I Wish (2011)
"Kiseki" (original title)

12-year-old Koichi, who has been separated from his brother Ryunosuke due to his parents' divorce, begins to believe that the new bullet train service will create a miracle when the first trains pass each other at top speed.

Director:

Hirokazu Koreeda

Writer:

Hirokazu Koreeda (screenplay)

Stars:

Hiroshi Abe, Jô Odagiri, Koki Maeda

3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Hiroshi Abe	...	Mr. Sakagami (Teacher)
Jô Odagiri	...	Kenji (Father)
Masami Nagasawa	...	Ms. Mimura (Teacher)
Yoshio Harada	...	Wataru (Grandfather's Friend)
Yui Natsukawa	...	Kyoko (Megumi's Mother)
Kirin Kiki	...	Hideko (Grandmother)
Lily	...	Higashi's Wife
Nene Ohtsuka	...	Nozomi (Mother)
Koki Maeda	...	Koichi
Isao Hashizume	...	Shukichi (Grandfather)
Yuri Nakamura	...	Ms. Aoki - Nurse
Ohshirô Maeda	...	Ryunosuke
Ryôga Hayashi	...	Tasuku
Chôei Takahashi	...	Higashi
Kyara Uchida	...	Megumi

Storyline

12-year-old Koichi, who has been separated from his brother Ryunosuke due to his parents' divorce, begins to believe that the new bullet train service will create a miracle when the first trains pass each other at top speed.

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Plot Keywords:

bullet train | checkout clerk | librarian | one word title | hospitality | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements, language and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

11 June 2011 (Japan)

Also Known As:

I Wish

Filming Locations:

Kumamoto, Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$10,919 (USA) (11 May 2012)

Gross:

$145,697 (USA) (17 August 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bandai Visual Company, Chugoku Broadcasting (RCC), East Japan Marketing & Communications Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Common movie that's uncommon

Kouichi (Kouki Maeda) and Ryunosuke (Oushiro Maeda) who's parents are separated and now lives apart in Fukuoka, and Kagoshima hears about a rumor that if you see the meeting of the first bullet trains from Fukuoka and Kagoshima, a miracle will happen. Wishing that the miracle will be the reunion of their parents, they set out to see the meeting of the two trains, while involving their friends, teachers, and adults around them.

Child prodigy stand up comic team Maeda-Maeda performs the role of Kouichi, and Ryunosuke. Director Hirokazu Koreeda originally had a different plot for the story, where a girl living in Fukuoka, goes to see the two trains crossing each other on the track, meets a boy from Hakata and love story ensues. But upon seeing Maeda-Maeda at the audition, he changed the story to that which involves the two brothers. The project was a promotional campaign for the opening of the Kagoshima route of Japan Railways bullet train line. They brought the project to director Koreeda, and he accepted.

Very common story that involves nothing but the life of few children, but is made extraordinary by the direction of Koreeda, and the performance of Maeda brothers. Observation of people in common life, and attention to detail is extraordinary, and can only come from the eyes of a genius. I can see why Koreeda is regarded so highly as a director. I'd say only few directors can take a theme like this, and create a truly intriguing movie like this one.

In reality it is virtually impossible to pinpoint where the two trains will meet on the track, so the story is purely fictional.

It may be difficult to see all the inner workings of this movie at a first glance, but it is worth the time to sit in and really enjoy the performance.