I Wish (2012)

89% of critics liked it
(37 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(274 ratings)

Twelve-year-old Koichi lives with his mother and retired grandparents in Kagoshima, in the southern region of Kyushu, Japan. His younger brother Ryunosuke 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… More Twelve-year-old Koichi lives with his mother and retired grandparents in Kagoshima, in the southern region of Kyushu, Japan. His younger brother Ryunosuke 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. -- (C) Magnolia

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr. 8 min.
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda
Written By: Hirokazu Koreeda
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: May 11, 2012 Limited
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic
Transforms the commonplace into the extraordinary.
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post
It's about the wonders of everyday life, and of childhood imagination.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
The sort of small film of real consequence that, as a kid, I remember seeing and completely losing myself in: That was my life.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
A wistful heartbreaker from the Japanese master of quiet observation, Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
It's an adult movie about children that feels made from the inside out.
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
"I Wish" is a wonderful adventure film that's no less thrilling for its modest scale, and a film whose emotional power and intelligence sneak up on you.
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix
At its worst, I Wish is static. At its best, it has the warmth and subtlety of classic Asian works by Edward Yang and Yasujiro Ozu.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Koreeda's like a modern Ozu, documenting the trickle down effect of global economic changes on once strongly held traditions of Japanese family life.
Will McCord, Paste Magazine
Wistful, light and sweet.
Fr. Chris Carpenter, Movie Dearest
A lovely, authentic exploration of family bonds tested by separation. Though the film is overlong at 128 minutes, it is a warm and wise winner.
Brent Simon, Shockya.com
If the Dardenne brothers were Japanese instead of French-Belgian, or perhaps set out to craft a homage to Yasujiro Ozu that was crossed with a whimsical yet melancholic version of The Parent Trap, it might well resemble this.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
All of the kids in "I Wish" come across as real and believable, a tribute to Koreeda's directing skills working with children.
Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
Never for a moment did I think that the two boys at the heart of Hirokazu Kore-eda's simply told and layered film I Wish were actors.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
Often feels like life itself: indescribable, complex, wondrous and beautiful.
Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue.com
The film features some fine performances along with a script that avoids sentimentality in favor of genuine charm.
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
At eight minutes over two hours, the story goes on too long, with an excess of intercuts and brief scenes that do not contribute enough to warrant inclusion.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Two young boys journey to a scenic overlook to make their dreams come true in a funny, rueful modern-day fairy tale.
Chris Barsanti, Filmcritic.com
...[Hirokazu Kore-Eda] has the people and the mood, just not the story.

Read all 18 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Carlos M

A delicate film that relies on the talent and charisma of its young actors, making us easily relate to their dreams and wishes in a simple but quite honest story. Koreeda proves again that he knows well how to draw natural performances from children.
Saskia D

I'm a sucker for movies about siblings, so I really wanted to see this one. It's sort of a modern Ozu movie. It has a similar pace and just like some of Ozu's movies, it's about family in a changing society.
Walter M

In "I Wish," Kenji(Jo Odagiri), a musician, and his wife Nozomi(Nene Ohtsuka) have separated. Not only that but they have left their mutual home in Osaka to return to their hometowns. Nozomi took their eldest son Koichi(Koki Maeda) with her to live with her and her family… More
In "I Wish," Kenji(Jo Odagiri), a musician, and his wife Nozomi(Nene Ohtsuka) have separated. Not only that but they have left their mutual home in Osaka to return to their hometowns. Nozomi took their eldest son Koichi(Koki Maeda) with her to live with her and her family in the shadow of an active volcano where his new school is at the top of a hill. Ryu(Ohshiro Maeda) gets to live with his father. So, both brothers live parallel lives, making new friends along the way. One day, Koichi overhears a conversation about how if one makes a wish where two bullet trains pass each other, it is bound to come true. "I Wish" is lighter and less focused than Hirokazu Koreeda's other films that I have seen with an engaging plot that it occasionally forgets in favor of subplots like the grandfather(Isao Hashizume) making cake and other digressions that seem more suited for television programs that have the time to fully explore them.(As good as his movies usually are, this is not the first time they have reminded me of television.) Admittedly, in the grandfather's case, that might have something to do with new traditions superseding old traditions in Japan. In any case, there is just too much good will accumulated to not recommend this movie, despite its flaws and its protracted ending.