万引き家族

The film follows Shibata (柴田) family, Osamu (治 | リリー・フランキー Lily Franky) and Shota (信代 | 城桧吏 Jyo Kairi) often go shoplifting goods together. They communicate using hand signals when to move or blocking the view of the store employee. Osamu teaches Shota how to shoplifting and tells him that it’s okay to steal things that haven’t been sold because they don’t belong to anyone.

One cold night, they find a little girl named Yuri (ゆり | 佐々木みゆ Sasaki Miyu) standing outside an apartment, so they bring her home to stay awhile. 初枝 (Hatsue | 樹木希林 Kiki Kirin) sees bruises on Yuri’s arm, but Yuri tells her that she fell down on her own. Later that evening, Osamu and Nobuyo (信代 | 安藤サクラ Sakura Ando) bring the girl back to her apartment, but they overhear a. couple fighting and yelling from inside the apartment, a male voice saying the girl isn’t his daughter, and a female voice yelling that she doesn’t want the girl. So Osamu and Nobuyo decide to bring the girl back to their home instead.

Yuri becomes a part of Shibata family, Osamu and Shota also teach here how to shoplift. Osamu wants Shota to see Yuri as his sister and accept him as his father, but Shota seems unenthusiastic about it.

The family watches the news reporting about Yuri’s disappearance, and the police are investigating. The authority is informed that the girl’s name is Jiru (じゅり) has been gone from her house for two months, and her parents didn’t even report to the police. To hide Juri from the public eye, the family burns all her old clothes, changes her appearance, cuts her hair, and gives her a new name. Now they call her Lin.

Aki (亜紀 | 松岡茉優 Matsuoka Mayu) works in JK shop for money. (JK business is the practice of compensated dating with adolescent girls, JK stands for Joshi Kōsei 女子高生 which means “high school female student”.)

Hatsue receives a pension from her late husband. She sometimes visits his house where his son and wife are living, and get money from them every time. Aki is their older daughter, but her parents tell Hatsue that she’s now studying abroad when Hatsue asks.

Shota begins to question the story that Osamu used to tell him about rescuing him from a locked car when Osamu tries to persuade him to break into a van and steal a purse. Eventually, Shota gets caught and jumps off the bridge as he attempts to flee and breaks his leg. The police start investigating, and the family’s secrets come to light.

万引き家族 or Shoplifters is a well-made film. It’s emotional, and sometimes funny, with a devastating end. Although it feels like the secrets they reveal at the end are too intentional as if they are put there to make the audience deeply sympathize and accept why they do what they do.

All cast members are great and believable, especially the brilliant performances given by both lovely children. My favorite scene is the beach scene. I also love the scenes when a character whispers something but we can’t hear anything.

P.S. I still like Tokyo Sonata a bit more.