neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Nobody Knows
	Hirokazu Koreeda Yûya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura, Momoko Shimizu, Hanae Kan, You 2004		Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda doesn't sugarcoat his heartrending drama "Nobody Knows," a brutally frank, witheringly sad story based on a real situation. Four children must survive on their own in Tokyo after they're abandoned by their self-centered, pathologically irresponsible single mother Keiko. Heading off to work at some ill-defined job in another city, Keiko leaves the kids with a wad of money, some vague instructions and little else. The eldest boy, Akira, is compelled to accept the role of family leader, despite his need for adult supervision and his desire to simply be a kid. To make matters more difficult, the apartment lease that Keiko signed stipulates that she's living there with only one child, Akira. He has to make certain that his three siblings — two needy sisters and an unruly little brother — stay hidden from the landlord and his girlfriend. It's an untenable situation, particularly when the money runs out. The acting is uniformly excellent. Mono-named TV personality You gives her portrayal of Keiko a heedless, flighty girlishness that swiftly conveys the character's lack of maternal instincts. All of the child actors are natural and credible, especially Yûya Yagira as grave, resourceful Akira. Koreeda's near-flawless script and direction bring a documentary atmosphere to "Nobody Knows," offering no easy solutions to the problem of forsaken children, but generating plenty of sympathy for their plight.


	Sunday, November 17, 2024





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