chiinesse
A movie full of dreams in I Wish
Review by Jenny Alvarez
Photos courtesy
Koichi (Koki Maeda) a twelve-year-old boy lives with his mother and retired grandparents in Kagoshima, in the southern region of Kyushu, Japan. His younger brother Ryunosuke (Koki’s real-life brother Ohshiro Maeda) lives with their father in Hakata, northern Kyushu. The brothers have been separated by their parents’ divorce and Koichi’s only wish is for his family to be reunited. When he learns that a new bullet train line will soon open, linking the two towns, he starts to believe that a miracle will take place the moment these new trains first pass each other at top speed. With help from the adults around him, Koichi sets out on a journey with a group of friends, each hoping to witness a miracle that will improve their difficult lives.
A delightful tale of childhood desires and imaginative adventures, I wish will open on May 11 in Los Angeles, with a national rollout to follow. Faces show up in supporting roles as adults, including Jo Odagiri as the deadbeat father and a struggling musician and Hiroshi Abe as a strict teacher.
This movie gives the story a timeless, dreamlike quality and illustrates life as it is. Some landscape shots featuring the live volcano next to Kagoshima are particularly breathtaking. But some of the scenes seemed as though the cuts were put together very sloppily. In fact, if any wish gets preferential treatment, it’s that of Koichi’s friend Makoto, who quietly mourns and accepts the devastation of mortality during the adventure. It’s about family in a changing society full of life, heart, and funny little details about daily existence. Two thumbs up!
