Film Feature: Shoplifters (2018)
Judging from the title and the movie poster (the scene which happened to be my favorite part of the movie), you can already get a grasp of what the movie will be about. Shoplifters by Koreeda Hirokazu in a nutshell is about a family that steals together and stays together.
What I like about this movie is that even if you know for a fact that theft is something that deserves to be punished, you will not be able to stop yourself from rooting for this family because the movie appeals to the audience by highlighting the unfairness that happens within the society, not just in the movie but also in real life.
It also challenges the idea of “family” that the society has set, as you witness the truth unfold in front of your eyes. I must say that the plot twist of this movie is something that I have never seen so far that it totally left me scratching my head and gasping for air. The constant switching from one character to another, showing the truth behind each character with a close-up shot and how it chose to reveal itself in a fast-paced manner is something I also want to mention. It really was a brilliant approach to tackle the climax as it puts the audience on the edge of their seats, just like the characters. And the fact that the movie did not forget to drop hints here and there but still manage to the leave its audience in awe, proves that Shoplifters is a movie of a different caliber. It’s a movie that will make you feel hooked until all you can see is a reflection of yourself trying to process everything that just happened. Also, don't forget it's A+ cinematography.
If you sum it all up, you won't even be surprised to know that the movie won the Palme d’Or, which is the highest award in the Cannes Film Festival.
Shoplifters is a masterpiece. Koreeda Hirokazu is a genius and I'm definitely going to watch his upcoming films.