Review of Like Father, Like Son

So it's a foreign movie - fine, not everybody gets it. It confronts the viewer with a different set of social codes - precisely Japanese, a softer way of doing things which is light-years away from what we're used to in the Western world. This said, you actually need only one thing to fully appreciate this story : that is to be a parent. And this time (which is rare), the subject focuses on fatherhood instead of the ever-scrutinized motherhood. If you're a modern father, having outgrown the prototypical figure of the mid-to-late 20th century and being at peace with your so-called "feminine side", you will find it at least puzzling, if not disturbing to put yourself in the main character's shoes. Finding out your biological son has been swapped for another at birth is a shocking thought - and a not easily-resolved dilemma. And just for that - even though this is not necessarily a masterpiece offering -, this gentle, humane piece of work is worth seeing and ponder upon. A kind warning: do not follow up right away with a viewing of Thomas Vinterberg's "The Hunt", another fatherhood-themed movie, unless you're ready for a bad case of the blues...