Will a switched-at-birth Japanese drama tug on Steven Spielberg’s heart strings?
The Cannes Film Festival was wondering that on Saturday, when Kore-eda Hirokazu’s elegant and emotional Like Father, Like Son premiered. It quickly emerged as an early contender for the Palme d’Or, the winner of which will be decided by a jury headed by Spielberg.
Though reviews varied, Like Father, Like Son largely charmed Cannes with its sweet, understated examination of nature vs nurture.
In it, two sets of parents find out, shortly before their sons’ sixth birthdays, that their babies were switched at birth. The families are opposites of one another: one headed by a wealthy, driven professional (Japanese pop singer Fukuyama Masaharu) with strict expectations of his only child; the other father a poor but lively shopkeeper (Lily Franky) with two other playful children.
With the graceful simplicity that characterises Kore-eda’s films, the film contemplates the nature of parenthood – where it begins, how it develops – as the two families debate exchanging their sons.
“He told me the film was the story of how to become a father,” Fukuyama told reporters on Saturday, referring to Kore-eda.
The film focuses on the actor’s character, as he slowly begins to question his hard, remote approach to fatherhood.
Kore-eda said the film, which ends ambiguously, wasn’t made to convey a message, but to reflect his experiences. He has a son similar in age to the boys in the film.
Spielberg has long gravitated to stories of fathers and sons, but whether Like Father, Like Son struck a chord with him won’t be answered until the Palme d’Or is announced on Saturday.
REV RUN, KING OF… DJs?
Rev Run is one of hip hop’s legendary rappers, but these days, he’s spinning records – and is finding the experience may be even more enjoyable than rapping.
“I love the Run-DMC shows: it’s big, it’s intense,” he said on Friday. “Me and (partner) D (Darryl “DMC” McDaniels) know the lyrics like riding a bike because we’ve been doing it since we were kids. But this is different. This is fun. I’m in Vegas every other week.
“It’s very cool to be a DJ,” he continued. “I’m a part of that and proud of that and thankful for that – that I can do a stadium one day and be in Cannes the next.”
Run was at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday night to perform at the Belvedere Vodka party with his partner, DJ Ruckus. Among the celebrities in attendance for the party were Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth, singer Solange Knowles and DJ/producer Diplo.
In an interview before the show, Run said he started deejaying about three years ago when people asked him to show up at parties. Though he does rap a bit during his sets, he doesn’t do too much: “I’m not going to go out and do Run-DMC records without D. I’ll throw on a Run-DMC record and throw on my part a little bit, you’ll get the essence,” he said.
“I’m a celebrity DJ.”
Ruckus said he’s learnt a lot from Run: “It’s an honour to be on the road and have such a mentor and legend; somebody who helped create all of what I worked with.”
And Run said he’s learnt from his younger counterpart as well: “I don’t know all that’s going on with these different genres of EDM (electronic dance music). Like, I don’t know the difference between Berlin and (David) Guetta. So I’m trying to learn from him,” he said.
Run hasn’t given up his day job. Next week, he’s performing at the Atlanta Braves’ baseball stadium with partner McDaniels for a Run-DMC gig after the team’s game. He’s also planning a return to reality TV, with an HGTV show that will give viewers a peek at the renovation of his home with his family.
“If you’ve seen Run’s House, you know what it’s going to be. It’s the same thing, but with a twist,” he revealed.
JACKIE CHAN HAS HIS NEXT FILMS LINED UP – ALL IN HIS MIND
Jackie Chan is at the Cannes Film Festival to talk about his upcoming film Skiptrace, but he’s already thinking about his next project.
“You know, everything in my mind always keep, keep, keep (moving),” he said in an interview on Friday.
“This movie (I had the idea) 20 years ago. So I have so many movies, 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, 70 years, all in my mind. Then I call my writer: ‘Write it down! That’s your job, write it down, this script. Write it down, this thing.’ So many things.”
Chan doesn’t just have movies he’s working on. He’s also got his own brand of toe socks; during an interview, he was wearing a bright green pair. The socks have pressure points and grips on the bottom.
But unfortunately for anyone interested in getting a pair, according to Chan, they are yet to be globally distributed.
“Not now, soon,” he said.
FEELING LIKE THE ETERNAL BRIDE ON RED CARPETS
Indian actress Sonam Kapoor loves red carpets. In fact, she loves the experience so much that she likens it to a wedding.
“It is really strange, but I feel like every time I go on the red carpet I am getting married,” she said with a laugh.
“So it is fine if I don’t get married eventually,” she said with a wry smile.
For some, the experience of picking an outfit and standing in front of the world’s media is a daunting prospect, but Kapoor, being an actress at heart, treats the carpet like a stage.
“It depends on what character I want to be, so it is a bit like choosing your acting roles and deciding what I want to be at that point,” she explained in an interview this week.
Kapoor is in Cannes to fulfil her duty as an ambassador for L’Oreal. She has no films showing at the festival, but has a lot to keep her busy in the future.
“I have three films right now: Ranjhana, which literally translates into ‘Romeo’, then there is this biopic about an athlete and there is also this untitled project which is a romantic comedy,” she explained. – Sapa-AP