If hearing that a film’s main characters are children makes you want to run in the opposite direction like me, then I Wish’s summary will not appeal to you, but ignore your instincts! I Wish is directed by one of the best, unsentimental living directors Hirokazu Koreeda. I have now seen three of his films, including I Wish. Each of his films is very different, but they are all perfect.
I Wish is about two brothers whose parents are separated, and each parent has a child, but they live far away from each other. The older brother lives with his mother and maternal grandparents. He is a fastidious fellow bothered by the ash from and the proximity of the volcano. He wants his parents to reconcile and keeps in constant contact with his little brother. His little brother is an irrepressibly joyous boy who is not bothered by his bohemian musician father’s tendency to bring him to concerts and the urban lifestyle, but he is no Pollyanna. Unlike his older brother, he does not wear rose-colored glasses when he looks back on what life was like when his parents were together. In his flashbacks, he is solemn and stricken by the constant disharmony. He is happy now because they are apart, and there is finally peace. A high-speed bullet train will connect the two distant towns where the brothers live, and the older brother hears that when the trains pass each other, a miracle will happen so he plans to see if it is true.
I Wish expertly walks a tight rope. I Wish never falls into a Disney trap where dreams come true and conflict magically dissolves, but it also depicts children’s reality without becoming gritty or disillusioning. I Wish is also not just about the two brothers. I Wish is truly an ensemble piece, and even characters with less screen time are fully depicted as human beings with complex lives and desires. For example, the relationship between the grandfather and the older brother is a passing down of a tradition that adapts as much as possible to the new world without compromise. The grandfather is a human being-not a sepia-toned stereotype or an irreverent, naughty old guy. He is a craftsman trying to make a little more money to help his daughter raise his grandson by doing something that he once did well.
I Wish is a really subtle, beautiful film. Even though Hirokazu Korreda’s films are not flashy or have cliffhangers, his films create a tension that make you desperate to find out what will happen next. I Wish is steadfastly realistic while still permitting the children to be children who grow up a little, but are not yet adolescents or precocious young adults. Don’t let the subtitles or presence of children dissuade you. Think of I Wish as an elevated episode of Parenthood-even though it is way better.