Free I Wish
Genres: Dr
Starring: Yoshio Harada, Masami Nagasawa, Kirin Kiki, Koki Maeda, Ohshirô Maeda, Ryôga Hayashi, Cara Uchida
Available Quality: DivX, Hi Def
Director(s): Hirokazu Koreeda
Country: Japan
Year: 2011
IMDB Rating: 7.7
12-year-old Koichi, who has been separated from his brother Ryunosuke due to his parents divorce, begins to believe that the new bullet train service will create a miracle when the first trains pass each other at top speed.
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I Wish (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1280x690 px | Total Size: 4911 Mb |
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I Wish (DivX) | Resolution: 688x368 px | Total Size: 1795 Mb |
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Movie Photos:
We have taken some photos of "I Wish". They represent actual movie quality.
Visitors Review
wastedspace.com/blog/movies (08 May 2013)
more magic from Koreeda
If, as many have pointed out, Koreeda is Ozu's cinematic heir, then IWish is Koreeda's take on Ozu's Good Morning. Both films focus onadorable young kids and Japanese family life, and I have no qualmsabout saying between the two films, Koreeda easily outdoes Ozu. Notonly is Koreeda's depiction of children subtler and more intuitive (nofart jokes here), but he coaxes wonderfully naturalistic performancesfrom his child actors. Is there a director alive who does better workwith kids than Koreeda? The movie really takes flight once the kids hitthe road on their quest, and I loved the Ozu-ish part where they meetan elderly couple that takes in all the children for a night. Just awonderful movie with tons of heart. Puts the human in humanisticfilmmaking.
Larry Silverstein (08 May 2013)
Delightful Atmosperics in this Japanese Film
The joys and innocence of being a kid, as well as the simple pleasuresof life itself are reflected in this Japanes film, written and directedby Hirokazu Koreeda. Twelve year old Koichi, remarkably portrayed byKoki Maeda, lives in Kagoshima with his mother and grandparents. Avolcanic mountain can be seen nearby spewing ash into the sky, whichoften is wind swept into his town. Koichi is unhappy because his family is separated, with his brother Ryuliving with his father in the Northern regions of Japan. When he findsout that a new bullet train is being put into service soon, he is toldthat wishes can come true and miracles can happen for those thatwitness the new train as it passes another bullet train.So Koichi begins to scheme with his two friends Makoto and Tasuku onhow they can witness this event and have their foremost wishes happen.Initially, Koichi, as seen through his child's mind, wants the volcanicmountain to erupt so he can leave Kagoshima and re-unite with hisbrother and father. Koichi takes this project very seriously and plansout the route they must take to witness the two trains passing andexactly how much it will cost.What follows thereafter is just a heartwarming adventure, as the threeboys later joined by his brother Ryu and his friends travel by train tothe meeting point of the bullet trains, in Kumamoto. In a sense theiradventures reminded me of some of the adventures in the Rob Reinerclassic "Stand By Me", of many years ago.The movie is over two hours long, and I felt it got off to a ratherslow start and that some of the characters in it were confusing. Butthe film progressed from there offering the viewer many wondrousmagical moments of what it was like to be a kid on an adventure.It also presented, I thought, some fascinating aspects of the Japanesepeople and of the culture itself. Additionally, I thought thecinematography was wonderful and the way the lighting of the film waspresented added substantially to its' effect.
8thSin (01 May 2013)
Miracle Didn't Happen Here
8.5 average user ratings on 37 votes? I Wish people would stop votingbased on director's prestige. "I Wish" is a bland mainstream movie thatwould've been unnoticed without the marketing power of Koreeda Hirokazuand its A-list actors as the supporting cast."I Wish", Japanese title "Kiseki (Miracle)", is sort of a road movieabout a bunch of kids going to see the new Kyuushuu Bullet Trainscrossing. Majority of the film follows the lives of the two brothers:One in Kagoshima; the other in Fukuoka. They reunite after theirparents broke up 6 months ago. One day, the older brother Kouki hearsthe urban legend that witnesses of the new bullet trains crossing willhave their wishes granted, much like seeing shooting stars. Thebrothers and their friends begin collecting money for the trip to havetheir wishes granted.I did like how the bullet trains connecting to the Southwestern Japanmarks a new era in the region. Perhaps that is the reason kids, thenext generation, were the main focus of the story. It was alsointeresting that Tower of the Sun, the symbol of Osaka Expo '70, wastorn down in Kouki's dream to further signify coming of a new era.However, over three-quarters of the film was about getting ready forthe trip, and the ending seemed very rushed despite the movie spendingso much time with the plot getting nowhere. While "process is moreimportant than result" is a common theme in Japanese films andcertainly present in this film, the actual process (the trip to thedestination) was cut too short as a series of convenient events, andthe preparation stage was simply introduction of each kids and theirproblems in the most obvious ways imaginable. Furthermore, "I Wish"completely fails to build up for the climax (didn't have a climax?),making it an extremely bland movie... and this is NOT because it's oneof those subtlety Japanese film in any way. "Koko ni Irukoto" (2001) isa subtle film, "Tennen Kokekko" (2007) is a subtle film, yet both ofthem (and many other Japanese films of its type) managed to be far moreheartwarming than this generic road movie.The leading actors, dubbed "MaedaMaeda" by the marketing team for beingreal brothers with the last name "Maeda" (also happens to be homophonewith "forward" in Japanese), delivered very underwhelming performances.In fact, none of the child actors' acting can be truly called "acting".While this kind of performance works for the documentary style ofKoreeda, it is a total disaster for a movie with such tightly writtenscript, also making it feel extremely uneven with the supporting adultactors."I Wish" has THE biggest waste of acting talent I have ever seen.Odagiri Joe had about 10-minute screen time. Abe Hiroshi, NagasawaMasami, and Natsukawa Yui... all of whom capable of leading in theirown films, in addition to many veteran supporting actors, were reducedto cameo-like 3-minute appearances in this movie. Nagasawa Masami inparticular was not even recognizable. With exception of Ootsuka Nene,none of the cast had to be the big-names since they had nothing to workwith. They were there solely for marketing purposes.Unlike Miike Takashi who also sold out to the mainstream in last year'sTIFF participant "13 Assassins" (2010), Koreeda Hirokazu failed tocreate something extraordinary for the general audience and failed todraw out the best out of his talented cast. This film had nothing thathundreds of other Japanese directors couldn't have made."I Wish" is an average quality Japanese film made to glorify the newKyuushuu Bullet Train and PR for the local businesses. Like in themovie, miracle didn't happen here.
Kicino (01 May 2013)
A children-centered movie not necessarily for children
I first saw this at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. It wasso good that I watched it again when it was publicly released.What was your dream when you were small? To be a dancer? To be anactor? To marry your teacher? To run faster? To reunite with yourfamily after your parents' separation? For 12-year-old Koichi (Koki Maeda), his dream was for the volcano inKagoshima to explode so he could go back to Osaka with his mom and livewith his dad and younger brother Ryunosuke (Oshirou Maeda). Koichi accidentally heard that miracles happened when the first northand south bound bulletin trains passed each other in Kyushu. Elated, hecalled his younger brother in Osaka to plan for this secret rendezvous. What is appealing of the film is that it is totally carried by thechildren cast. Even grandpa, mama, teachers and strangers on the roadwere on their side  everyone was kind and everyone had their owndream. Grandpa was determined to try making his exclusive desertkarukan. Mama missed his younger son but was too proud to get back withher husband. The teachers were all so kind to go along with the kids'kind lies. What I admire is how autonomous the children were in this movie. Notonly did they have a dream, but they also actually developed a plan torealize their dream: Koichi and his friends looked for changes underthe vending machines. When they found out it was not enough, they soldtheir toys and comic books and even gave up their swimming tuition.Then they made a detailed itinerary complete with train schedule andmaps. The important point was their parents gave them a lot of freedomto do what they want.It did not come to my mind that the two brothers are real brothersbehind the screen until I saw their old pictures in the later part ofthe movie. No wonder there were such strong resonance between them. Allthe characters were lovable in the film, even if they lie, even if theywere too trusty - because they all have dreams and they believe inthem. The message is also very positive: when there is dream, there will bemiracles and things will fall into places. Even if miracles did nothappen, we would be glad that we tried. A feel-good movie at the highest level. And it is exactly what Japanneeds to rebuild itself from the ruins after the March 11 earthquakeand tsunami.
flickernatic (15 April 2013)
When The Train Comes Along . . .
This is the story of two young Japanese brothers who live apartfollowing the break-up of their parents' relationship. The older boydreams of his family reuniting and prays for a miraculous interventionin the form of a volcanic eruption, hoping this might lead to hisevacuation from his grandparents' region and a return home. Then, whenhe discovers that the passing of the speeding Bullet trains,approaching from opposite directions, creates a 'cosmic' moment duringwhich wishes are granted, he sets out with a few friends to meet hisbrother at the meeting point on the railway line. There they make theirwishes - with varying results.The two brothers are forced to deal with the consequences of theirparents' choices, ones they have had no part in making. Their belief,to varying degrees, in the power of 'faith' (believing that wishes cancome true) then leads them to have to face the consequences of theirown choices. Given their youthful immaturity, there is real poignancyin witnessing their confrontation with some harsh realities. The movie features brilliant performances from the young actors and anexcellent supporting cast of adults. There is also gorgeous andevocative cinematography, scenes of the Japanese countryside and itsurban impositions, not least the Bullet line itself elevated on itsconcrete trackbed.It takes some time, too long perhaps, for the story to gain momentum.But once the youngsters embark on their journey to meet the trains, thestory moves at a brisker, more engaging pace. The climax (yes there isa climax, contrary to the view of another reviewer) brings moments ofintense beauty and sharp sadness, regret for the loss of childishinnocence of as well as optimism in the hope for a better future. So this is a slow-burner, but persistence brings rewards. Recommended.(Viewed at The Cornerhouse, Manchester, UK 21.02.13)
Ben Smith (15 April 2013)
A philosophical yet thoroughly accessible film that effortlessly gets under the skin.
Lighthearted but profound Japanese family drama about two youngbrothers forced to live apart after the separation of their parents.The more sensitive Koichi (Koki Maeda) lives with his mother andgrandparents in Kagoshima under the shadow of the active Sakurajimavolcano, while the happy-go-lucky Ryu (Ohshirô Maeda) has remained inFukuoka with their slacker musician father. Koichi longs for them to bereunited and when he hears of a magical rumour that when two super-fastBullet trains pass each other they create enough cosmic energy to grantyour wish, he and his friends set out to put things back the way theywere.The suburban tale of a troubled family told with a touch of fantasy andadventure draws obvious parallels with Spielberg, and it is more thanworthy of the comparison. Director Hirokazu Koreeda elicits twoincredibly natural performances from the boys (real life brothers) andindeed all of the young cast  in the scenes where they're hanging outhe has seemingly turned the camera on some local school friends, theirrelationships seem so genuine. Koichi and Ryu's story is interspersedwith those of their friends and family, all of whom have their ownstruggles and aspirations. Be it their grandfather's desire to bake asuccessful sponge cake, or Koichi's friend's dream of marrying thebeautiful school librarian, every character  no matter how minor  isportrayed as a real person with their own hopes and fears. As a resultit is constantly engrossing, establishing an affinity with everyone onscreen and also allowing some fantastically warm funny moments toemerge from the characters themselves. Despite its concentration oncharacter over narrative, and its general unpredictability, the filmstill has a mainstream tone and is more than capable of cultivating awide, varied audience.A quiet natural film that avoids obvious melodrama and sentimentality,it retains a thoughtful depth about what it is to dream and hope forthat which is just out of reach. As is often the case with the mostaffecting cinema its power lies in what the viewer brings to it fromtheir own lives, and how much they are willing to invest in the film.With no obvious moral or message, it has the potential to beinterpreted in many ways. A philosophical yet thoroughly accessiblefilm that effortlessly gets under the skin.
ebiros2 (11 April 2013)
Common movie that's uncommon
Kouichi (Kouki Maeda) and Ryunosuke (Oushiro Maeda) who's parents areseparated and now lives apart in Fukuoka, and Kagoshima hears about arumor that if you see the meeting of the first bullet trains fromFukuoka and Kagoshima, a miracle will happen. Wishing that the miraclewill be the reunion of their parents, they set out to see the meetingof the two trains, while involving their friends, teachers, and adultsaround them.Child prodigy stand up comic team Maeda-Maeda performs the role ofKouichi, and Ryunosuke. Director Hirokazu Koreeda originally had adifferent plot for the story, where a girl living in Fukuoka, goes tosee the two trains crossing each other on the track, meets a boy fromHakata and love story ensues. But upon seeing Maeda-Maeda at theaudition, he changed the story to that which involves the two brothers.The project was a promotional campaign for the opening of the Kagoshimaroute of Japan Railways bullet train line. They brought the project todirector Koreeda, and he accepted.Very common story that involves nothing but the life of few children,but is made extraordinary by the direction of Koreeda, and theperformance of Maeda brothers. Observation of people in common life,and attention to detail is extraordinary, and can only come from theeyes of a genius. I can see why Koreeda is regarded so highly as adirector. I'd say only few directors can take a theme like this, andcreate a truly intriguing movie like this one.In reality it is virtually impossible to pinpoint where the two trainswill meet on the track, so the story is purely fictional.It may be difficult to see all the inner workings of this movie at afirst glance, but it is worth the time to sit in and really enjoy theperformance.
Joshua Ellul (10 April 2013)
Charming
I feel that if a film can maintain a national stance and still be auniversally identifiable then it is a very good film. I sat down towatch I wish and was immediately taken away by the story and theinnocence it encapsulates from the beginning. I must admit that maybethe film didn't live up to all of my expectations in terms of thereviews that I read but it was still a very well woven story that hasbeen executed soundly by a talented filmmaker. The young cast wereexcellent and carried the story throughout leaving me envious at timesand nostalgic with memories of my own childhood. The cinematographyoffered beautiful views of modern and rural Japan and the effectmodernisation has had on the countryside, an underlying themethroughout. The music was very good and at times really gives yousomething extra, the musical sequences offer up some of the mostenjoyable parts of the movie. Overall it is a very well rounded filmthat anybody in any part of the world can take something from and canserve to remind adults that we can still learn allot from young people.Not personally what I expected but still very good, I would definitelyrecommend.
Review total: 8, showing from 1 to 8