The English and Japanese titles of Hirokazu Koreeda's dual-family drama "Soshite Chichi ni Naru (Like Father, Like Son)" are quite different in meaning, but both express something important about this extraordinary film, winner of the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
The English title is one of those commonplaces that rebellious adolescent sons are inclined (programmed?) to reject, but once they have sons themselves, start to see as plain truth.
The Japanese title, which literally translates as "Then to Become a Father," hints at a problem many Japanese men have faced at one time or other. How do you become a father to your kids when, workaholic that you are, you hardly ever see them?
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