Nobody Knows (Dare mo shiranai) (2004)
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93% of critics liked it
(92 reviews) -
91% of users liked it
(9,464 ratings)
Hirokazu Kore-eda, who wrote and directed the international success After Life, returns with this story about a family dealing with an unusual dilemma in an unusual manner. Keiko (You) is a single mother who moves with her 12-year-old son, Akira (Yuya Yagira), into a small flat in a large city;… More Hirokazu Kore-eda, who wrote and directed the international success After Life, returns with this story about a family dealing with an unusual dilemma in an unusual manner. Keiko (You) is a single mother who moves with her 12-year-old son, Akira (Yuya Yagira), into a small flat in a large city; however, what the building management doesn't know is that Keiko also has three other children, all fathered by different men: ten-year-old Kyoko (Ayu Kitaura), seven-year-old Shigeru (Hiei Kimura), and four-year-old Yuki (Momoko Shimizu). One day, Akira finds a note from his mother, saying that she'll be away for a while and that he's in charge while she's gone; the message is accompanied by an envelope full of money. Akira takes this news in stride, since it isn't the first time this has happened; he sees to it that the bills are paid, Kyoko takes care of the housework, and the youngest kids look after one another. But days stretch into weeks and it becomes clear that Kieko may not be coming back for a while. At first, the children try to keep up appearances as if their mother were still around, but as time goes on and money gets low, things become increasingly chaotic, and Keiko starts running out of ways to dodge the landlord and keep their problem a secret. Daremo Shiranai was inspired by actual events known in Japan as The Affair of the Four Abandoned Children of Nishi-Sugamo, though Kore-eda's version differs considerably from what occurred in real life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Hirokazu Koreeda
- Written By
- Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Genres
- Art House & International, Drama
- In Theaters
- Oct 21, 2004 Wide
- Studio
- IFC Films
Critic Reviews
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Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Nobody Knows will chill you, further proof that the ability to procreate does not automatically qualify you to be a parent.
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Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
At its heart, Nobody Knows is a sweet salute to the tenacity and courage of children who are blithely mistreated by adults who should know better and probably do.
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Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News
This gem from Hirokazu Kore-eda unfolds with the graceful simplicity of a real-life episode turned into a minimalist fable.
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Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Profoundly sad, but it's made with such artistry that it's almost uplifting; you watch it mesmerized, immersed in the strange community the children create.
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Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
A genuinely important film.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Yûya Yagira
as Akira
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Ayu Kitaura
as Kyoko
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Hiei Kimura
as Shigeru
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Momoko Shimizu
as Yuki
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Hanae Kan
as Saki
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You
as Fukushima Keiko
- Kan Hanae
- Yagira Yuya
- Kitaura Ayu
- Kimura Hiei
- Shimizu Momoko
