Shoplifters: Uma Família de Pequenos Ladrões (2018)

A family of small-time crooks take in a child they find outside in the cold.

Director:

Hirokazu Koreeda

Writers:

Hirokazu Koreeda (original story), Hirokazu Koreeda (screenplay)

Stars:

Lily Franky, Sakura Andô, Kirin Kiki

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 47 wins & 91 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lily Franky	...	Osamu Shibata
Sakura Andô	...	Nobuyo Shibata
Kirin Kiki	...	Hatsue Shibata
Mayu Matsuoka	...	Aki Shibata
Jyo Kairi	...	Shota Shibata
Miyu Sasaki	...	Yuri Hojo
Sôsuke Ikematsu	...	4 ban-san
Yûki Yamada	...	Yasu Hojo
Moemi Katayama	...	Nozomi Hojo
Daisuke Kuroda
Kazuaki Shimizu
Izumi Matsuoka
Katsuya Maiguma
Hajime Inoue
Aju Makita

Storyline

A Japanese couple stuck with part-time jobs and hence inadequate incomes avail themselves of the fruits of shoplifting to make ends meet. They are not alone in this behaviour. The younger and the older of the household are in on the act. The unusual routine is about to change from care-free and matter-of-fact to something more dramatic, however, as the couple open their doors to a beleaguered young girl. The reasons for the family's habit and their motivations come under the microscope.

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Plot Keywords:

miniskirt | upskirt | short skirt | pink bra | hiked skirt | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes you choose your family.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

M/14

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official Site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

22 November 2018 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Shoplifters: Uma Família de Pequenos Ladrões

Filming Locations:

Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$89,264, 25 November 2018

Gross USA:

$3,313,513

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$67,998,954

Company Credits

Production Co:

AOI Promotion, Fuji Television Network, GAGA

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Hirokazu Koreeda said that he developed the story for Shoplifters when considering his earlier film Tal Pai, Tal Filho (2013), with the question "what makes a family"? He had been considering a film exploring this question for years before making Shoplifters. Koreeda described it as his "socially conscious" film. With this story, Koreeda said he did not want the perspective to be from only a few individual characters, but to capture "the family within the society", a "wide point of view" in the vein of his 2004 film Ninguém Sabe (2004). He set his story in Tokyo and was also influenced by the Japanese Recession, including media reports of how people lived in poverty and of shoplifting.

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Quotes

Aki Shibata: So Grandma wanted my parent's money but she didn't want me?

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Connections

Referenced in ARfRA: The House That Jack Built Controversy (2018)

User Reviews

Is blood thicker than water? (Thank you for everything, Kirin Kiki)

I think the reviews already sums up quite good how stunning this film is. In addition to extraordinary cinematographic work and music (!!!), Hirokazu Koreeda raises a lot of difficult, though important questions, leaving you thinking about your own moral values and the idea of a family. All wrapped up in a simple, well written and beautiful plot.

However, I would like to draw som more attention to Kirin Kiki and yet another one of her amazing interpretations. Only four months after the premier at Cannes, Kiki died, at the age of 75. In some strange way I get the sense that both Koreeda and Kiki somehow knew this was going to happen, during the creation of Shoplifters. It may sound far fetched, but keep it in mind while watching.