Like Father Like Son

"Soshite chichi naru" (English captions) is another one of Hirokazu Koreeda's moving and subtle little dramas. The fascinating and insightful films he writes and directs are honored at film festivals throughout the world.

Here we have a successful businessman who discovers that his biological son was switched at birth and the little boy he has been raising isn't his. Of course the impact of this action not only radiates throughout his family but also that of the parents of the boy he and his wife have been raising.

We watch:

• Masaharu Fukuyama is Ryota, that proud professional, furious that he is attached to a boy who isn't his own.
• Machiko Ono is Midori, his brokenhearted wife, who loves the boy anyway.
• Yoko Maki is Yukari, the carefree fellow who has been raising the wrong son along with his other two children.
• Riri Furanki is Yudai, his patient wife who loves all the children, no matter whose they might be.

We see the children trying to adjust; the parents trying to make sense of their feelings; the hospital trying to contain the cost of the inevitable lawsuit; the nurse who switched the babies trying to insure eternal life in heaven; and Ryota's parents who watch the whole unpredictable drama.

The more we see, the better we understand why all of the people react the way they do. There are many twists and turns but these are loving, caring people who don't want to hurt the children as they struggle to sort things out.

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Take a look:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3511134233
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