CANNES, France (AP) ― Will a switched-at-birth Japanese drama tug on Steven Spielberg’s heart strings?

The Cannes Film Festival was wondering that Saturday, when Kore-eda Hirokazu’s elegant and emotional “Like Father, Like Son” premiered. It quickly emerged as an early contender for the Palme d’Or, the winner of which will be decided by a jury headed by Spielberg.

Though reviews varied, “Like Father, Like Son” largely charmed Cannes with its sweet, understated examination of nature versus nurture.

In it, two sets of parents find out, shortly before their sons’ 6th birthday, that their babies were switched at birth. The families are opposites of one another: one headed by a wealthy, driven professional (the Japanese pop singer Fukuyama Masaharu) with strict expectations of his only child; the other father a poor but lively shopkeeper (Lily Franky) with two other playful children.

With the graceful simplicity that characterizes Kore-eda’s films (“I Wish,” “Nobody Knows”), the film contemplates the nature of parenthood ― where it begins, how it develops ― as the two families debate exchanging their sons.

“He told me the film was the story of how to become a father,” Fukuyama told reporters Saturday, referring to Kore-eda. The film focuses on the actor’s character, as he slowly begins to question his hard, remote approach to fatherhood.

“I wanted to create in his mind a real shock, a healthy shock,” said Kore-eda.

The director said the film, which ends ambiguously, wasn’t made to convey a message, but to reflect his own experiences. Kore-eda has a son similar in age to the boys in the film.

Spielberg has long gravitated to stories of fathers and sons, but whether “Like Father, Like Son” struck a chord with him won’t be answered until the Palme d’Or is announced May 25 at the end of the festival.



Jackie Chan has his next films lined up ― in his mind



Jackie Chan is at the Cannes Film Festival to talk about his upcoming film “Skiptrace,” but he’s already thinking about his next project.

“You know everything in my mind always keep, keep, keep (moving),” he said in an interview Friday. “This movie (I had the idea) 20 years ago. So I have so many movies, 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, 70 years, all in my mind. Then I call my writer, ‘Write it down! That’s your job, write it down this script. Write it down this thing.’ So many things.”

Chan doesn’t just have movies he’s working on. He’s also got his own brand of toe socks; during an interview, he was wearing a bright green pair. The socks have pressure points and grips on the bottom for each pair.

But unfortunately for anyone interested in getting a pair, according to Chan, they are yet to have global distribution.

“Not now, soon,” he said.