Review of Nobody Knows (2004) by Stuart K — 23 Jul 2007
Hirokazu Koreeda has a way of revealing the soul of his characters. It's strange because the characters are not sobbing over the fact that their mother abandoned them or the fact that they have no money to pay for electricity, water, and food. Instead, director Koreeda does the opposite. The children are jaded by their circumstance and react very little to obstacles that threaten their survival. It's as if by showing less emotion, the characters reveal more. Their lack of self-pity and emotion is what pulls the audience into the story; the audience is forced to feel pity and feel for the characters.
Ironically, what makes this movie sadder is the sparse moments of pure joy. When most children are happy only when they get a new toy or a new game, the four siblings are overwhlemed with joy just to be able to walk around the city after "hiding" in their own house from the landlords, or when they plant seeds in a ramyun cup full of soil they got from the park. The contrast between their emotional triggers and that of an average child is at the core of what engages the audience emotionally.
This review of Nobody Knows (2004) was written by Stuart K on 23 Jul 2007.
Nobody Knows has generally received very positive reviews.
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