Plot
Ryota Nonomiya is a successful businessman driven by money. When he learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth, he must make a life-changing decision and choose his true son or the boy he raised as his own.
Release Year: 2013
Rating: 7.9/10 (1,941 voted)
Director:Hirokazu Koreeda
Storyline
Would you choose your natural son, or the son you believed was yours after spending 6 years together? Kore-eda Hirokazu, the globally acclaimed director of "Nobody Knows", "Still Walking" and "I Wish", returns to the big screen with another family - a family thrown into torment after a phone call from the hospital where the son was born... Ryota has earned everything he has by his hard work, and believes nothing can stop him from pursuing his perfect life as a winner. Then one day, he and his wife, Midori, get an unexpected phone call from the hospital. Their 6-year-old son, Keita, is not 'their' son - the hospital gave them the wrong baby. Ryota is forced to make a life-changing decision, to choose between 'nature' and 'nurture.' Seeing Midori's devotion to Keita even after learning his origin, and communicating with the rough yet caring family that has raised his natural son for the last six years, Ryota also starts to question himself: has he really been a 'father' all these years....
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.
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