Dare mo shiranai [Nobody Knows] (2004)

Why did I rent it?: In the mood for a good, foreign film. This was a Japanese kind of foreign.
What's the plot?: First off, HOLY CRAP, most depressing movie EVER. So, this mother in Japan abandons her 4 kids in their small apartment, leaving them a little money and telling them they can't leave the house. At first the kids think it's okay, but then the money runs out and not surprisingly things do not go very well when the electricity and water get turned off. Evidently I did not thoroughly read the back cover and misjudged "Astonishing...poignant" to mean something other than "horrendously depressing". I'm considering reinstating my policy of not watching any movie with the word "poignant" in any of the reviews on the cover. Then to top it off, it turns out it's based on a true story. The movie itself was very well played out, at any rate.
Best scene: The very first scene wasn't sad. The kids get toted around in luggage.
Who should watch this?: Anyone whose life is too happy and needs a good downer.
IMDB rating: 8.2
Liz's rating: 8