I Wish (2012)
Average Rating: 8/10
Reviews Counted: 67
Fresh: 63 | Rotten: 4
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 8.1/10
Critic Reviews: 22
Fresh: 22 | Rotten: 0
No consensus yet.
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Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 1,308
Movie Info
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
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All Critics (68) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (4)
Every performance works, every character fits, every observation rings true.
Top CriticWhat's so remarkable about the happiness the film brings is its simplicity.
Like a train, "I Wish" is slow to build momentum, then it carries us away in a wondrous rush.
You watch it remembering the days when you should have walked but simply had to run, and when you believed that, if you wished hard enough, your dead pet just might come back again.
What a kind and wise movie this is.
[The] film is built around performances by two real-life brothers who are as unaffected, spirited and lovable as I can imagine, and one of the pleasures of "I Wish" is simply spending time with them.
All life in its haphazard glory is here, but it's the children's friendship that holds you tight - and as the two trains crossed on the cinema screen, I wished more films about childhood were as good as this.
A charming, magical-childhood film from Japan
Sweet without being sickly this matches a sunny view of family life with irresistible performances from real-life brothers.
It's Koreeda's subtly elliptical storytelling and measured control of character, locale and pace that makes this so engaging.
The film is long and slow but repays close watching because Kore-eda is one of Japan's best contemporary directors and he avoids sentimentality throughout.
Even without much of a plot, this meandering Japanese film holds our attention with a clear-eyed attention to character detail and situations that spark our imaginations.
Undeniably beguiling, but more manufactured-feeling than Kore-eda's top-drawer work.
We all spend so much time yearning for films as good as this, and to this reviewer at least, the latest great work from Hirokazu Koreeda is pure wish-fulfilment.
The spirit of Spielberg, transplanted to the east. Bliss.
Everything is fresh in this stations-of-childhood story lit up by stroboscopic flashes of wit, beauty and perception.
The moving and deeply satisfying work of a director who just keeps on getting better.
A small film with humble ambitions, I Wish is a gentle piece that children may find dull, but tearful adults will recognize that Koreeda captures the essence of childhood dreams.
The plot meanders but Koreeda's hand is deceptively sure: the detours all add up in a climactic montage of gentle, effortless poignancy.
A pleasing but slow-moving family drama.
It is rare to find a coming of age film that reflects childhood in an accurate way, let alone one that combines this with such enjoyable whimsy, sweetness and tenderness.
A tender tale of wishing for a miracle to hal a fractured family.
Natural performances from the two real life Maeda brothers carry the film and the way Kore-eda immerses us in provincial Japanese life is exceptional
I Wish excels at evoking a child-like state of mind in all of its wonders and concerns because of Kore-eda's astuteness in following how kids make sense of the world and change their perspectives.
I Wish is epic in duration, yet humble. So your affection for the film will rely on your patience...
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Movie: ID: 771246491 Title: I Wish Release Date: 2012-05-11 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 2 Status: 1
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Foreign Titles
- I Wish (Kiseki) (DE)
- I Wish (Kiseki) (UK)
