(I do not speak Japanese) I'm translating subtitles (from english to spanish)
for the Hirokazu Koreeda's "Like Father, Like Son" movie. The characters, the
Nonomiya's and Saiki's, are two couples of different social status (one
wealthy, the other working class). Spanish, unlike English, reflect social
status (the "tú" v/s "Ud."). I want my translation be faithful to the movie's
social aspects. My question is, how characters talks to each other? Do they
talks as equals or not? Are they formal or informal?

Starting from the english subtitles, I can have different spanish
translations, all formally correct, but expressing different personalities and
relationships. If working father use "Ud." and wealthy one use "tú", wealthy
is dominanting the relation. If both use "tú", they are equals. If both used
"Ud.", both are formal, and distant.

Saiki's husband being more a free spirit, like a practical teacher to
Nonomiyo's, made me prefer him using "tú" (breaking class barrier) and
Nonomiya's using "Ud." (acknowledging high moral standing). But, this use can
also be seen as Nonomiyo's trying to keep distance.

So, that's my dilemma. I need some japanese speaker to tell me how he see the
power relationship in the original script.
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translation
How do characters talk to each other in "Like Father, Like Son" movie
I speak Japanese, English and Spanish. I only checked the outline of the movie
and will answer in a general way.

The characters should talk in a formal way like "Usted". In Japanese, polite
expressions are much more frequently used than in Spanish. For example, I
would use "Tù" for family or close friends, and use "Usted" for relatives,
colleagues, or waitresses in restaurants. In this movie, the couples happend
to know each other by an accident and they should have emotional conflicts.
There should be no opportunity to use an informal, friendly expressions.

Regarding to equality, expressions will not change due to being richer or
poorer. Instead, age can be considered in Japanese. Since Saiki's husband
looks older than Nonomiya's, Saiki could take a stronger position and possibly
use informal expressions to Nonomiya.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-12T22:17:39.717
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answer