Mental health stigma is an issue in Japan, so firms like this 'Rental Family' do really exist. Brendan Fraser is an American living in Japan who joins such a firm and becomes 'father' to a young girl to help her get into a posh school. (There's a poignant moment in the girl's apartment where she's playing hide and seek with a friend and there's literally only about two places to hide it's so small.)
The company he works for becomes like a family. They are Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto and Kimura Bun, and the funniest moment is when two of them are pretending to be lawyers and come across the third pretending to be a detective! The girl is Shannon Mahina Gorman, her mother Shino Shinozaki and the aging film actor is Akira Emoto (Shoplifters).
There's a shimmeringly immersive score by Josni and Alex Sommers which helps add tone. Photographed by Takuro Ishizaka. Edited by Alan Baumgarten (The Trial of the Chicago 7, American Hustle, Molly's Game, Trumbo, Charlie Bartlett) and Thomas Krueger.
Hikari has been in the US since she was seventeen. Her only previous feature is 37 Seconds.
It's a sweet film, rather good. Japan is a strange country. It's one of the few first world countries that hasn't legalized same sex marriage.
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