Summary:
A ragtag group of shoplifters take in a little girl they find outside in the cold.
My Thoughts:
The first scene of Hirokazu Koreeda’ “Shoplifters”, a carefully executed shoplifting scheme carried out by a father and son, hooked me, and almost immediately I knew that I would really enjoy this movie. Within a few scenes, I felt like I had already fallen in love with a few of the characters in this grungy, dismal little world. The characters in this story are insignificant, unassuming people who do their best to get by, even if that means shoplifting in order to put food on the table. But while the characters in this film might be petty criminals, the actions that they take are always driven by love or compassion. The ‘family’ that this movie focuses on is comprised of broken people working together to create a place that feels whole.
“If someone hits you and tells you they are doing it because they love you, they are a liar.”
Osamu (Lily Franky, “Like Father Like Son”), Nobuyo (Sakura Ando, “Love Exposure”), Hatsue (Kirin Kiki, “After the Storm”), Aki (Mayu Matsuoka, “A Silent Voice”), and Shota (Jyo Kairi, “Good Doctor”) are all members of a unique kind of family. They are poor and must steal in order to get by, the house they live in is practically destitute, but somehow they remain incredibly optimistic about their lives. One particularly cold night, Osamu and Shota stumble upon five-year-old Yuri (Miyu Sasaki, “Samurai Gourmet”), whom has been left outside in the dark. They ask Yuri if she would like dinner, but when they bring her home and find signs of abuse all over her body, they let her stay. As Yuri is accepted by the Shibatas, we learn more about each of their characters and what makes them tick.
This is one of the more beautiful family dramas I’ve ever seen. As I watched this with fellow TMM reviewer Karl Nagurski, he and I both made comments that this movie reminded us of the films of Edward Yang (“Yi Yi”, “A Brighter Summer Day”), and any movie that draws comparison to Yang is one that deserves attention. This film is simple in its premise; really, it’s all about getting to know these characters and watching their way of life. The brilliance of this film comes from Koreeda’s writing, which slowly peels back layers of each character, revealing more and more through every scene. Every tiny revelation seemed to draw me in further to these people: they’re some of the most well developed characters I’ve seen on screen in some time. Each character has their own flaws; deep and meaningful back story, and a lesson that they learn through their time in this story. Not one scene is wasted.
I think really what drew me into this story the most was the compassion with which all of the characters treat each other. Every decision characters make is driven by a want to make someone else’s life better; even the decisions that might seem wrong or at times disturbing, when viewed through the eyes of our family, makes sense when you think about how they’re used to trying to survive. These people are fighting to be together because they truly believe that they’re each other’s best hope. While this film isn’t exactly about happy things, the way that it is approached is so unbelievably optimistic; even in all these hardships there can be joy and hope. I feel like that message alone makes this movie worth watching.
Verdict:
As I write this, the morning of Saturday February 23rd, one day before the Oscars, I find myself wishing that “Roma” wasn’t in the Best Foreign Language category, just so that this film could win that award. As much as I can appreciate the brilliance of “Roma” (I actually think that or “The Favourite” deserve Best Picture), it didn’t draw me in like “Shoplifters”. This movie is a spellbinding, heart-warming, beautiful family drama that I think almost everyone can enjoy. I haven’t seen anything else by Koreeda, but I intend to soon.
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