Shoplifters (2018), a Japanese movie about a poor family taking a young girl under their wing. It is a beautiful, emotional story about the bonds of family.

Shoplifters follows a poor family living in an incredibly cramped but vibrant house. Every room inside it is noisy, crowded, and almost claustrophobic. Yet, it is immensely cozy. It feels like a home because of the family that occupies it, filling it with life and personality. So many small moments, fleeting pieces of life, are defined by this house. A dried up pond. Fireworks, heard but not seen. A magic trick in the living room. Cold noodles on a hot summer day.

The father works in construction. The mother works in a dry cleaners. The sister dances for lonely men. The son is young. He doesn't go to school, but he accompanies his dad when they go shoplifting, and they go a lot. It's become somewhat of a bonding experience. Fist bumps are exchanged. Hand signals understood. The two operate like a pair of professionals, and it's like the father-son fishing trips that they never had.

One day, on their way back from the store, stolen goods in hand, the father and son come across a young girl. Just five years old. It's cold out, and she has no where to go. It's clear her house is no proper home for her. So they take her back, just for the night, for now. After all, it's frigid. But one night turns to days, and no one is missing her. She's happy where she is, and it seems her "kidnappers" care for her more than her parents.

This is where the story begins. I've essentially described the first ten or fifteen minutes of the movie. The plot unfurls slowly but delicately, revealing tender moments of love and hardship, bit by bit. The movie never quite shifts gears, but it slowly builds, and it pulls you in every step of the way.

Everything seems to be going well until a cascade of incidents sends the family into a spiral, and new truths begin to surface. The strength of their bonds are tested, and the heartstrings of the audience are plucked at subtly and expertly.

I watched this movie on a whim and I'm extremely glad I did. It's emotional, funny, and deeply personal. I highly recommend this movie and would love to hear what anyone else thought of it. I haven't seen anything else by the director, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, but now I'll definitely find time to check out some of his other movies.

PS, I would recommend not watching the trailer. It is a good trailer, but it kind of spoils the movie. Go in fresh! If you need to vet the movie, take a look at what critics have to say about it. The ratings speak for themselves.

edit: I also figured I should mention that it's on Hulu, that's how I watched it. You can rent it too.

Submitted February 23, 2020 at 12:26PM by adangerousdriver https://ift.tt/38S1EvN