Hikari, the teenage biological mother of a young boy decides to contact her son’s adoptive parents to get him back. Such is the premise of director/co-writer Naomi Kawase’s Japanese drama; True Mothers; a film that proved to be quite a pleasant surprise.

During the first third of True Mothers, I found the story structure/editing a tad awkward. However, by the halfway point, Kawase’s movie is more engaging. A truth I attribute in part to the story’s focus on Hikari, who’s rather well-played by Aju Makita.

I liked the surprise of the direction True Mothers took in the second half. The way the film revealed itself as Hikari’s coming-of-age story. And as heartbreaking as some moments are, watching her journey from innocent fourteen-year-old to the unexpected way things progress is an experience I don’t regret. 

True Mothers is indeed a story about motherhood and all the various ways the word mother can be applied. Watch it if something about the story particularly intrigues you. And don’t be surprised if by the end of the movie, the thought ‘How wonderful it is to be loved’ crosses your mind. 

Happy Film Loving

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