I remember seeing a preview for this movie and wanting very much to see it, but I missed it’s theatrical release. I finally got around to watching it and was completely riveted.
I should say now that the movie is desperately sad, just get that warning out of the way. The story is about 4 children and their incredibly irresponsible mother, and is based on true events that took place in Tokyo.
The film begins with Mom moving the children to a new apartment, sneaking them in (the two smallest in suitcases) so that no one knows they are there. She does introduce the oldest, Akira, to the landlord, and we soon find out why.
Akira is the only one that is allowed to leave the house! None of the children even go to school.
Soon mom, a hopeless romantic party-girl, disappears. She leaves some money and a note saying she’s ‘Gone away for awhile.’ She doesn’t return for a month. We watch the children take care of themselves, cook, pay bills and struggle to get by. Mom finally returns, bearing presents, but is soon gone again. This time promising to return for Christmas.
Most of the film is spent watching these adorable youngsters trying to take care of themselves and make it day to day with the little money that was left to them. It is heartbreakingly sad to watch, but the movie is also filled with tiny youthful moments of innocence and imagination. Even at it’s saddest the film brings childlike perspective to the grim realities the children are forced to deal with. The cinematograpghy is light and airy relieving some of the pressure of the storyline.
The young star, Yya Yagira as Akira, is devestatingly good and won best actor at Cannes Film Festival in 2004 for this role. In fact, all of the children are brilliant, not to mention incredibly cute.
While this film is not neccesarily for everyone, it is two hours and twenty minutes long and may require a box of tissues for some, I reccomend it highly.