If you're expecting Shoplifters to be anything close to your usual slice of life drama then you best wipe out that misunderstanding. Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters is much more than what the title of the film states. It holds the complex yet subtle nuances of the human psyche and plays around how a varied type of individuals survive under one roof as they make ends meet. You've probably heard that the heart-wrenching film did win the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Well, having watched the film which not only fixates on the intricate classical Japanese style but also brings forth an audacious tale, I am stumped! Cannes 2019: What is Cannes Film Festival? Know History, Facts and Timeline of Festival de Cannes

There is so much to talk about this film as it delves deep into the psyche of dysfunctions and poverty. The story revolves around Osamu (Lily Franky) and Noboyu (Sakura Andô), a shifty couple who shoplift not because they are kleptomaniac but because they are poor. As the movie begins, it looks like they are a middle-aged couple with a grandmother as the head of the family, a girl who looks like a teen daughter or perhaps the younger sister of Noboyu, an adolescent son and Shota (Kairi Jyo). Both Osamu and Noboyu have their odd jobs to make ends meet.

But apart from their jobs, another attribute that keeps their cramped up lives in one small house up to the mark is how they shoplift what they can't afford. Things like shampoo, noodles, etc. Aki, also known as Sayaka (Mayu Matsuoka), the younger woman, contributes her share by working in a soft-porn peep show in the town. Meanwhile, a majority of their finances are contributed by Hatsue (Kirin Kiki), the grandmother who has been guilt-tripping the grownup children of her late husband's second wife so that they keep sending money over to her.

Shoplifters trailer

Everything changes for better or for worse is for our interpretation. Osamu and Shota, after their shoplifting success, notice a young girl, Juri (Miyu Sasaki), who is shivering in the cold and is famished. Instinctively, Osamu and Shota take Juri home for dinner. But later after Juri's missing status goes up on TV news, they decide to return the girl back to her home. However, after overhearing that she is an unwanted child, Noboyu keeps her as her own daughter. Once again, the family becomes a happy one who scrapes through their days and makes each other happy. Of course, as Hatsue predicts, nothing lasts forever. Hence, begins the series of unfortunate events which only lead to the crook-family breaking away. Cannes 2019 Palme d’Or Winner: South Korean Director Bong Joon’s Satirical Comedy ‘Parasite’ Bags Gold

Shoplifters beautifully expresses the tumultuous lives of individuals who don't live with their family but choose a family for themselves. Like I mentioned earlier, the film delves into the complexities of the human psyche and even talks about human nature. Everything about the film is so real and beautiful that there is no room for convenience. Kore-eda has often been known to pick out eccentrically scintillating tales that makes his viewers want more. The group of people express pain, fear, co-dependence in the best of ways possible as they call each other family. The ending of the film is also so ideal that it makes your heart ache!

Yays

- Kore-eda's devastatingly beautiful depiction of poverty

- The astounding storytelling

- The performance by every actor, including the kids

- The fine illustration of the Japanese way of living

- The grace and innocence of every character

- Refreshing and unconventional!

- Spotless cinematography

Nays

- The pace of the film

Final Word 

The genuine emotions expressed by the characters in the film, the layers peeled one after another by the filmmaker, the befitting end to the story with its subtle richness, they all make Shoplifters one of the best films of the year! You can feel the sentiments of each and every character and also understand why everything that happens in the movie is so devastatingly perfect! You must watch this film that explores the depths of poverty, humanity and more.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2019 02:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).