Shoplifters Film Difficulty Ranking: 3
If you’re looking for a heart warming family to guide you around contemporary Japan, check out Shoplifters. Everyone is welcome to join this oddball family and find beauty in life’s simple pleasures.
From: Japan, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Hulu, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: Boyhood, Kikujiro, Little Miss Sunshine
Why Watch Shoplifters?
- See beauty and feel love in this film’s simplicity
- Question what makes a family
- If you’re a fan of Murakami or interested in mundaneity
- For a beautiful kidnapping
The Breakdown
Shoplifters stars with a father and son entering a small supermarket. Everything looks normal until they start their shoplifting routine. The boy twiddles his fingers and gets to work. They both manage to steal a few items and make it out of the shop without anyone noticing.
On the way home with their swag, they celebrate by buying a street food snack to share. However, as they get closer to their home, they hear and spot a young girl sitting outside in the freezing cold on her own. They offer her some food, which she shyly takes, and decide to take her home with them to keep warm. The director does not dwell on the absurdity of this casual kidnapping, instead letting it play as if it was nothing significant.
The rest of the family is at home, and they are all taken by the young cute girl. So they feed her and reluctantly walk her back to where they found her. However, when they get there, they hear two parents shouting at each other. Instead of disturbing the arguing couple with their kid, who they have forgotten about, they decide not to return her, and look after her for longer.
It’s a beautiful kidnapping. They keep her in the family, and she happily becomes one of them – even helping them to shoplift as she gets more comfortable. She is never reported missing by her parents, but the police find out she is missing and start to look for her.
Ambiguity – Who is everyone?
Who are the main characters? How are they all related? Why do they hide in a house that their grandma owns? Why are there issues with the father and mother?
Hirokazu, the director, keeps all of the characters ambiguous. We only know their approximate ages and what they do for a living, as these are the only things we the director shows us. We can only judge each of the characters on what we see, so we are forced to judge the characters before we know who they are. This allows us to create a sympathy with all the main characters in a way that wouldn’t be possible if we watched the film in reverse.
What to Watch Next
For another lovable Japanese movie with an obscure father figure, check out the heart warming Kikujiro. Or for another oddball family, check out the fun Little Miss Sunshine from the U.S.
Or if you’re looking for a wider look at a family across a long period of time, check out Boyhood or Roma. In both films, you’ll follow a family through the highs and lows over a 12 and 1 year period respectively.
','' ); } ?>