*My capsule review of Shoplifters was originally published on Film Inquiry as part of my first report from Film Fest 919. Click here to read the original post and check out more great reviews from this awesome site!*
One of the unusual things about film festivals is the necessity of switching between radically different films within a matter of minutes. One minute you’re watching Emma Stone battle Rachel Weisz for the affections of a troubled queen, and the next you’re examining the everyday life of a makeshift family of misfits and petty thieves in Japan.
That might be why it took me a few minutes to adjust to the groove of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, which won the Palme d'Or at this year’s edition of the Cannes Film Festival. This is a patient film, content to draw in its audience at a slow, measured rate. Eventually, it becomes apparent that Kore-eda is working somewhere between the realm of the mundane and the strikingly intimate, expertly capturing a group of individuals who find solace in the company of each other.
Set in an area of Japan where poverty is prevalent and domestic disputes seem to tear families apart, Shoplifters begins with a playful scene in a grocery store. Father figure Osamu (Lily Franky) and young Shota (Jyo Kairi) are staging a small robbery, picking up a few items for their cozy abode in wonderfully sneaky fashion. They’re clearly experts at this, and Osamu has made his protégé a master of the craft. But on their way home, they discover a young girl named Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), whose parents fight frequently and abuse her continuously. Even though it’s technically kidnapping, Osamu picks her up and takes her home anyways.
Here, Yuri meets the rest of the clan. There’s Grandma Hatsue (the late Kirin Kiki), who provides the pension money for the family to survive. Nobuyo (Sakura Ando) is Osamu’s part-time lover with a slightly enigmatic past of her own trauma, and Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) is a webcam girl with a loose connection to the family matriarch. Together, the Shibata family help heal the wounds of their respective pasts, creating a powerful bond even in dire circumstances.
But can it last?
Kore-eda’s film drops you into its world with little care for explicit exposition or introductions, which some viewers are bound to find frustrating. A story that feels jovial and energetic in the first few moments quickly grinds to something of a halt, allowing Kore-eda to explore those everyday interactions that make up this family's life. It's tedious at first, though I imagine the purpose of capturing these quiet moments will click for most viewers.
Much of what happens in Shoplifters feels ordinary and plain, but it's presented in contrast to what isn't there. Until the film is forced to go in a more clear-cut narrative direction, it's striking how little conflict there is. These characters don't fight with each other, and there's no room for contrivances.
Instead, Kore-eda shifts his lens to the manifestation of intimacy and belonging, searching to discover how connections are formed by blood and by choice. So many scenes in the film focus on a specific type of bond, whether it's the profound relationship between a father and his adopted son or the contractual link between a call girl and a client who just wants to be held and caressed for a few moments.
During these flashes of affection and palpable closeness, Kore-eda's purpose comes into perfect focus. Of course, Shoplifters can't stay sweet forever. The inevitable tragedy remains a daunting cloud on the horizon, but Kore-eda's love for these characters will keep you in the film's grasp no matter the circumstances.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (7.6/10)
Image courtesy of Film Fest 919
Poster: Magnolia/IMDb
One of the unusual things about film festivals is the necessity of switching between radically different films within a matter of minutes. One minute you’re watching Emma Stone battle Rachel Weisz for the affections of a troubled queen, and the next you’re examining the everyday life of a makeshift family of misfits and petty thieves in Japan.
Set in an area of Japan where poverty is prevalent and domestic disputes seem to tear families apart, Shoplifters begins with a playful scene in a grocery store. Father figure Osamu (Lily Franky) and young Shota (Jyo Kairi) are staging a small robbery, picking up a few items for their cozy abode in wonderfully sneaky fashion. They’re clearly experts at this, and Osamu has made his protégé a master of the craft. But on their way home, they discover a young girl named Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), whose parents fight frequently and abuse her continuously. Even though it’s technically kidnapping, Osamu picks her up and takes her home anyways.
Here, Yuri meets the rest of the clan. There’s Grandma Hatsue (the late Kirin Kiki), who provides the pension money for the family to survive. Nobuyo (Sakura Ando) is Osamu’s part-time lover with a slightly enigmatic past of her own trauma, and Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) is a webcam girl with a loose connection to the family matriarch. Together, the Shibata family help heal the wounds of their respective pasts, creating a powerful bond even in dire circumstances.
But can it last?
Kore-eda’s film drops you into its world with little care for explicit exposition or introductions, which some viewers are bound to find frustrating. A story that feels jovial and energetic in the first few moments quickly grinds to something of a halt, allowing Kore-eda to explore those everyday interactions that make up this family's life. It's tedious at first, though I imagine the purpose of capturing these quiet moments will click for most viewers.
Much of what happens in Shoplifters feels ordinary and plain, but it's presented in contrast to what isn't there. Until the film is forced to go in a more clear-cut narrative direction, it's striking how little conflict there is. These characters don't fight with each other, and there's no room for contrivances.
Instead, Kore-eda shifts his lens to the manifestation of intimacy and belonging, searching to discover how connections are formed by blood and by choice. So many scenes in the film focus on a specific type of bond, whether it's the profound relationship between a father and his adopted son or the contractual link between a call girl and a client who just wants to be held and caressed for a few moments.
During these flashes of affection and palpable closeness, Kore-eda's purpose comes into perfect focus. Of course, Shoplifters can't stay sweet forever. The inevitable tragedy remains a daunting cloud on the horizon, but Kore-eda's love for these characters will keep you in the film's grasp no matter the circumstances.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (7.6/10)
Image courtesy of Film Fest 919
Poster: Magnolia/IMDb
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