Keiko is a single mother living with her four children (all from different fathers) in a cramped apartment she's recently rented in a middle class section of Tokyo. Fearful that they will be thrown out onto the streets if the neighbors or landlord discover the existence of the kids, she makes the three youngest ones stay indoors and out of sight while the oldest, 12-year-old Akira, is allowed to venture out to run errands and enjoy at least some semblance of a normal life. None of the children attend school. Despite his youth, Akira, in many ways, has been forced to assume the role of parent, providing for the other children while Keiko stays away for months at a time, ostensibly earning money working (though we are inclined to speculate that there may be a far more nefarious truth behind the absences that is never fully revealed to us).
Based on a true story, "Nobody Knows" is more of an observational study on human behavior than a full-fledged narrative; it is a film that uses the minutiae of everyday life, rather than heavy-handed plot points, to generate its drama. As virtual prisoners in their own apartment, the children survive as best they can without adult supervision or guidance. Indeed, in its own quiet way, the film serves as an allegory of a much larger issue, a stinging indictment against a society that too often abandons and neglects its children to pursue its own selfish interests - most often to devastating and disastrous results both for the youngsters themselves and for the society as a whole.
Beautifully written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, this is a heartrending film filled with moments of quiet perceptions and unforgettable images. The actors portraying the children are all truly amazing - wholly natural, unaffected and believable in front of the camera. Yuya Yagira, as young Akira, is basically called on here to carry the film and he does so in a way that leaves one awestruck and breathless. His is an exquisitely internalized performance, serious and stoic on the outside, yet with a sly mischievousness that peeks through from time to time to remind us that Akira is really just a kid at heart, forced to grow up much too fast and assume the mantle of adult responsibility that the actual "adults" around him have been all too eager to abandon. What's so heartbreaking about this film is watching these sweet (but never cloying) children being deprived of all the true essentials of a happy childhood - freedom, fresh air, open space, education, even food and electricity, not to mention the all-important feeling of security and belonging that comes with the love and guidance of a fully engaged parent. Yet, although they yearn for all these things, the children seem to accept their plight with a sort of uncomplaining fatalism combined with a love of one another and a resourcefulness and spirit of survival that is both astonishing and inspiring.
Nothing about "Nobody Knows" is ever obvious or underlined, not its message and certainly not its emotions. These seep into the film gradually and unobtrusively so as not to disturb the near-documentary nature of the movie. We feel almost as if we are eavesdropping on the children, as if we were the very neighbors from whom they are trying so desperately to hide. There's no point in denying that the movie requires patience from the viewer, for it achieves its power subtly and slowly, through an artfully arranged accumulation of activities and details. Yet, this is precisely what draws us into the world of the film and makes us, finally, not mere observers but rather empathetic participants with the characters.
It takes time to get to where it's going, but "Nobody Knows" will leave an indelible mark on your heart.
Based on a true story, "Nobody Knows" is more of an observational study on human behavior than a full-fledged narrative; it is a film that uses the minutiae of everyday life, rather than heavy-handed plot points, to generate its drama. As virtual prisoners in their own apartment, the children survive as best they can without adult supervision or guidance. Indeed, in its own quiet way, the film serves as an allegory of a much larger issue, a stinging indictment against a society that too often abandons and neglects its children to pursue its own selfish interests - most often to devastating and disastrous results both for the youngsters themselves and for the society as a whole.
Beautifully written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, this is a heartrending film filled with moments of quiet perceptions and unforgettable images. The actors portraying the children are all truly amazing - wholly natural, unaffected and believable in front of the camera. Yuya Yagira, as young Akira, is basically called on here to carry the film and he does so in a way that leaves one awestruck and breathless. His is an exquisitely internalized performance, serious and stoic on the outside, yet with a sly mischievousness that peeks through from time to time to remind us that Akira is really just a kid at heart, forced to grow up much too fast and assume the mantle of adult responsibility that the actual "adults" around him have been all too eager to abandon. What's so heartbreaking about this film is watching these sweet (but never cloying) children being deprived of all the true essentials of a happy childhood - freedom, fresh air, open space, education, even food and electricity, not to mention the all-important feeling of security and belonging that comes with the love and guidance of a fully engaged parent. Yet, although they yearn for all these things, the children seem to accept their plight with a sort of uncomplaining fatalism combined with a love of one another and a resourcefulness and spirit of survival that is both astonishing and inspiring.
Nothing about "Nobody Knows" is ever obvious or underlined, not its message and certainly not its emotions. These seep into the film gradually and unobtrusively so as not to disturb the near-documentary nature of the movie. We feel almost as if we are eavesdropping on the children, as if we were the very neighbors from whom they are trying so desperately to hide. There's no point in denying that the movie requires patience from the viewer, for it achieves its power subtly and slowly, through an artfully arranged accumulation of activities and details. Yet, this is precisely what draws us into the world of the film and makes us, finally, not mere observers but rather empathetic participants with the characters.
It takes time to get to where it's going, but "Nobody Knows" will leave an indelible mark on your heart.