I Wish (film)

2011 Japanese film

11 June 2011 (2011-06-11) (Japan)

Running time

127 minutesCountryJapanLanguageJapaneseBox office$1,543,385^[1]

I Wish (奇跡, Kiseki, lit.Miracle) is a 2011 Japanese film edited, written, and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.^[2] This film stars real-life brothers Koki Maeda and Oshiro Maeda, along with veteran actress Kirin Kiki and actor Joe Odagiri.^[3]

I Wish tells the story of two young brothers who got separated and had to live in different cities – one with their father, one with their mother and her parents – and dream of reuniting.

Cast

Kohki Maeda as Kohichi Ohsako, the older brother
Ohshiro Maeda as Ryunosuke Kinami, the younger brother
Nene Otsuka as Nozomi Ohsako
Joe Odagiri as Kenji Kinami
Ryoga Hayashi as Yu Fukumoto
Hosinosuke Nagayosi as Shin Ohta
Kyara Uchida as Megumi Ariyoshi
Kanna Hashimoto as Kanna Hayami
Yuna Taira as Yuna Taira
Rento Isobe as Rento Isobe
Yui Natsukawa as Kyouko Ariyoshi
Hiroshi Abe as Mamoru Sakagami, a teacher
Masami Nagasawa as Sachi Mitsumura, a teacher
Yoshio Harada as Wataru Yamamoto
Kirin Kiki as Hideko Ohsako
Isao Hashizume as Shukichi Ohsako

Production

Hirokazu Kore-eda started with the basic premise of the film but did not write the script until after the lead child actors had been cast, so that he could "get more ideas from them."^[4] Film Business Asia reported in October 2010 that production had begun.^[5]

Release

The film was released in Japan on 11 June 2011.^[6]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval score of 94%, based on 77 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Elliptical and deliberately paced yet steadily absorbing, I Wish presents a beguiling portrait of childhood that grounds its sweetly nostalgic glow with well-rounded characters and attention to detail."^[7] On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[8]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack from the film was created by the band Quruli.

Track listing on record.

鹿児島おはら節 KAGOSHIMA OHARA BUSHI
プールとタコ焼きと市バス POOL TO TAKOYAKI TO SHI BUS
龍之介と父親 RYUUNOSUKE TO CHICHIOYA
学校へ行こう GAKKOU HE IKOU
周吉と山本 SHUUKICHI TO YAMAMOTO
中央駅にて CHUUOU EKI NITE
花火だ花火だ HANABI DA HANABI DA
鹿児島にて KAGOSHIMA NITE
ぞわぞわ ZOWAZOWA
それぞれの日々 SOREZORE NO HIBI
軍資金のテーマ GUNSHIKIN NO THEME
最終列車 SAISHUU RESSHA
コスモス COSMOS
走れ HASHIRE
願い NEGAI
帰路 KIRO
奇跡 KISEKI

References

^ "I Wish". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 158. ISBN 978-1908215017.
^ Frater, Patrick (5 February 2011). "Wild Bunch boards Kore-eda bullet train". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 12 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
^ Rahimi, Rama (3 May 2010). "Interview: Hirokazu Kore-eda (Air Doll)". Ioncinema. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ Frater, Patrick (25 October 2010). "Gaga blessed by Kore'eda Miracle". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "奇跡 on eiga.com". eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "I Wish". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
^ "I Wish Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

External links

Official website (in Japanese)
Magnolia Pictures official website
I Wish at IMDb
I Wish at AllMovie
Martonova, A. Boys don't cry: the image of the children as a social problem in Hirokazu Koreeda's films. - In: Central Asian Journal Of Art Studies. Almaty, T. Zhurgehov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, 2016. pр. 55–64