Like Father Like Son Film Analysis

Another gem from the contemporary master of the genre, Like Father, Like Son was also a great success in the Japanese box office, netting the 10th place in 2013.

Two families, the Nonomiyas of the big bourgeoisie and the Saikis of the petit one are informed that, during their infant's stay at the maternity hospital, six year ago, a nurse mixed up their two boys, thus resulting for each one to end up in the family of the other. Both of the families are now standing against the perspective of having to switch their children, after investing so much upon them.

The film then progresses on pinpointing the differences between the two families, presenting them in kind of an ironic way: The Nonomiyas live in luxury, in a prestige flat and they raise their child with the sole purpose of becoming a successful businessperson, according to the will of the father, Ryota. The Saikis, on the other hand live with their two other children in an old and small

Lastly, all four of the female leads (Hiromi Nagasaku as Kiwako, Mao Inoue as adolescent Erina, Yoko Moriguchi as Etsuko and the aforementioned Konomi Watade) are excellent in their parts, in one of the best female cast ever appeared in a Japanese movie.

Since the 1950's, with internationally acclaimed films like Akira Kurosawa's To Live, Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story and Kenji Mizoguchi's Tales of Ugetsu, Japanese filmmakers have been excelling in the family drama genre, one that still produces most of the country's masterpieces. Although there have been some changes, the essential parts of the category are still present: Realism and minimalism, slow pace without many exaltations, underlying drama, great attention to every detail and accomplished acting, all of which are also existent in the modern productions. Here is a list of some of the best