A breathtaking display of realism, I'm in complete awe right now, Shoplifters tells a touching story that evokes so many emotions and it does it well, it's seemingly simple at first sight but it's so nuanced to a point where you'd find yourself expecting a certain ending, preferably happy, but this film sticks to realism and it dismantles the social norms with such grace to a point where it offers a new insight to a world unknown to most, where people long for family love and they're desperate to have someone to call family, I must admit that it made me tear up at certain times on account of the raw emotions it conveys.
the acting here is marvelous, it's more of a team effort as every character completes another and ultimately form an arc that tells the story in a brilliant way.
Shoplifters is a rare exercise of social realism, it gets its message across so elegantly, filmmaking at its finest.
245 Reviews
Koreeda's empathy is displayed in the beauty of small moments
howard.schumann8 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The great Japanese director Hiorkazu Koreeda ("The Third Murderer") continues his exploration of the true meaning of family In Shoplifters (Manbiki kazoku), a quest he began in his award-winning 2013 film, "Like Father, Like Son." Winner of the Palme d'Or award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and the first Japanese film to win the award since Shohei Imamura's "The Eel" in 1997, the film is focused on marginalized people existing on the fringes of Japanese society who barely eke out a living by engaging in activities that skirt the letter of the law. It is the story of flawed people who have patched together a working "family" of outcasts who believe that the impulse to survive and create a nurturing environment is more important than strict adherence to society's norms.
The film opens in a supermarket where Osamu Shibata (Lily Franky, "After the Storm"), a middle-aged, part-time construction worker, is seen exchanging strange hand signals with a pre-teenage boy, Shota (Jyo Kairi), who seems to regard what is going on as a family outing. It quickly becomes apparent that this is no ordinary family shopping spree but an exercise in shoplifting, as we watch Shota casually throw items from the shelves into his shopping bag when no one is looking. Justifying their flouting of the law, Osamu says that if the goods are in the store, it means that they do not belong to anyone, and tells Shota that they are stealing the items only as a means of helping the family.
Much later when questioned about stealing by the authorities, sadly he says that shoplifting was the only skill he had to teach the boy. Osamu, as it is gradually revealed, is the head of a household consisting of husband (Franky) and wife Noboyu (Sakura Andô, "Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura"), teenage daughter Aki (Mayu Matsuoka, "Tremble All You Want"), her younger brother Shota (Kairi), and grandma Hatsue (the late Kirin Kiki, "I Wish"), all living in a small, cluttered apartment outside of Tokyo, scattered toys and knick-knacks everywhere, barely providing the family with enough room to eat and sleep.
The family, as it turns out, is one in name only, consisting of those who have been "picked up along the way," and brought together as a means of mutual support. We discover that it is not only Osamu and Shota that are engaged in dubious activity but the others as well. Noboyu works as an attendant in a laundry and pockets things people leave in their pockets. Aki contributes by working in a porn shop, performing sex acts for men who are hidden from her view, while grandma is a conniver who plays the pachinko slot machines, claims her deceased husband's pension, and collects money from his son from another marriage.
The family's lives change drastically when Osamu and Shota find Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), a shivering little girl of four or five alone in the streets, seemingly abandoned. With her protection in mind, Osamu, who renames her Rin, brings the little girl home and discovers bruises on her arms that indicate she has been physically abused. Later, they see a news story on television about a child who is missing and how authorities are conducting an extensive search for her. Justifying their decision to hide the girl from the authorities, Osamu tells the others that it is not kidnapping unless you ask for ransom.
Osamu claims that they fear for her safety if she is returned to an abusive situation, yet he is not above using her as a decoy in markets as he and Shota engage in shoplifting. Through it all, Koreeda does not stand in judgment of his characters but simply observes the trajectory of their life in the tradition of Ozu and Naruse. When he moves into darker territory in the film's last section, its main focus remains on the humanity of the characters. When Nobuyo disposes of an item that is a painful reminder for Yuri about the family that abused her, she gives her a big hug, explaining that when people love each other, they give them hugs and do not hit them. In an exquisite moment, Yuri places her hand on Nobuyo's face who lets it remain there for a few minutes.
While Shoplifters contains elements that are painful to watch, what we take with us is Koreeda's empathy displayed in the beauty of small moments: The joy of trips to the beach, the sexual intimacy between partners that has been long repressed, and the expression on the faces of young children aware, perhaps for the first time, that they are loved.
The film opens in a supermarket where Osamu Shibata (Lily Franky, "After the Storm"), a middle-aged, part-time construction worker, is seen exchanging strange hand signals with a pre-teenage boy, Shota (Jyo Kairi), who seems to regard what is going on as a family outing. It quickly becomes apparent that this is no ordinary family shopping spree but an exercise in shoplifting, as we watch Shota casually throw items from the shelves into his shopping bag when no one is looking. Justifying their flouting of the law, Osamu says that if the goods are in the store, it means that they do not belong to anyone, and tells Shota that they are stealing the items only as a means of helping the family.
Much later when questioned about stealing by the authorities, sadly he says that shoplifting was the only skill he had to teach the boy. Osamu, as it is gradually revealed, is the head of a household consisting of husband (Franky) and wife Noboyu (Sakura Andô, "Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura"), teenage daughter Aki (Mayu Matsuoka, "Tremble All You Want"), her younger brother Shota (Kairi), and grandma Hatsue (the late Kirin Kiki, "I Wish"), all living in a small, cluttered apartment outside of Tokyo, scattered toys and knick-knacks everywhere, barely providing the family with enough room to eat and sleep.
The family, as it turns out, is one in name only, consisting of those who have been "picked up along the way," and brought together as a means of mutual support. We discover that it is not only Osamu and Shota that are engaged in dubious activity but the others as well. Noboyu works as an attendant in a laundry and pockets things people leave in their pockets. Aki contributes by working in a porn shop, performing sex acts for men who are hidden from her view, while grandma is a conniver who plays the pachinko slot machines, claims her deceased husband's pension, and collects money from his son from another marriage.
The family's lives change drastically when Osamu and Shota find Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), a shivering little girl of four or five alone in the streets, seemingly abandoned. With her protection in mind, Osamu, who renames her Rin, brings the little girl home and discovers bruises on her arms that indicate she has been physically abused. Later, they see a news story on television about a child who is missing and how authorities are conducting an extensive search for her. Justifying their decision to hide the girl from the authorities, Osamu tells the others that it is not kidnapping unless you ask for ransom.
Osamu claims that they fear for her safety if she is returned to an abusive situation, yet he is not above using her as a decoy in markets as he and Shota engage in shoplifting. Through it all, Koreeda does not stand in judgment of his characters but simply observes the trajectory of their life in the tradition of Ozu and Naruse. When he moves into darker territory in the film's last section, its main focus remains on the humanity of the characters. When Nobuyo disposes of an item that is a painful reminder for Yuri about the family that abused her, she gives her a big hug, explaining that when people love each other, they give them hugs and do not hit them. In an exquisite moment, Yuri places her hand on Nobuyo's face who lets it remain there for a few minutes.
While Shoplifters contains elements that are painful to watch, what we take with us is Koreeda's empathy displayed in the beauty of small moments: The joy of trips to the beach, the sexual intimacy between partners that has been long repressed, and the expression on the faces of young children aware, perhaps for the first time, that they are loved.
What if you can choose your parents and kids in a new family?
Kicino29 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
In a portrayal of a lower class Japanese family, director Hirokazu Koreeda explores again the theme of family and the driving force of children. Yet to him, a family may not be blood related. Only care and respect defines a family - except here the parents teach the kids to shoplift.
The film opens with a father (Lily Franky) and son (Jyo Kairi) picking up a girl (Miyu Sasaki) shivering in her cold balcony and brought her to their warm home with hot meals. The audience then slowly see other members of the family - mother (Sakura Ando), grandma (Kirin Kiki) and granddaughter (Mayu Matsuoka). But as the story unfolds, we would discover more how they are related.
Although it is not blood that links them together, the family is close with an interdependent relationship or team work that also involves love and care. Grandma has her retirement fund but she does not want to die alone, and she cares for others with very sharp perception and emotions. Would this be a better alternative than putting the lonely elderlies into a nursing home? The characters do not ask the government to change policy. Instead, they take the matter in their own hands and form their own way of existence.
Mom and Pa probably have fertility issues but they care for each other and bring in more children in their own ways. Here it echoed the director's theme in "Like father, like son" - it does not matter if it is blood related as long as there is love, also in "Nobody knows" - many family secrets and the community is kind to kids. It was not clear how Akiko, the grandma's hubby's mistress' granddaughter got into the family. But she is a lonely soul and seeks comfort from another lonely patron (Sosuke Ikematsu) who is also a marginal character in society. In fact, all the family members are marginal members in society, living in the crack of the city center and can only "listen" to the fireworks.
Echoing the importance of quality time as shown in "Like father, like son", here all the meal times are bonding time. A trip to the beach naturally slide in sex education. All these require sensitive and perceptive adults even though they do not have kids/grandkids of their own. This can be a wake-up call for the aging Japanese society with decreasing birthrates and growing trend of singleton. Would this pluralistic family be an alternative for the basic human need of affection?
Of course the controversial part is the family's profession - shoplifting. But in their perception, they just reuse and recycle what other people abandon. They do not snatch. They just pick up people/things that others do not want - wife, son, daughter, grandma, clothes and household items (if they are in the store they do not belong to anyone). Then they treasure whatever they have or whoever they are.
Very smooth and delicately written script. Excellent acting: low key and natural and yet so believable. But it was the kids that steal the show. Their innocence yet determination makes you feel both sad and happy. In this extended but close-knit family where all members were picked up by chance, there is lot of love. The family decides to stick together and stay on. Even the picture book Shota the son reads is a story of uniting to fight a bigger enemy - swimmy fish against the big tuna. Really subtle script writing.
Sad but also heartwarming. All the adults are very sensitive and caring, perhaps a projection of the director. They are also very reserved and do not say "thank you" or "dad" out aloud.
We see lots of recurring themes here. It seems that "Shoplifters" can be an extension of "Nobody knows" where we see how kids are abandoned in their own home. "Shoplifters" give them a new home. Unfortunately it is a solution not approved by the system. Yet the same issues exist all along: kids are left in the car in "Nobody knows" - who become the picked up Shota in "Shoplifters". Dead bodies have to be buried. Mealtime is a bonding time: from curry to instant ramen to paper. Parent's haircut shows their care etc ...
Overall, it shows lots of issues in modern Japanese society and offered some light for the future, one that might deviate from the establishment/tradition or morality but built with lots of passion, hope and care. The director really cares for the society and is exploring whether a self-pick family would work. In his world it does but the system does not seem to allow it. Unlike "Nobody knows" which has bright sunshine in the end signaling hope, "Shoplifters" has a more pessimistic outlook, as if announcing the impracticality of the director's exploration of this new family formation.
Great movie. Highly recommended.
The film opens with a father (Lily Franky) and son (Jyo Kairi) picking up a girl (Miyu Sasaki) shivering in her cold balcony and brought her to their warm home with hot meals. The audience then slowly see other members of the family - mother (Sakura Ando), grandma (Kirin Kiki) and granddaughter (Mayu Matsuoka). But as the story unfolds, we would discover more how they are related.
Although it is not blood that links them together, the family is close with an interdependent relationship or team work that also involves love and care. Grandma has her retirement fund but she does not want to die alone, and she cares for others with very sharp perception and emotions. Would this be a better alternative than putting the lonely elderlies into a nursing home? The characters do not ask the government to change policy. Instead, they take the matter in their own hands and form their own way of existence.
Mom and Pa probably have fertility issues but they care for each other and bring in more children in their own ways. Here it echoed the director's theme in "Like father, like son" - it does not matter if it is blood related as long as there is love, also in "Nobody knows" - many family secrets and the community is kind to kids. It was not clear how Akiko, the grandma's hubby's mistress' granddaughter got into the family. But she is a lonely soul and seeks comfort from another lonely patron (Sosuke Ikematsu) who is also a marginal character in society. In fact, all the family members are marginal members in society, living in the crack of the city center and can only "listen" to the fireworks.
Echoing the importance of quality time as shown in "Like father, like son", here all the meal times are bonding time. A trip to the beach naturally slide in sex education. All these require sensitive and perceptive adults even though they do not have kids/grandkids of their own. This can be a wake-up call for the aging Japanese society with decreasing birthrates and growing trend of singleton. Would this pluralistic family be an alternative for the basic human need of affection?
Of course the controversial part is the family's profession - shoplifting. But in their perception, they just reuse and recycle what other people abandon. They do not snatch. They just pick up people/things that others do not want - wife, son, daughter, grandma, clothes and household items (if they are in the store they do not belong to anyone). Then they treasure whatever they have or whoever they are.
Very smooth and delicately written script. Excellent acting: low key and natural and yet so believable. But it was the kids that steal the show. Their innocence yet determination makes you feel both sad and happy. In this extended but close-knit family where all members were picked up by chance, there is lot of love. The family decides to stick together and stay on. Even the picture book Shota the son reads is a story of uniting to fight a bigger enemy - swimmy fish against the big tuna. Really subtle script writing.
Sad but also heartwarming. All the adults are very sensitive and caring, perhaps a projection of the director. They are also very reserved and do not say "thank you" or "dad" out aloud.
We see lots of recurring themes here. It seems that "Shoplifters" can be an extension of "Nobody knows" where we see how kids are abandoned in their own home. "Shoplifters" give them a new home. Unfortunately it is a solution not approved by the system. Yet the same issues exist all along: kids are left in the car in "Nobody knows" - who become the picked up Shota in "Shoplifters". Dead bodies have to be buried. Mealtime is a bonding time: from curry to instant ramen to paper. Parent's haircut shows their care etc ...
Overall, it shows lots of issues in modern Japanese society and offered some light for the future, one that might deviate from the establishment/tradition or morality but built with lots of passion, hope and care. The director really cares for the society and is exploring whether a self-pick family would work. In his world it does but the system does not seem to allow it. Unlike "Nobody knows" which has bright sunshine in the end signaling hope, "Shoplifters" has a more pessimistic outlook, as if announcing the impracticality of the director's exploration of this new family formation.
Great movie. Highly recommended.
Koreeda at the top of his game
LunarPoise9 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
On the day I watched Shoplifters, the news in Japan was dominated by the story of a 5-year-old girl, beaten and starved by her parents, writing messages in her notebook begging for love. An eerily similar storyline is threaded through Shoplifters, but Koreeda's prescience is no accident - he engaged with similar stories in his 2004 film Nobody Knows. Family, in various degrees of warping, is the focus of Koreeda's opus.
Shoplifters concerns a three-generation family living on the fringes of society. Dad apprentices his son in the art of shoplifting, telling him things on a store shelf do not actually belong to anyone. He also tells the boy that only stupid kids have to go to school, which is why he doesn't. The older daughter performs in a seedy red-light peep show, and Mum works in a low-paid laundry job, searching pockets for any stuff she can pilfer. They live with granny, though any time a visitor comes they all have to hide themselves.
This warm but abnormal family is slowly revealed to be conjoined in ways we did not expect. The catalyst for this is Dad and son bringing home a neglected 5-year-old girl they come across abandoned on an apartment balcony on a freezing winter night. The girl comes home with them, and slots into the family, a pattern, we slowly realise, that has been repeated in the past. Granny was 'picked up,' and the son seems to have arrived by similar means. Their warmth and humanity is at odds with the illegality and disregard for social mores. Society judges such people, but by allowing us intimacy with them, Koreeda shows how society is also judged by them - and found wanting.
The slow revelation of the family's background, the naturalistic interactions, the judicious spacing of shocks and surprises, are all evidence of a master filmmaker in perfect sync with his material. The performances are sublime. Franky Lily and Kirin Kiki are Koreeda regulars and both are tonally perfect here. Koreeda shows that he still has a deft touch with child actors, first seen in Nobody Knows, a film that garnered a Cannes acting award for 12-year-old Yuya Yagira. Jyo Kairi has resonances of Yagira, both in his physical characteristics and his mannerisms. The maturity of his performance is stunning. Sakura Ando is outstanding as the mother-figure, made wise by bitter experience but also upbeat in her approach to life. Her threat to kill a minor character is chilling. One scene, where she performs straight to camera, answering a question on what her 'children' called her, rips your heart out.
There are many set pieces to enjoy here. A sharing of noodles on a humid summer day was one favourite; listening to, but not seeing, a firework display was another (what a metaphor for this family's peripheral status!). But the joy comes from the way the whole thing gels and shimmers, and provides steely insight on contemporary Japanese society, and the human condition. These are flawed individuals and Koreeda does not avert a critical gaze from their individual responsibility. The film explores big questions on living a good life and taking responsibility in an uncaring society. A simply stunning film.
Shoplifters concerns a three-generation family living on the fringes of society. Dad apprentices his son in the art of shoplifting, telling him things on a store shelf do not actually belong to anyone. He also tells the boy that only stupid kids have to go to school, which is why he doesn't. The older daughter performs in a seedy red-light peep show, and Mum works in a low-paid laundry job, searching pockets for any stuff she can pilfer. They live with granny, though any time a visitor comes they all have to hide themselves.
This warm but abnormal family is slowly revealed to be conjoined in ways we did not expect. The catalyst for this is Dad and son bringing home a neglected 5-year-old girl they come across abandoned on an apartment balcony on a freezing winter night. The girl comes home with them, and slots into the family, a pattern, we slowly realise, that has been repeated in the past. Granny was 'picked up,' and the son seems to have arrived by similar means. Their warmth and humanity is at odds with the illegality and disregard for social mores. Society judges such people, but by allowing us intimacy with them, Koreeda shows how society is also judged by them - and found wanting.
The slow revelation of the family's background, the naturalistic interactions, the judicious spacing of shocks and surprises, are all evidence of a master filmmaker in perfect sync with his material. The performances are sublime. Franky Lily and Kirin Kiki are Koreeda regulars and both are tonally perfect here. Koreeda shows that he still has a deft touch with child actors, first seen in Nobody Knows, a film that garnered a Cannes acting award for 12-year-old Yuya Yagira. Jyo Kairi has resonances of Yagira, both in his physical characteristics and his mannerisms. The maturity of his performance is stunning. Sakura Ando is outstanding as the mother-figure, made wise by bitter experience but also upbeat in her approach to life. Her threat to kill a minor character is chilling. One scene, where she performs straight to camera, answering a question on what her 'children' called her, rips your heart out.
There are many set pieces to enjoy here. A sharing of noodles on a humid summer day was one favourite; listening to, but not seeing, a firework display was another (what a metaphor for this family's peripheral status!). But the joy comes from the way the whole thing gels and shimmers, and provides steely insight on contemporary Japanese society, and the human condition. These are flawed individuals and Koreeda does not avert a critical gaze from their individual responsibility. The film explores big questions on living a good life and taking responsibility in an uncaring society. A simply stunning film.
Subtle and nuanced
TheBigSick4 August 2018
For this stunning masterpiece Shoplifters, Hirokazu Koreeda should win the Academy Award for Best Director. It is unbelievable that the rather complicated characters and their relationships are depicted in just two hours. The approach is mild, understated, low-profile, subtle and nuanced. Much room, space and thought are left to the viewers. The direction is simply super smart.
The cinematography is extraordinary, with some surprising long shots, close-ups and beautiful shots from tight angles. The editing is speechless, connecting numerous scenes just seamlessly. Not a single minute is wasted, and the film is largely intense and arresting. Together with the brilliant performances from the ensemble cast, the result is a satisfying and deeply affecting drama on lower class in Japan.
The cinematography is extraordinary, with some surprising long shots, close-ups and beautiful shots from tight angles. The editing is speechless, connecting numerous scenes just seamlessly. Not a single minute is wasted, and the film is largely intense and arresting. Together with the brilliant performances from the ensemble cast, the result is a satisfying and deeply affecting drama on lower class in Japan.
Thoughtful insight into eccentric lives, in a refreshingly non-Hollywood style
gcsman26 February 2019
I'm putting down 8/10 for a "rating", but basically I have no idea how to put a movie like this numerically in comparison with just about any Hollywood effort. It really belongs on a different scale entirely. My wife and I are just back from seeing it at our local art-cinema theater and we liked it very much. Stylistically, for other recent movies it's close to "Roma" and also the American indie film "Leave No Trace" as bittersweet, unhurried explorations of quite real human beings working hard to survive.
"Shoplifters" follows the lives of a makeshift "family" living in the underside of an unnamed Japanese city (the particular place isn't important). The adults scrape by with low-security, low-paid jobs, the grandma has a small pension income, and the kids are vagabonds. They get by in a crowded, ramshackle tenement and the two kids are busy picking up the techniques of petty shoplifting from the adults. We slowly learn that almost none of them are actually related; they've haphazardly chosen each other to live with in a framework a little outside the margins of normal society. All of them, in some way, have left or been taken out of abusive or dangerous previous relationships. Throughout their exploits, told by a long series of short vignette scenes, is that they indeed feel close bonds but that their "family" is built, not by blood, but by the constant kindness they show towards each other. They survive on the margins, but they love and are loved.
The second and much more subliminal big message I took away from this film was its ambience: it's quiet. Scenes that would -- in a Hollywood film -- predictably lead to shouting matches or displays of anger or confrontations with authority, *never* take that cheap overdramatized route here. When confronted with tough questions, the main characters answer reflectively and with spare honesty. Even out on the streets with traffic and lots of people around, it's quiet. What a change.
Toward the end of the film, the main characters are being patiently interviewed by social services staff in a series of magnetically powerful scenes. The "family" members' answers are often startling: "Why were you teaching your son to shoplift?" "I ... didn't know anything else to teach him." or: "Didn't you take your grandma and threw her away?" "No. Someone else threw her away; we took her in." or: "The child belongs with her mother." "No. Giving birth doesn't make her a mother." From small glimpses like this, a window opens into an entire world of human nature.
"Shoplifters" follows the lives of a makeshift "family" living in the underside of an unnamed Japanese city (the particular place isn't important). The adults scrape by with low-security, low-paid jobs, the grandma has a small pension income, and the kids are vagabonds. They get by in a crowded, ramshackle tenement and the two kids are busy picking up the techniques of petty shoplifting from the adults. We slowly learn that almost none of them are actually related; they've haphazardly chosen each other to live with in a framework a little outside the margins of normal society. All of them, in some way, have left or been taken out of abusive or dangerous previous relationships. Throughout their exploits, told by a long series of short vignette scenes, is that they indeed feel close bonds but that their "family" is built, not by blood, but by the constant kindness they show towards each other. They survive on the margins, but they love and are loved.
The second and much more subliminal big message I took away from this film was its ambience: it's quiet. Scenes that would -- in a Hollywood film -- predictably lead to shouting matches or displays of anger or confrontations with authority, *never* take that cheap overdramatized route here. When confronted with tough questions, the main characters answer reflectively and with spare honesty. Even out on the streets with traffic and lots of people around, it's quiet. What a change.
Toward the end of the film, the main characters are being patiently interviewed by social services staff in a series of magnetically powerful scenes. The "family" members' answers are often startling: "Why were you teaching your son to shoplift?" "I ... didn't know anything else to teach him." or: "Didn't you take your grandma and threw her away?" "No. Someone else threw her away; we took her in." or: "The child belongs with her mother." "No. Giving birth doesn't make her a mother." From small glimpses like this, a window opens into an entire world of human nature.
A heartwarming, cautionary tale
djkimtech16 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I'll mark spoilers just in case, but I don't really reveal plot points, just the themes that the film presents in the end.
You can think of Shoplifters as a twist on the classic crime family formula such as Goodfellas and The Godfather; Koreeda's twist is that he just focuses on the drama about building a relationship on morally-questionable intent. The first half of this film plays out like a typical movie about a family of misfits and outcasts. The thieves/hosts play parents and grandma to a handful of children that come from either abusive, neglectful, or pressuring parents. Here the children are their happiest and they build very sincere relationships with each other. Yet there are sprinkled hints of bad intent; our adult protagonists are framed like Robinhood characters, but as we continue the viewers logic and society in the film reveals them to be more closely related to the typical scum criminals can be. Maybe the hosts weren't trying to be helpful, but rather fulfill their own personal wants while putting others in danger?
Koreeda doesn't answer these questions of the character's intent, because he doesn't want us to know. Koreeda wants us to ask what is parenthood and family. If it's a safe space, the thieving hosts very well provided that as opposed to the other families. The kids were arguably the most free to be kids when with them. However if family should provide a moral backbone, felons are not your number one pick. And there is much more moral inquisition but these were the ones that stuck out to me.
In terms of the technical aspects, despite the cold blue coloring this was a very cozy and warm film. All the actors performed really well and seemed genuine, the main house set is very small but not cramped in the way it was shot, and sound was typically diegetic making the film world seem alive. There was one shot-reverse-shot where the characters were framed in the direct center, facing the camera (similar to a tatami shot), and while cool, it was never repeated again, making it a little inconsistent with the rest of the film. Otherwise, not really much to criticize on the technical front.
On a personal note, this film came to me at a time while I'm reconsidering what my friendship is like with others, so the themes of the story really resonated with me. Did I just spend years building a relationship on a fake persona of myself? Are they friends with me or are they friends with my actions and speech rather than my intent? Should I be picky or should I cut my losses? "No one wants to die alone" like the film says, and it's not like I'll care about what they say at my funeral. I don't know if this film is helping me cope or if it's just adding variables to my turmoiled mind, but it felt like it was talking about me at some points, and maybe if it was like that for me, maybe it will be for you too.
You can think of Shoplifters as a twist on the classic crime family formula such as Goodfellas and The Godfather; Koreeda's twist is that he just focuses on the drama about building a relationship on morally-questionable intent. The first half of this film plays out like a typical movie about a family of misfits and outcasts. The thieves/hosts play parents and grandma to a handful of children that come from either abusive, neglectful, or pressuring parents. Here the children are their happiest and they build very sincere relationships with each other. Yet there are sprinkled hints of bad intent; our adult protagonists are framed like Robinhood characters, but as we continue the viewers logic and society in the film reveals them to be more closely related to the typical scum criminals can be. Maybe the hosts weren't trying to be helpful, but rather fulfill their own personal wants while putting others in danger?
Koreeda doesn't answer these questions of the character's intent, because he doesn't want us to know. Koreeda wants us to ask what is parenthood and family. If it's a safe space, the thieving hosts very well provided that as opposed to the other families. The kids were arguably the most free to be kids when with them. However if family should provide a moral backbone, felons are not your number one pick. And there is much more moral inquisition but these were the ones that stuck out to me.
In terms of the technical aspects, despite the cold blue coloring this was a very cozy and warm film. All the actors performed really well and seemed genuine, the main house set is very small but not cramped in the way it was shot, and sound was typically diegetic making the film world seem alive. There was one shot-reverse-shot where the characters were framed in the direct center, facing the camera (similar to a tatami shot), and while cool, it was never repeated again, making it a little inconsistent with the rest of the film. Otherwise, not really much to criticize on the technical front.
On a personal note, this film came to me at a time while I'm reconsidering what my friendship is like with others, so the themes of the story really resonated with me. Did I just spend years building a relationship on a fake persona of myself? Are they friends with me or are they friends with my actions and speech rather than my intent? Should I be picky or should I cut my losses? "No one wants to die alone" like the film says, and it's not like I'll care about what they say at my funeral. I don't know if this film is helping me cope or if it's just adding variables to my turmoiled mind, but it felt like it was talking about me at some points, and maybe if it was like that for me, maybe it will be for you too.
A thoughtful and provocative japanese film.
Endless_0110 June 2019
A small family of small-scale thieves finds a lost girl on the outskirts of a cold street and decides to give her shelter.
Enter with this film waiting for a kind of family history with light teachings, however, I end up being a very special work full of sweet moments and at the same time provocative, with ideas and messages that challenge us about our true definition of family and trust. With a sad and melancholic narrative that makes us feel small moments of beauty and union, but little by little begins to reveal layer by layer on a more bittersweet and human truth.
Filmed in an excellent way with a cinematography designed to stay around the eyes of youngsters, with a soft and melancholic soundtrack that perfectly complements the scenes. The performances are fantastic from the entire cast, especially the children, who give a realistic and humane representation when it comes to their performances. The script is fantastic and human, teaching them a hard reality and difficult to grasp many times by our intangible minds, people who try to survive day by day through bad actions, but still try to keep their intentions pure and good.
A film quite unique, original and emotional, full of hard and sad moments that move us completely but eventually end up revealing a new truth different from what we believed, highly recommended without a doubt.
Enter with this film waiting for a kind of family history with light teachings, however, I end up being a very special work full of sweet moments and at the same time provocative, with ideas and messages that challenge us about our true definition of family and trust. With a sad and melancholic narrative that makes us feel small moments of beauty and union, but little by little begins to reveal layer by layer on a more bittersweet and human truth.
Filmed in an excellent way with a cinematography designed to stay around the eyes of youngsters, with a soft and melancholic soundtrack that perfectly complements the scenes. The performances are fantastic from the entire cast, especially the children, who give a realistic and humane representation when it comes to their performances. The script is fantastic and human, teaching them a hard reality and difficult to grasp many times by our intangible minds, people who try to survive day by day through bad actions, but still try to keep their intentions pure and good.
A film quite unique, original and emotional, full of hard and sad moments that move us completely but eventually end up revealing a new truth different from what we believed, highly recommended without a doubt.
interesting, but not special.
BlissQuest30 August 2019
This film provides a glimpse at a side of Japan we don't usually see on film. Yes, there is (petty) crime in Japan; yes, there are poor people in Japan; and yes, there is a welfare system in Japan. The impression of all is pristine and proper in Japan is dispelled, and we see a more realistic, human side of the culture. I'm not sure if the hype is what spoiled it for me, but I will say there are some very good performances here, but the story is nothing exceptional except for the fact that it's taking place in Japan.
multi-generational poverty
ferguson-64 January 2019
Greetings again from the darkness. We typically think of family as blood relatives, those affiliated by marriage or adoption, and those funky cousins (sometimes 'removed') that, according to the family tree, are supposedly related to us. Expert Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda (LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, 2013) presents a story that will have you questioning whether the strongest connection is blood, heart, or money.
We first witness 'father' Osamu Shibata (played by Lily Franky) and adolescent 'son' Shota (Jyo Kairi) in a well-coordinated shoplifting maneuver at the local grocery store. On the way home they stumble across a shivering child, maybe 4 or 5 years old, who has been seemingly abandoned by her parents. They take her home to warm her up and feed her, and it's here we discover the multi-generational family living in a tiny apartment. This family also consists of 'grandmother' Hatsue (an excellent Kirin Kiki), 'mother/wife' Nobuyo (Sakura Ando), and teenage daughter Aki (rising star Mayu Matsuoka).
When the family discovers signs of abuse on the little girl Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), they decide to keep her - less an informal adoption than an admission to the club. See, this family lives in poverty, and finds comfort in working odd jobs and shoplifting. They do bad things out of necessity, in a kind of twisted 'honor among thieves'. Each person, regardless of age is expected to contribute to the team. The eldest provides a steady income through her deceased ex-husband's pension, and by scamming mercy money from his second family. Osamu and Nobuyo have regular part time jobs, while Aki works in a sexy chat room. Shota polishes his shoplifting skills and even tiny Yuri begins to learn by watching him. Everyone contributes in what can be described as a pyramid scheme of petty cons.
As the film progresses, we get to know each of the characters and begin to care about them ... rooting for them to find success. Writer-Director Kore-eda draws us in with subtle scenes of interaction between the characters, each willing to sacrifice for the other. He raises the question on whether choosing one's family might create a stronger bond than those blood ties. What really seems to matter is where we feel we belong, and where are accepted.
The film won the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and it's likely due to the devastating and expert final act. In a dramatic shift in tone, true character is revealed - it's a shocking revelation on some fronts, and fully expected on others. Each family member has a backstory that slowly unfolds through the first two acts, and then abruptly slaps us upside the head as the film nears conclusion. There are many social aspects to be discussed after this one, including how the child welfare system (seemingly regardless of country) sometimes works against a child's best interest, even with the best intentions. This is one that will grab your heart and then stick with you for a while.
We first witness 'father' Osamu Shibata (played by Lily Franky) and adolescent 'son' Shota (Jyo Kairi) in a well-coordinated shoplifting maneuver at the local grocery store. On the way home they stumble across a shivering child, maybe 4 or 5 years old, who has been seemingly abandoned by her parents. They take her home to warm her up and feed her, and it's here we discover the multi-generational family living in a tiny apartment. This family also consists of 'grandmother' Hatsue (an excellent Kirin Kiki), 'mother/wife' Nobuyo (Sakura Ando), and teenage daughter Aki (rising star Mayu Matsuoka).
When the family discovers signs of abuse on the little girl Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), they decide to keep her - less an informal adoption than an admission to the club. See, this family lives in poverty, and finds comfort in working odd jobs and shoplifting. They do bad things out of necessity, in a kind of twisted 'honor among thieves'. Each person, regardless of age is expected to contribute to the team. The eldest provides a steady income through her deceased ex-husband's pension, and by scamming mercy money from his second family. Osamu and Nobuyo have regular part time jobs, while Aki works in a sexy chat room. Shota polishes his shoplifting skills and even tiny Yuri begins to learn by watching him. Everyone contributes in what can be described as a pyramid scheme of petty cons.
As the film progresses, we get to know each of the characters and begin to care about them ... rooting for them to find success. Writer-Director Kore-eda draws us in with subtle scenes of interaction between the characters, each willing to sacrifice for the other. He raises the question on whether choosing one's family might create a stronger bond than those blood ties. What really seems to matter is where we feel we belong, and where are accepted.
The film won the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and it's likely due to the devastating and expert final act. In a dramatic shift in tone, true character is revealed - it's a shocking revelation on some fronts, and fully expected on others. Each family member has a backstory that slowly unfolds through the first two acts, and then abruptly slaps us upside the head as the film nears conclusion. There are many social aspects to be discussed after this one, including how the child welfare system (seemingly regardless of country) sometimes works against a child's best interest, even with the best intentions. This is one that will grab your heart and then stick with you for a while.
Not exactly enjoyable...but very thought-provoking.
planktonrules30 November 2018
Hirokazu Koreeda made one of my favorite Japanese films..."Like Father Like Son". The focus on the film was what actually constitutes a family....and like this film, "Shoplifters" challenges the traditional Japanese notion of what makes a family and the importance of genetics.
This movie is NOT pleasant...and has many harsh moments. So, please consider this when you decide whether or not to see the movie. It's NOT an easy film to watch and if you are depressed already consider seeing a comedy instead.
The story is about a group of people who are a pseudo-family. They are not related but live as a family...with a grandmother, parents, sister and children...or at least folks who act like these roles. Why are they living as a family? Well, for mutual profit...and the children help pay the bills by spending their days stealing...much like the children who worked for Fagan in "Oliver Twist". Where does all this and the unpleasantness go? See the film.
The message of this film is unusual...that criminals like you see in the story MIGHT be better at parenting than the biological parents. It also exposes a truth you don't easily see when you are in Japan...that there ARE folks who fall through the cracks, so to speak, and are not productive citizens. I just returned from three weeks in Japan and evidence of the homeless and criminality of any kind is something you will have to struggle to find. It creates a portrait that challenges the cultural norms...something which some folks might not appreciate. Overall, a well made but very unpleasant film that deals with topics such as child abuse and neglect...not exactly fun subjects but ones which should not be ignored.
This movie is NOT pleasant...and has many harsh moments. So, please consider this when you decide whether or not to see the movie. It's NOT an easy film to watch and if you are depressed already consider seeing a comedy instead.
The story is about a group of people who are a pseudo-family. They are not related but live as a family...with a grandmother, parents, sister and children...or at least folks who act like these roles. Why are they living as a family? Well, for mutual profit...and the children help pay the bills by spending their days stealing...much like the children who worked for Fagan in "Oliver Twist". Where does all this and the unpleasantness go? See the film.
The message of this film is unusual...that criminals like you see in the story MIGHT be better at parenting than the biological parents. It also exposes a truth you don't easily see when you are in Japan...that there ARE folks who fall through the cracks, so to speak, and are not productive citizens. I just returned from three weeks in Japan and evidence of the homeless and criminality of any kind is something you will have to struggle to find. It creates a portrait that challenges the cultural norms...something which some folks might not appreciate. Overall, a well made but very unpleasant film that deals with topics such as child abuse and neglect...not exactly fun subjects but ones which should not be ignored.
Shoplifters Stole My Heart
willard1214 February 2019
Sakura Andô is staggeringly beautiful, which would be distracting if she weren't such a great actress. She definitely stood out and that's tough for a movie with such great performances. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it was full of surprises, which I thought would be tough to do outside total twists or shock scares. Classifying this as "crime, drama" is inaccurate, but I get it. It's a drama, but it's so uplifting both the drama and the crimes are outshone by heart in this movie, and I say "heart" as a total misanthrope. This movie really touches you and shows you just how important human connection is to us, and not in a smarmy way, but rather in a way that highlights how that need for connection can be so easily assuaged and turn into genuine familial love.
Over-rated (yes, I know I'm an outilier on this one)
proud_luddite16 February 2019
In Tokyo, a makeshift, impoverished family lives together in the home of one of its members, a pensioner. Three of the adults have low-paying jobs; one of them plus a boy of about ten partake in shoplifting to help meet family expenses. One night, the family takes in a homeless girl of about six, not yet knowing that she is from an abusive home.
Director/writer Hirokazu Kore-eda made a similar film in 2004: "Nobody Knows". Like "Shoplifters", "Nobody Knows" also delved courageously into the subject of children living poverty. While "Shoplifters" is one of 2018's most acclaimed films, I'm sadly an outlier on this one as I had mixed feelings about it though I did have a high opinion of "Nobody Knows".
There are many curiosities regarding the characters in their difficult circumstances: while the adults are good for taking in children from difficult homes, there is a strong question of morality in teaching them to steal. In normal economic circumstances, this is clearly wrong but is this still the case where economic survival is concerned? Even some shopkeepers seem to accept shoplifting as a way of life for some. More could have been explored here but this area, like others, seems to be at loose ends by the film's conclusion.
Kore-eda's directing style itself is ordinary even though the subject matter is not. The directing style could have been more impactful, perhaps like in the recent "Roma" where the ordinary was made fascinating. While the story and its characters are interesting enough, more is needed to justify the film's two-hour length - perhaps more characterization. "Shoplifters" also lacks a moral centre which is needed in a story that has so much moral ambiguity. Possibly, the moral centre is the young girl Yuri (a very affecting Yasu Hojo) if only for her total innocence in a very harsh world. - dbamateurcritic
Director/writer Hirokazu Kore-eda made a similar film in 2004: "Nobody Knows". Like "Shoplifters", "Nobody Knows" also delved courageously into the subject of children living poverty. While "Shoplifters" is one of 2018's most acclaimed films, I'm sadly an outlier on this one as I had mixed feelings about it though I did have a high opinion of "Nobody Knows".
There are many curiosities regarding the characters in their difficult circumstances: while the adults are good for taking in children from difficult homes, there is a strong question of morality in teaching them to steal. In normal economic circumstances, this is clearly wrong but is this still the case where economic survival is concerned? Even some shopkeepers seem to accept shoplifting as a way of life for some. More could have been explored here but this area, like others, seems to be at loose ends by the film's conclusion.
Kore-eda's directing style itself is ordinary even though the subject matter is not. The directing style could have been more impactful, perhaps like in the recent "Roma" where the ordinary was made fascinating. While the story and its characters are interesting enough, more is needed to justify the film's two-hour length - perhaps more characterization. "Shoplifters" also lacks a moral centre which is needed in a story that has so much moral ambiguity. Possibly, the moral centre is the young girl Yuri (a very affecting Yasu Hojo) if only for her total innocence in a very harsh world. - dbamateurcritic
The Delusions of Shoplifters
tigerfish5019 March 2019
'Shoplifters' depicts a collective of social outcasts living in cramped quarters on the fringes of Tokyo, who survive by engaging in casual labor, petty crime and sex work. One cold night they take in the abused child of a neighboring couple, and subsequently adopt her into their merry band.
After this addition, the gang starts to consider itself a real family. Held together by an elderly matriarch, they live their outsider lifestyle in unrealistic harmony without much character development to compensate for the pedestrian narrative flow. The clan survives a major upset, but when a shoplifting caper goes wrong, the house of cards comes tumbling down. Secrets from previous lives are revealed, and the group's connecting threads become fragile as loyalties are stretched by altered circumstances.
'Shoplifters' has won some prestigious awards and got nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, but it doesn't live up to its big reputation. Although it has the look of social realism, the movie is actually far closer to a fairy tale. At the end of the day it's fairly obvious why the Academy voters preferred 'Roma'.
After this addition, the gang starts to consider itself a real family. Held together by an elderly matriarch, they live their outsider lifestyle in unrealistic harmony without much character development to compensate for the pedestrian narrative flow. The clan survives a major upset, but when a shoplifting caper goes wrong, the house of cards comes tumbling down. Secrets from previous lives are revealed, and the group's connecting threads become fragile as loyalties are stretched by altered circumstances.
'Shoplifters' has won some prestigious awards and got nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, but it doesn't live up to its big reputation. Although it has the look of social realism, the movie is actually far closer to a fairy tale. At the end of the day it's fairly obvious why the Academy voters preferred 'Roma'.
Heart warming social realism, an instant modern classic
bRAdY-0116 May 2018
Watched in official En Competition at the Festival De Cannes 2018 on the 14th of May. My favourite film of the festival of the titles in competition films screened, all round excellent performances with deft direction, superbly written this film benefits from being written by a humanist director following in the steps of previous masters like De Sica and Bresson. I really cannot recommend this film highly enough, social realism that shakes you to your heart breaks, an instant modern classic. Ten out of ten.
Sometimes water can be thicker than blood
ctowyi17 October 2018
Hirokazu Kore-eda's The Third Murder (2017) left me cold and entertaining the notion that Kore-eda has lost his mojo. O ye of little faith, please forgive me... Shoplifters, fresh from being minted with the highest honour, the Palme d'Or, at this year's Cannes Film Festival, is Kore-eda back to being his emotionally devastating best. This ranks in the top tier of his outstanding output. If ever there is a film that can declare that sometimes, just sometimes, water can be thicker than blood, this is it.
Somewhere in Tokyo, Osamu Shibata (Lily Franky), his 'wife' Nobuyo (Sakura Ando) and 'daughter' Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) live in poverty. While Osamu receives occasional employment and Nobuyo has a low-paying job, the family relies in large part on 'grandmother' Hatsue's pension. As he is shoplifting for groceries with his 'son', Shota (Kairi Jo), they discover Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), a neglected girl. Osamu takes her home, where the family observes evidence of abuse. Despite their strained finances, they informally adopt her.
Once in a long while, a film can come along, sneaks up on you and sends your heart into a flutter of tiny explosions. Coming out of the screening with six other friends, we had to dissect what we had just experienced. As it turned out, it wasn't much of a deconstruction, but more of a discussion of the ideas of the family unit that Kore-eda paints with such delicate and painterly brushstrokes. That's when you realise the immense power of cinema and what it can do. This is a gem.
Kore-eda dives into his favourite theme of the family unit and observes what will happen to the bedrock of familial relationships if it goes through a seismic shift. It is a theme he has dealt with in outstanding films like Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008), I Wish (2011), Like Father, Like Son (2013), Our Little Sister (2015) and After the Storm (2016). After so many excellent films on the same theme, you would think what else can he still distill. Shoplifters may be Kore-eda most complex, but yet his most accessible film to date.
The ideas explored in Shoplifters are multi-faceted and piercingly intelligent, intermeshed into a tapestry that will fall apart if even one scene is taken out. The script is subtle and draws empathy readily. So many times the dialogue feels innocuous, only for the poignancy to hit you in the gut some time later. It doesn't judge, never points a finger at any party, nothing here errs on the side of twee. The tone is deftly maintained from the first frame to the devastating last.
As usual, the heavy-lifting is done by the youngest actors, performances so naturalistic that they feel authentic. The ensemble is superbly cast and each of them shines in their own memorable way. They may be thieves, but there is honour and righteousness in them. They do not represent the lowest strata of the Japanese society and don't believe in handouts. With a warped sense of justice, they are willing to break the rules to survive. Above all else, their love and trust for each other is the glue that binds them.
Kore-eda never cheapens the emotional ride and doles out expositions like sermons. Details of characters are gradually accumulated in a Zen manner till it hits a gut-wrenching last act.
Like a lot of his heart-wrenching films, Shoplifters feels like a 3-hour magnum opus and I was again surprised it is only a 2-hour film because Kore-eda packs so much in the story. You will no doubt feel like you had lived a lifetime with the characters. Shoplifters is essential viewing and provides many involving examinations of what constitutes a true family. I love what the matriarch of the family said in a contemplative scene at the beach and I will paraphrase - "Sometimes it is better to be with the family you choose rather than the family you are born in". Some food for thought there.
Somewhere in Tokyo, Osamu Shibata (Lily Franky), his 'wife' Nobuyo (Sakura Ando) and 'daughter' Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) live in poverty. While Osamu receives occasional employment and Nobuyo has a low-paying job, the family relies in large part on 'grandmother' Hatsue's pension. As he is shoplifting for groceries with his 'son', Shota (Kairi Jo), they discover Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), a neglected girl. Osamu takes her home, where the family observes evidence of abuse. Despite their strained finances, they informally adopt her.
Once in a long while, a film can come along, sneaks up on you and sends your heart into a flutter of tiny explosions. Coming out of the screening with six other friends, we had to dissect what we had just experienced. As it turned out, it wasn't much of a deconstruction, but more of a discussion of the ideas of the family unit that Kore-eda paints with such delicate and painterly brushstrokes. That's when you realise the immense power of cinema and what it can do. This is a gem.
Kore-eda dives into his favourite theme of the family unit and observes what will happen to the bedrock of familial relationships if it goes through a seismic shift. It is a theme he has dealt with in outstanding films like Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008), I Wish (2011), Like Father, Like Son (2013), Our Little Sister (2015) and After the Storm (2016). After so many excellent films on the same theme, you would think what else can he still distill. Shoplifters may be Kore-eda most complex, but yet his most accessible film to date.
The ideas explored in Shoplifters are multi-faceted and piercingly intelligent, intermeshed into a tapestry that will fall apart if even one scene is taken out. The script is subtle and draws empathy readily. So many times the dialogue feels innocuous, only for the poignancy to hit you in the gut some time later. It doesn't judge, never points a finger at any party, nothing here errs on the side of twee. The tone is deftly maintained from the first frame to the devastating last.
As usual, the heavy-lifting is done by the youngest actors, performances so naturalistic that they feel authentic. The ensemble is superbly cast and each of them shines in their own memorable way. They may be thieves, but there is honour and righteousness in them. They do not represent the lowest strata of the Japanese society and don't believe in handouts. With a warped sense of justice, they are willing to break the rules to survive. Above all else, their love and trust for each other is the glue that binds them.
Kore-eda never cheapens the emotional ride and doles out expositions like sermons. Details of characters are gradually accumulated in a Zen manner till it hits a gut-wrenching last act.
Like a lot of his heart-wrenching films, Shoplifters feels like a 3-hour magnum opus and I was again surprised it is only a 2-hour film because Kore-eda packs so much in the story. You will no doubt feel like you had lived a lifetime with the characters. Shoplifters is essential viewing and provides many involving examinations of what constitutes a true family. I love what the matriarch of the family said in a contemplative scene at the beach and I will paraphrase - "Sometimes it is better to be with the family you choose rather than the family you are born in". Some food for thought there.
An Adorable Journey Throughout a Road of Humanity
AIOS-Reviews23 February 2019
Academy Award's official entry from Japan Shoplifters already earned so many awards and could even got every awards if there was no 'Roma'. Shoplifters questions us and left us to find the answer. The question could be seen in the trailer too. It was "Does giving birth automatically makes you a mother?" Though shoplifters is not made on this very topic. It's more than this.
They are family with husband, wife, and grandma and with two kids. They are poor. The man named Osamu (Lily Franky) shoplift everyday with his kid named Shota (Jyo Kairi). They return home and feel their stomach with the foods along with the other members of the family. One day returning home Osamu and Shota found a little girl (Miyu Sasaki) was outside of his home who had no one in their family then. They took her into their little house full with humanity and everybody welcome her. On the next day they went to return her but ended up hearing their parents were fighting over her existence and that's why they decided to took her into their house.
All of them in this family earn legally or illegally. They are not all innocent but they do have innocence. This film is adorable with it's realistic family goals. No matter what this family is actually happy over anything they has. But will not they try to do something which is acceptable? They are helpless too. They are free, they enjoy their time. The little girl who used to get beaten by her parents made a great relationship with this family too.
First of all there is nothing to spoil this film. The trailer showed almost all of this movie. This film is made on the views over a poor japaneese family. Hirokazu wanted us to feel for them. And it worked amazingly by his artistically work. Shoplifters never gives you any hard moments and this film has no center conflict. It's like a flowing river that has some stones in the middle. Shoplifters is an adorable journey throughout an road of humanity.
Amazing screenplay form Hirokazu and masterclass acting from all the cast gave me goosebumps in moments. There are moments that can make you cry and laugh at the same time. Shoplifters will be always live with my heart. And I liked it by watching 8.1 on imdb over 17k votes. It is really good to see normal people started liking this kind of arts too.
They are family with husband, wife, and grandma and with two kids. They are poor. The man named Osamu (Lily Franky) shoplift everyday with his kid named Shota (Jyo Kairi). They return home and feel their stomach with the foods along with the other members of the family. One day returning home Osamu and Shota found a little girl (Miyu Sasaki) was outside of his home who had no one in their family then. They took her into their little house full with humanity and everybody welcome her. On the next day they went to return her but ended up hearing their parents were fighting over her existence and that's why they decided to took her into their house.
All of them in this family earn legally or illegally. They are not all innocent but they do have innocence. This film is adorable with it's realistic family goals. No matter what this family is actually happy over anything they has. But will not they try to do something which is acceptable? They are helpless too. They are free, they enjoy their time. The little girl who used to get beaten by her parents made a great relationship with this family too.
First of all there is nothing to spoil this film. The trailer showed almost all of this movie. This film is made on the views over a poor japaneese family. Hirokazu wanted us to feel for them. And it worked amazingly by his artistically work. Shoplifters never gives you any hard moments and this film has no center conflict. It's like a flowing river that has some stones in the middle. Shoplifters is an adorable journey throughout an road of humanity.
Amazing screenplay form Hirokazu and masterclass acting from all the cast gave me goosebumps in moments. There are moments that can make you cry and laugh at the same time. Shoplifters will be always live with my heart. And I liked it by watching 8.1 on imdb over 17k votes. It is really good to see normal people started liking this kind of arts too.
Great portrayal of ordinary folks' struggles and haunted pasts
gerald-koh996 July 2018
Excellently scripted and full of impressive subtleties, Shoplifters is a harrowing look at a working-class family in Tokyo, in the business of trying to simply make ends meet day by day. At first glance this may seem like just a story of this family resorting to petty crime, but as the plot gradually unfolds the reasons for the behaviour and decisions of each character is revealed, and al the dots begin to connect amidst this struggle.
Certainly seeing some of the characters getting involved in decidedly immoral behaviour- for example, the shoplifting carried out by the young boy and his father (as the title indications) and one young lady making a living off involvement in the porn industry, can be uncomfortable to see and it does present the characters in this film as morally dubious. But the whole situation that these people are in, and partially choose to create themselves, is eventually presented to the audience with unassuming subtlety, which is beautiful to watch. The overall tone of this film is fairly grim, and there is definitely raw emotional power to many scenes, but the acting and the script never at any point becomes overly sentimental or tragic. The scenarios and emotions that each character faces is really presented as it is, but of course with much delicacy.
This film may be relatively slow-paced and not visually stunning, but is breathtaking nonetheless. It's no wonder why it managed to win the Palme D'or! It's definitely going to end up as one of the best films of the year and will probably be recognised as a classic long in the future. Regardless of which culture you're from, I highly recommend checking this film out. It should deeply resonate with and impress any film lover.
Certainly seeing some of the characters getting involved in decidedly immoral behaviour- for example, the shoplifting carried out by the young boy and his father (as the title indications) and one young lady making a living off involvement in the porn industry, can be uncomfortable to see and it does present the characters in this film as morally dubious. But the whole situation that these people are in, and partially choose to create themselves, is eventually presented to the audience with unassuming subtlety, which is beautiful to watch. The overall tone of this film is fairly grim, and there is definitely raw emotional power to many scenes, but the acting and the script never at any point becomes overly sentimental or tragic. The scenarios and emotions that each character faces is really presented as it is, but of course with much delicacy.
This film may be relatively slow-paced and not visually stunning, but is breathtaking nonetheless. It's no wonder why it managed to win the Palme D'or! It's definitely going to end up as one of the best films of the year and will probably be recognised as a classic long in the future. Regardless of which culture you're from, I highly recommend checking this film out. It should deeply resonate with and impress any film lover.
Family Choice
politic198324 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
So, after years of films put forward, Kore-eda Hirozaku finally scooped the big prize at this year's Cannes festival, claiming the Palme d'Or for his latest "Shoplifters". Coming a matter of months after the multiple successes of "The Third Murder" at the domestic Academy awards in Japan, he is adding medals to years of critical acclaim. But how does his most prized film sit among the rest of an oeuvre in which a bad film has yet to materialise?
Well, as if a "Nobody Knows" of adults, "Shoplifters" shows a "family" of acquaintances, brought together by a similar social status and treatment by their more traditional families. "Grandmother" Hatsue (the late Kirin Kiki), oversees her "son" Osamu (Lily Franky), his younger "wife" Nobuyo (Sakura Ando), her "sister" Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) and the couple's "son" Shota (Jyo Kairi).
After a session of successful five-finger discount, Osamu and Shota walk home passed the again-left-out-in-the-cold Yuri (Miyu Sasaki). Offering her food and warmth, they soon realise they will need to return her to her rightful home. But as they are about to do so, her parents' arguing can be heard, and Nobuyo can't bring herself to leave her in an unloving household. The couple, therefore, have just given birth to their second child and latest family member.
But what they can offer in a loving home cannot be matched financially. They all live in a one room shack, sleeping on top of each other. Osamu has a low-paying job in construction, but soon finds himself injured and out of work. Nobuyo works in a laundry service, but finds herself in the same scenario. Aki is the only real earner, but working in a peep show flaunting her bits, and as such does not share her keep with the others. The family's main livelihood, therefore, comes from Hatsue's pension and low-level thievery. Osamu and Shota are the main protagonists in this line of work, and Yuri is brought in on their game.
But a financial and family structure such as this can only stay stable for so long. Caught in the act, an accident during escape sees a hospitalisation, leading to arrests, prompting confessions, resulting in the end.
Kore-eda always poses a question in his films, to which there is no immediate answer. Here it is as to the bind that keeps families together. While they have no blood ties, in "taking in" Yuri, they treat her better than her parents ever will, with more love and dedication. They have little to offer any new family members, but all seem happy with the situation, despite all having lives that one would seek to avoid. This is closer than the relations the depicted blood relatives offer each other.
The "Shibatas" are together by choice rather than forcibly by blood, with their post-modern solution a seemingly better option against tradition. But blood ties will always be there, and the choice to walk away from the Shibatas is also true. On arriving, Yuri is given the option to stay or return to her family; and once the authorities become involved, there are perhaps deceptions in all of them.
Shota gets caught on purpose, knowing it could result in their demise; Osamu and Nobuyo's killing in self-defence of her ex-husband is revealed; Hatsue and Aki have former family connections, Hatsue claiming money off Aki's parents on the sly; and with Shota lying in hospital ready for questioning, the others plot their escape, leaving him alone. The "family" is perhaps no more than a convenience for the criminal, low paid and deceiving, with little actually known as to those they share a floor with. But once legally put to rights, all show that the artificial family they'd created was perhaps preferable to the alternative. With no blood ties, they had to be more careful and considered in their behaviour to each other and what is said and revealed, leaving a happier compromise.
As ever, Kore-eda's slow pacing allows for a succession of detailed and delicate shots to build the story, as well as your knowledge of Lily Franky's buttocks. The end, however, is a confessional, each revealing their story to the police in individual interviews (partly conducted by Kengo "...Yonosuke" Kora). Though these are not designed to pull too tightly on the heart strings. As with "Nobody Knows", the everyday nature of the reactions, again perhaps a nod to the reaction and treatment of the lower classes and underclass in modern society: unseen and treated with indifference.
Their family unit is not allowed to survive in the legal system; the poor and destitute barely able to survive under it also. And following on from "The Third Murder", Kore-eda again questions the nature of justice: The Shibata's "kidnap" Yuri, but treat her better than her parents ever would, though they are the convenient scapegoat.
Featuring good performances throughout from some old reliables as well as some new names, there is undoubtedly a lot of expectation sat on "Shoplifters". The truth is that it is not his best film, but is definitely up there in a career of high standards, though perhaps doesn't leave as much of an impression as some that have come before it. But in an era of dropping standards, this is certainly the best new film I have seen this year, cementing that his is one of the best talents in contemporary cinema and justifying those awards.
politic1983.blogspot.co.uk
Well, as if a "Nobody Knows" of adults, "Shoplifters" shows a "family" of acquaintances, brought together by a similar social status and treatment by their more traditional families. "Grandmother" Hatsue (the late Kirin Kiki), oversees her "son" Osamu (Lily Franky), his younger "wife" Nobuyo (Sakura Ando), her "sister" Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) and the couple's "son" Shota (Jyo Kairi).
After a session of successful five-finger discount, Osamu and Shota walk home passed the again-left-out-in-the-cold Yuri (Miyu Sasaki). Offering her food and warmth, they soon realise they will need to return her to her rightful home. But as they are about to do so, her parents' arguing can be heard, and Nobuyo can't bring herself to leave her in an unloving household. The couple, therefore, have just given birth to their second child and latest family member.
But what they can offer in a loving home cannot be matched financially. They all live in a one room shack, sleeping on top of each other. Osamu has a low-paying job in construction, but soon finds himself injured and out of work. Nobuyo works in a laundry service, but finds herself in the same scenario. Aki is the only real earner, but working in a peep show flaunting her bits, and as such does not share her keep with the others. The family's main livelihood, therefore, comes from Hatsue's pension and low-level thievery. Osamu and Shota are the main protagonists in this line of work, and Yuri is brought in on their game.
But a financial and family structure such as this can only stay stable for so long. Caught in the act, an accident during escape sees a hospitalisation, leading to arrests, prompting confessions, resulting in the end.
Kore-eda always poses a question in his films, to which there is no immediate answer. Here it is as to the bind that keeps families together. While they have no blood ties, in "taking in" Yuri, they treat her better than her parents ever will, with more love and dedication. They have little to offer any new family members, but all seem happy with the situation, despite all having lives that one would seek to avoid. This is closer than the relations the depicted blood relatives offer each other.
The "Shibatas" are together by choice rather than forcibly by blood, with their post-modern solution a seemingly better option against tradition. But blood ties will always be there, and the choice to walk away from the Shibatas is also true. On arriving, Yuri is given the option to stay or return to her family; and once the authorities become involved, there are perhaps deceptions in all of them.
Shota gets caught on purpose, knowing it could result in their demise; Osamu and Nobuyo's killing in self-defence of her ex-husband is revealed; Hatsue and Aki have former family connections, Hatsue claiming money off Aki's parents on the sly; and with Shota lying in hospital ready for questioning, the others plot their escape, leaving him alone. The "family" is perhaps no more than a convenience for the criminal, low paid and deceiving, with little actually known as to those they share a floor with. But once legally put to rights, all show that the artificial family they'd created was perhaps preferable to the alternative. With no blood ties, they had to be more careful and considered in their behaviour to each other and what is said and revealed, leaving a happier compromise.
As ever, Kore-eda's slow pacing allows for a succession of detailed and delicate shots to build the story, as well as your knowledge of Lily Franky's buttocks. The end, however, is a confessional, each revealing their story to the police in individual interviews (partly conducted by Kengo "...Yonosuke" Kora). Though these are not designed to pull too tightly on the heart strings. As with "Nobody Knows", the everyday nature of the reactions, again perhaps a nod to the reaction and treatment of the lower classes and underclass in modern society: unseen and treated with indifference.
Their family unit is not allowed to survive in the legal system; the poor and destitute barely able to survive under it also. And following on from "The Third Murder", Kore-eda again questions the nature of justice: The Shibata's "kidnap" Yuri, but treat her better than her parents ever would, though they are the convenient scapegoat.
Featuring good performances throughout from some old reliables as well as some new names, there is undoubtedly a lot of expectation sat on "Shoplifters". The truth is that it is not his best film, but is definitely up there in a career of high standards, though perhaps doesn't leave as much of an impression as some that have come before it. But in an era of dropping standards, this is certainly the best new film I have seen this year, cementing that his is one of the best talents in contemporary cinema and justifying those awards.
politic1983.blogspot.co.uk
Well made and thought provoking film
csm-781192 December 2019
This is an intelligent film with a soul and with universally excellent performances from its cast. Makes you think about the concept of a "family" in its widest sense and how human warmth and kindness is the most important thing we can achieve.
powerful and humble
kmonfared1 October 2018
The storytelling is very powerful. It slowly puts you in a situation that you are comfortable with, and step by step reveals a hidden layer. It simply challenges what the society defines as bond, connection, family, etc, and how laws conform to that. One of the best movies I've watched in the recent years.
A simple but engaging and uplifting story of life.
navdp13 September 2019
Could be the best work of Hirokazu Koreeda
DawsonChu3 August 2018
After filming several high-profile, slow-paced family dramas, the director Hirokazu Koreeda finally broke through the comfort zone he set up for himself in recent years. Through more skillful techniques and a more sagacious perspective, the tenacity and courage in "Nobody Knows" finally yielded an unhappy but very profound ending in the film. Even though the reconciliation between the individual and the world is no longer given hope, Hirokazu Koreeda's past unsolved thoughts resonate in a virtual space..
Therefore, it is not a bragging to call this film his masterpiece.
Sorry Film reviewers, I didn't like this movie
ahradwan61 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'll Be Honest, I expected so much more from this movie, especially after all the praise it got
The story is not engaging enough to leave me with what they assuemed as a strong message
The way the details about the past revieled was good but i expected more punch at the end
Slow, without the payoff
jtindahouse1 December 2019
I've had such a great run with well-received foreign language films lately that I suppose I was bound to come across a dud eventually. I wanted to like 'Shoplifters' but it just didn't work for me. Firstly, it's an extremely slow film. Now I have no problem with slow films simply for being the reason that they're slow ('Amour' is one of my favourite films of all time) but to be slow you have to have a couple of things. You have to have power and you have to have purpose. You need scenes that tell the audience a lot more is going on than meets the eye and you have to be subliminally telling the audience that their patience will be worth the wait. 'Shoplifters' had neither of those.
Only the film industry could ask you to side with a family of shoplifters. It actually comes up in the film later on in terms of right and wrong with quotes such as "Whatever's in a store doesn't belong to anybody yet" and "As long as the store doesn't go bankrupt it's okay". Obviously films have the right to have their characters do anything, but in this case I felt like I was being asked to side with them.
By the time the film started to develop a little and reveal itself I simply no longer cared. A lot of films set out to win awards, but some are better at hiding that fact than others. 'Shoplifters' felt to me like a film trying very hard to check all the boxes in order to win awards. There are some tremendous foreign language films out there. 'Shoplifters' isn't one of them.
Only the film industry could ask you to side with a family of shoplifters. It actually comes up in the film later on in terms of right and wrong with quotes such as "Whatever's in a store doesn't belong to anybody yet" and "As long as the store doesn't go bankrupt it's okay". Obviously films have the right to have their characters do anything, but in this case I felt like I was being asked to side with them.
By the time the film started to develop a little and reveal itself I simply no longer cared. A lot of films set out to win awards, but some are better at hiding that fact than others. 'Shoplifters' felt to me like a film trying very hard to check all the boxes in order to win awards. There are some tremendous foreign language films out there. 'Shoplifters' isn't one of them.
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