see'n'skip: Nobody Knows

Nobody Knows. Kore-Eda Hirokazu, 2004. 141min.
There's more than a passing reference to Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata, 1988) in Kore-Eda's new film. About a mother who abandons her four children for a happier life, the film is notably absent of adult figures. Even the mother is childish in her desire for happiness at the expense of her responsibilities. Those responsibilities fall on the shoulders of her eldest son, Akira. At first, he proves capable of keeping the family together, but as money runs out and his twelve year old need for friends his own age become more prominent, the household slowly falls apart. Adults offer tacit help as they slowly learn about the situation, allowing them to stay in their apartment and offering them handouts, but refrain from direct intervention. The children seem to exist outside of society, or maybe Kore-Eda is commenting on the society in which they live. The film, though fiction, is based on an actual event. However, even after the inevitable tragedies that befall them, their lives continue, and Akira continues to shoulder the burden of his family because he has to even as we watch their lives waste away. Posted by eku at March 2, 2005 9:51 AM