the adults, especially the bickering parents, petty and immature. The sub-plots, involving sponge cake and acting ambitions, are so removed from the main story strand that they give the film an episodic, slightly meandering feel when they pop up. Ultimately they are distracting, making the story busier than it needs to be. They also stretch the running time to over two hours. While some will delight in spending time with such engaging children, the film felt flabby to me after the 90-minute mark. The ending, while admirably avoiding sentimentality, takes too long to come around.

Such is Kore-eda's stature that a host of A-listers pack the minor roles giving them more gravitas than normal. Jô Odagiri as the musician father, Kirin Kiki as the grandmother, and Hiroshi Abe as a disciplinarian teacher ply their day-shifts admirably.

There is a lot to enjoy in I Wish, but lacking the damning social critique of Nobody Knows, and the acerbic scalpel on family life of Still Walking, this is Kore-eda choosing to crowd please rather than stretch himself.

Magical, and surprisingly subtle

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 1 December 2013]

I expected this film to be like an emotional bullet train, given the subject matter, but it is actually very subtle and very gentle, which is entirely appropriate. There are not the histrionics that you might expect from an American rendering of the same story. What you get is a gentle representation of the warmth, love, and differences that exist between two young brothers who have been recently separated by divorce, and who have to learn to move forward with change. Koki Maeda and his younger brother Oshiro were perfectly cast as the protagonist brothers Koichi (serious yet still capable of dreaming and having fun)and Ryonosuke (Slightly nuts, and inexhaustibly energetic, yet responsible beyond his years).

The film handles a common situation with panache, and with a clear indication that this is a Japanese film depicting a uniquely Japanese approach to solving it. Wonderful! (I would love to know if the two boys are just playing themselves!)

Kiseki (I Wish)

[politic1983 · 7/10 · 22 January 2014]

Koichi (the fat one) and Ryunosuke (the 'on acid' one) are two brothers separated along with their parents: Koichi now living with his mother and grandparents in Kagoshima and Ryunosuke in Fukuoka with his father. Once a happy family living in Osaka, they are now divided, with Koichi in a sleepy town in southern Kyushu overlooked by a rumbling volcano; and Ryunosuke with his musician father in modern and vibrant Fukuoka to the island's north. Wanting his family back together again, like Janet Jackson, Koichi comes up with an idea to make it happen.

Each with a group of friends, the brothers makes the trip to Kumamoto: the point they calculate where the new Sakura Shinkansen will meet in opposing directions. When this happens, miracles will follow.

Of course, this idea is childish – that's why this is a film about children. Kore-eda Hirokazu's latest feature seems to combine two of his previous releases, 'Nobody Knows' and the Ozu-like 'Still Walking', looking at the break-up of family through the eyes of a child. Using real-life brothers (well, their family name is the same, anyway) for the leads, Hirokazu again captures the imagination with a film that furthers his place among the greats of Japanese cinema.

Like many of his other films, 'I Wish' is simple, but effective in his tackling of subjects in modern society, like an Ozu for a new generation, with the dreams and motivations of all cast members considered.

politic1983.blogspot.com

A philosophical yet thoroughly accessible film that effortlessly gets under the skin.

[info-540-718180 · 8/10 · 14 February 2013]

Lighthearted but profound Japanese family drama about two young brothers forced to live apart after the separation of their parents. The more sensitive Koichi (Koki Maeda) lives with his mother and grandparents in Kagoshima under the shadow of the active Sakurajima volcano, while the happy-go-lucky Ryu (Ohshirô Maeda) has remained in Fukuoka with their slacker musician father. Koichi longs for them to be reunited and when he hears of a magical rumour that when two super-fast Bullet trains pass each other they create enough cosmic energy to grant your wish, he and his friends set out to put things back the way they were.

The suburban tale of a troubled family told with a touch of fantasy and adventure draws obvious parallels with Spielberg, and it is more than worthy of the comparison. Director Hirokazu Koreeda elicits two incredibly natural performances from the boys (real life brothers) and indeed all of the young cast – in the scenes where they're hanging out he has seemingly turned the camera on some local school friends, their relationships seem so genuine. Koichi and Ryu's story is interspersed with those of their friends and family, all of whom have their own struggles and aspirations. Be it their grandfather's desire to bake a successful sponge cake, or Koichi's friend's dream of marrying the beautiful school librarian, every character – no matter how minor – is portrayed as a real person with their own hopes and fears. As a result it is constantly engrossing, establishing an affinity with everyone on screen and also allowing some fantastically warm funny moments to emerge from the characters themselves. Despite its concentration on character over narrative, and its general unpredictability, the film still has a mainstream tone and is more than capable of cultivating a wide, varied audience.

A quiet natural film that avoids obvious melodrama and sentimentality, it retains a thoughtful depth about what it is to dream and hope for that which is just out of reach. As is often the case with the most affecting cinema its power lies in what the viewer brings to it from their own lives, and how much they are willing to invest in the film. With no obvious moral or message, it has the potential to be interpreted in many ways. A philosophical yet thoroughly accessible film that effortlessly gets under the skin.

A nice film, definitely not a GREAT film

[Filaipus · 7/10 · 15 August 2012]

Siblings try to find a way out of the circumstances imposed on them by their parents. Their lives are turned upside down when their parents divorce and custody arrangements split them up. Twelve-year-old Koichi ends up with his mother Nozomi, and they move in with her parents in a small village where she gets a job at a supermarket. Koichi's younger brother Ryunosuke, meanwhile, moves in with his dad Kenji, a struggling musician who can't hold on to a day job. The brothers miss each other and want to bring their parents back together, and when they hear of an urban legend that if two people make the same wish at the same time while watching two bullet trains pass one another, the wish will immediately come true, they decide this is the way to reunite the family.

It has its funny moments and it reminds you of your childhood (if you are more that 25 years old haha). The concept idea is a good one and the performance its quite good too. I was expecting way more to say the true, but everyone has its own tastes. Worth watching? 1 time, yes.

Hirokazu Koreeda's astute direction is as light as the traditional sponge cakes that the boys' grandfather makes

[dipesh-parmar · 8/10 · 2 June 2013]

Hirokazu Koreeda's 'I Wish' sees real-life brothers Koki and Ohshirô Maeda play Koichi and Ryu, two brothers who are geographically split in Japan by their parents who have split up. Twelve year old Koichi stays with his mother Nozomi (Nene Ohtsuka), who has returned home to Kagoshima to live with her parents. Ryu lives with his laid-back father Kenji (Jô Odagiri) in Osaka, who's's pursuing his ambitions as a musician.

No mention is made of why Nozomi and Kenji had split up, or why the brothers were split themselves to live with one parent. I can only surmise that the arrangement was temporary, so each parent had equal parental duties. Kagoshima is under the imposing shadow of a live volcano which is threatening to erupt, which fascinates Koichi. Although 'I Wish' has a plethora of characters who are young and old, the focus is on young Koichi and Ryu. Koichi is the more introspective son, Ryu is easygoing and smiles a lot between those gap-teeth of his.

Koichi and Ryu regularly call each other to keep in touch, but rarely see each other. News of a new bullet trains imminent arrival spurs Koichi into action, he's heard that anyone who witnesses the exact moment where two bullet trains pass one another will have their wishes granted. Koichi and Ryu hatch a plan to meet up and attempt to witness this passing, hoping to restore their family back together again.

'I Wish' is an honestly portrayed and deeply moving film, brimming with energy and intelligence, with not an ounce of sentimentality. There's plenty of subtle comical moments used to charming effect, Ryu's chat with his father about child support in particular is hilarious. Koreeda's astute direction is as light as the traditional sponge cakes that the boys' grandfather makes, and there's a purpose and meaning in the tiniest details and movements. Koreeda manages to knit together so many characters and their individual struggles with warmth and precision, with two stunning performances from Koki and Ohshirô Maeda.

Above all, Koreeda realistically shows that life merely carries on as normal and everyone adapts. Neither Nozomi or Kenji are bad parents, they've merely changed to the point where they've realised their incompatibilities cannot be sustained together. Some things happen which cannot be explained, as Kenji said to Ryu, "There's room in this world for wasteful things. Imagine if everything had meaning. You'd choke."

Amazingly disarming children's film for adults as well

[JuguAbraham · 7/10 · 22 August 2018]

Amazingly disarming children's film for adults as well. The variety of subjects, the choice of his actors, his editing and his original scripts, make Kore-eda one of the most fascinating directors alive and making films in quick succession. Both he and Naomi Kawase are two Japanese directors consistently focusing on family relationships irrespective of the genre and type of film.

One of the best use of child actors in cinema since Carol Reed's "Oliver!"

Miracle Didn't Happen Here

[ethSin · 5/10 · 19 September 2011]

8.5 average user ratings on 37 votes? I Wish people would stop voting based on director's prestige. "I Wish" is a bland mainstream movie that would've been unnoticed without the marketing power of Koreeda Hirokazu and its A-list actors as the supporting cast.

"I Wish", Japanese title "Kiseki (Miracle)", is sort of a road movie about a bunch of kids going to see the new Kyuushuu Bullet Trains crossing. Majority of the film follows the lives of the two brothers: One in Kagoshima; the other in Fukuoka. They reunite after their parents broke up 6 months ago. One day, the older brother Kouki hears the urban legend that witnesses of the new bullet trains crossing will have their wishes granted, much like seeing shooting stars. The brothers and their friends begin collecting money for the trip to have their wishes granted.

I did like how the bullet trains connecting to the Southwestern Japan marks a new era in the region. Perhaps that is the reason kids, the next generation, were the main focus of the story. It was also interesting that Tower of the Sun, the symbol of Osaka Expo '70, was torn down in Kouki's dream to further signify coming of a new era.

However, over three-quarters of the film was about getting ready for the trip, and the ending seemed very rushed despite the movie spending so much time with the plot getting nowhere. While "process is more important than result" is a common theme in Japanese films and certainly present in this film, the actual process (the trip to the destination) was cut too short as a series of convenient events, and the preparation stage was simply introduction of each kids and their problems in the most obvious ways imaginable. Furthermore, "I Wish" completely fails to build up for the climax (didn't have a climax?), making it an extremely bland movie... and this is NOT because it's one of those subtlety Japanese film in any way. "Koko ni Irukoto" (2001) is a subtle film, "Tennen Kokekko" (2007) is a subtle film, yet both of them (and many other Japanese films of its type) managed to be far more heartwarming than this generic road movie.

The leading actors, dubbed "MaedaMaeda" by the marketing team for being real brothers with the last name "Maeda" (also happens to be homophone with "forward" in Japanese), delivered very underwhelming performances. In fact, none of the child actors' acting can be truly called "acting". While this kind of performance works for the documentary style of Koreeda, it is a total disaster for a movie with such tightly written script, also making it feel extremely uneven with the supporting adult actors.

"I Wish" has THE biggest waste of acting talent I have ever seen. Odagiri Joe had about 10-minute screen time. Abe Hiroshi, Nagasawa Masami, and Natsukawa Yui... all of whom capable of leading in their own films, in addition to many veteran supporting actors, were reduced to cameo-like 3-minute appearances in this movie. Nagasawa Masami in particular was not even recognizable. With exception of Ootsuka Nene, none of the cast had to be the big-names since they had nothing to work with. They were there solely for marketing purposes.

Unlike Miike Takashi who also sold out to the mainstream in last year's TIFF participant "13 Assassins" (2010), Koreeda Hirokazu failed to create something extraordinary for the general audience and failed to draw out the best out of his talented cast. This film had nothing that hundreds of other Japanese directors couldn't have made.

"I Wish" is an average quality Japanese film made to glorify the new Kyuushuu Bullet Train and PR for the local businesses. Like in the movie, miracle didn't happen here.

You'll WISH you rented "Kikujiro" instead.

[rooprect · 7 September 2013]

I've been impressed with Koreeda's work in the past. "Maborosi" and "After Life" are two excellent, deeply philosophical and moving films. Maybe based on those I had unrealistically high expectations (further inflated by the DVD box boasting a dozen rave reviews & awards), but "I Wish" failed to deliver.

One hour into this 2-hour movie I had to shut it off. Since I didn't watch the whole thing I can't fairly rate it, but I wanted to share my (unpleasant) experience because I wish someone had warned me the same way. This was the first time in my life I've ever shut off a movie from sheer boredom. No, boredom isn't the word. It was more a feeling of total disconnection. The scenes, perhaps attempting to recreate the disconnected, ADD-type thought process of little kids, were so unrelated and random that I became irritated.

Like my title suggests, if you want to see a truly magical film about youth, innocence and the not-so-innocent, hunt down a film called "Kikujiro" (1999). More about that later. First let's talk about "I Wish".

Here is a breakdown of the first hour. Each scene lasts 2-5 minutes. At any time if you become bored, skip to the last paragraph of my review.

Scene 1) a boy grabs a washcloth and cleans his desk. Scene 2) The boy's mother is talking about meaningless things while the grandmother makes random gestures in the air, saying "I'm the wind. I'm a ghost. Etc..." Scene 3) The boys walk to school and complain about the hill. Scene 4) Kids are scolded by a teacher for not doing their homework properly. Scene 5) Kids are in the hall complaining about the teacher. Scene 6) Back to the mother and grandparents talking about vegetable gardens. Scene 7) Jump to some other kids at a swimming pool. Scene 8) The boy stares blankly at his homework assignment. Scene 9) A bunch of old men talk about baking a cake for the festival. Scene 10) The boys are back in school ogling the librarian's legs. Scene 11) The boy's father wakes up, strums a guitar and goes back to sleep. Scene 12) The kids gather and talk about acting.

While I hesitate to call the movie "bad" because I didn't watch it all the way through, I can definitely conclude that the first hour didn't provide enough substance to convince me to keep watching. And trust me, I like slow movies (2001, Werckmeister Harmonies, Hitchcock's Rope). Instead of watching "I Wish", I HIGHLY recommend a Japanese film called "Kikujiro" which this movie seemed to be imitating. However, even though it is slow paced, "Kikujiro" wastes no scenes. They all relate to each other, build upon each other and eventually lead you to a powerful message by the time the film ends. The music in "Kikujiro" (composed by the Japanese master Joe Hisaishi) is also leagues above the mediocre soundtrack of "I Wish", another turnoff. Maybe one day I'll go back & finish the last hour of this film and revise this review if I feel differently. But all the same, I'd rather spend my time watching something else.

Charming

[writer93-354-983808 · 8/10 · 20 February 2013]

I feel that if a film can maintain a national stance and still be a universally identifiable then it is a very good film. I sat down to watch I wish and was immediately taken away by the story and the innocence it encapsulates from the beginning. I must admit that maybe the film didn't live up to all of my expectations in terms of the reviews that I read but it was still a very well woven story that has been executed soundly by a talented filmmaker. The young cast were excellent and carried the story throughout leaving me envious at times and nostalgic with memories of my own childhood. The cinematography offered beautiful views of modern and rural Japan and the effect modernisation has had on the countryside, an underlying theme throughout. The music was very good and at times really gives you something extra, the musical sequences offer up some of the most enjoyable parts of the movie. Overall it is a very well rounded film that anybody in any part of the world can take something from and can serve to remind adults that we can still learn allot from young people. Not personally what I expected but still very good, I would definitely recommend.

Another beautiful film by this director

[ebeckstr-1 · 9/10 · 29 May 2021]

Like so many of this director's films this one is sweet, with just enough poignancy to earn that sweetness and elevate it to something credible and beautiful. It follows a theme similar to that of some of his subsequent films, focusing on ephemeral, seemingly banal, but ultimately profound memories from childhood. These memories could be interpreted as mundane but are instead honored as miraculous grains of sand falling through an hour glass.

To further build this theme and lend the memories resonance Kore-Eda positions them within multi-generational stories, shown through the lives of the children's parents and grandparents (a group of kids being the film's main characters). In this way the central theme is lent poignany by the looming inevitability of adulthood. In interviews the director has acknowledged that this kind of story and the associated themes are commonly perceived as sad or depressing, whereas he sees the juxtaposition of growth and loss as beautiful and miraculous, and the most human of experiences.

As I watch more of Kore-Eda's films it becomes more and more clear how his previous documentary filmmaking experience plays a significant role in his narrative films, including in the way he writes and edits them. In addition, like Our Little Sister, I Wish (the Japanese title translates more literally as Miracles) is unusual in that there is no antagonist and no traditional conflict. Both of these films drop us into a wondrous time in the lives of the childhoods of the characters. We travel with them through this moment, which lasts just several days, and leave them at the end of the film, like a train passing through a small town, catching a glimpse.

I've watched six or eight of Kore-Eda's films and have not been disappointed. He seems to be one of those directors where you can put in anything he has made and it is bound to be excellent. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys poignancy, excellent character development, subtle filmmaking, and who can experience sweetness and sentimentality without cynicism.

A film that will make you happy

[cruizca · 7/10 · 18 November 2020]

As I conceive it, there are two types of films: those that reflect on life and those that are, in themselves, a way of living it. Milagro is a film that talks about childhood, dreams and how these, combined, become a force superior to any dramatic situation. In this case, the separation -marital and spatial- of a marriage with children.

In addition, Koreeda, a teacher of social and family issues, decides to tell us the story through the anxieties of those most affected by circumstances: Koichi and Ryu, two separated brothers who hope that a miracle can bring the family back together. His leading role is also expressed through close-ups; plane scale not enjoyed by other types of characters other than a child.

In fact, thanks to the sublime exercise of directing the actors -also a brand of the house- and the parallel editing, he makes the relationship between the brothers as natural and close as our own childhood. Regarding the montage - a work that Koreeda himself also does - it is also worth noting the occasional role that music acquires in it. Through happy and melodic rhythms, he manages to cover the long -but appropriate- sequences in which both brothers prepare for the trip with friendly sensations.

Despite this, Milagro is not just a broad-based film. In fact, we could say that he finds his greatest virtue in the small details: naturalness. Koreeda has a prodigious gaze through which we see how only children and grandparents have illusions -whether they are being an actress, reviving "Marbles" or setting up a bun shop-, while adults remain stagnant in their lives - His father lives obsessed with the world of music and his mother neither has a job nor is she looking for one. However, and although some social criticism can be drawn from this point, the film is limited to treating children's characters in a much more interesting way than adults.

Although the film is clearly evolving towards more rational maturity, Milagro wins over the viewer when she reminds them of the time when she still chased dragonflies and believed in miracles. In a film that brims with good intentions, Koreeda guides us on a journey to the most beautiful childhood, full of dreams; but, at the same time, it shows us a mature acceptance of the world as it is. And so, it is inevitable to be happy after viewing.

Way too long based on the story...

[asc85 · 3/10 · 5 March 2017]

As an American who likes Japanese cinema, as well as Koreeda films (Nobody Knows is one of the five best films I have ever seen, and I liked Like Father, Like Son), this film was a huge disappointment, and honestly, I have very few positive things to say about it. The main problem, as also noted by another IMDb reviewer, is that the film takes a very, very long time to set up the plot of the kids going to see the bullet trains intersect, and then when it goes into motion, everything feels super-rushed. At more than 2 hours in length, the pacing was completely off. This film could easily have had a half hour chopped off and it wouldn't have mattered.

This Japanese coming-of-age film reminded me a lot of Rob Reiner's Stand By Me. But with the exception of the film's climax, there was very little to it.

Touching film

[fbcandy · 22 August 2014]

Two young brothers, Kouichi and Ryuunosuke live apart in Fukuoka and Kagosima because of there parent's divorce. One day they know about a rumour that the person who sees the two new bullet trains passing each other for the first time gains his dream, and they plans to see it to make their wish to live together with their family again. With few friends of them, they goes to their meeting point. This film is very nice. We can see two brother's strong wish and their grow up in their spirits through the trip clearly. However, if I could say one thing, I want to see more about their past, or their life with their parent after they live apart. I could see their desire to live with their family again, but I could not see much trouble or conflict. However other than this, I think this film is very good and moving film.

Mild and bland coming of age drama

[blott2319-1 · 4/10 · 14 October 2021]

I Wish is a super simple coming-of-age story about a couple of brothers who have been moved away from one another after their parents' divorce. It's kind of sweet watching them work towards reuniting the family in whatever way they can, while also questioning if things would even be better if they were successful. It was kind of tough for me because I found one of the boys mildly annoying, and he was put at the forefront in a greater portion of the film. The other boy was humorous and charming, so I wanted more of him all the time. The friends that follow around the two boys are a mixed bag who all have their own little drama going on, but they don't quite get developed well enough to stand out as distinct characters.

I'm never drawn all that much into dramas like I Wish. The story was a bit too slight and uneventful for me. I particularly struggled with the fact that their end goal struck me as silly and not all that worthwhile of an endeavor. I can see why others might love the film, because it becomes a combination of a coming-of-age and a road-trip movie where the journey is more important than the destination. Sadly, I was not invested enough in the journey to connect with any of the things that they were going through. Perhaps I'm also a bit unnerved by the cultural differences where it seems Japanese parents don't particularly care if their children disappear overnight and roam across the country. I Wish is cute and not unpleasant in any way, but I am dangerously close to calling it boring.

A modern fairytale

[jandesimpson · 25 April 2015]

A group of children walking in an unfamiliar landscape stop to gaze in rapture at a garden full of colourful flowers. For a moment they seem to have forgotten the reason they have taken their journey; one lovely moment among many in Hirokazu Kore-eda's "I Wish," a meditation on how children would like their world to be that little bit better. The film has taken quite a while to reach this point. In a rather meandering exposition the elder of two brothers separated geographically by a family split comes to realise that his greatest wish is for them to be reunited again. He even wonders whether the smouldering volcano that dominates the town might one day burst, causing the mass exodus that could end in physical relocation and reconciliation. He paints a picture of the eruption, places it on a high point of his wall and gazes up at it from his bed. During the development that follows be excitedly learns that the passing of the two bullet trains on a newly constructed line joining his town and his brother's generates at their point of passing a force so powerful that anyone standing beside the track will have their wish come true - the very stuff of fairy tale here translated into a realistic contemporary setting. When both brothers gather together a few friends to make their collective wishes come true what has until then been a rather slow footed film cluttered with non-essentials suddenly springs to life. The two groups travelling from their two towns towards each other on their local line meet up at a country station. From this point there is magic in the storytelling. What I admire most about Kore-eda is his honesty. In real life not every wish can come true but every so often there can come about a coincidence that can in itself be something of a miracle. Here it takes the form of the children's chance encounter with very human "good fairies." the elderly couple who see in one of the girls a resemblance to a daughter whose company they no longer enjoy. This is just enough to get the children to the one place where they can be close enough to the bullet trains to scream their wishes. The rest of the films is the quietest of codas as the children return home with perhaps a wiser view of the world than when they set out.

Far, far slower than I would have expected.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 26 July 2023]

I have seen several films directed by Hirokazu Koreeda and enjoyed them since they often give an unconventional look at Japanese life. So, it's not surprising that I was excited to see "Kiseki" ("I Wish"). Sadly, however, I was quite disappointed in the picture...mostly because of its incredibly slow pace. Oh, well...I guess you can't win 'em all.

The story is a bit like "The Parent Trap"...just a bit. This is because the story is about two brothers who have been separated by their awful parents. It seems they parents divorced and instead of having the boys remain together, each parent took one! Not surprisingly, the boys miss each other! Well, when one of them hears a rumor that you can have your wish granted if you watch two bullet trains pass each other. This means they both need to sneak off to a spot midway between their homes in Fukuoka and Kumamoto. They also bring along a few friends who also have wishes...including one weird kid who brings along his dead dog and his wish is that the dog returns to life!

The film might have worked better had it been more of a comedy or if it had been more poignant. However, instead it's neither and moves at a snail's pace. Interesting at times, but I honestly had trouble staying awake as I watched.