Shoplifters

One of the nominees for the recent Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language category, Japan's Shoplifters is an affecting drama that looks at the definition of family--are we tied by biology, or by something more human?

Written and directed by Hirakazu Kore-eda, Shoplifters is about a family who live near poverty. The "dad" is a day laborer, the "mom" works in a laundry, and "sister" works in a peep show.
"Grandma" owns the house and relies on her husband's pension. Dad and son Shota supplement things by lifting products out of supermarkets. Kore-eda has said he was inspired by a rash of shoplifting in Tokyo, but maybe these stores could prevent theft by not allowing people to carry huge backpacks inside.

The plot centers around a little girl that the family takes in. Her parents are abusive--she's covered in burn marks and scars--and despite their misgivings they can't resist keeping her, even though it is technically kidnapping. Soon enough she is helping Shota steal, which gnaws at the boy's conscience..

As the film goes on, I was confused by how everyone was related to one another, and it turns out the confusion was intentional. About halfway through it dawned on me, and I won't spoil it here. Suffice it to say that everything is not as it seems.

There are some very good performances here. Lily Panky is the dad, and he's a jokester, always with a smile on his face, but hides a dark secret. As his wife, Sakura Ando steals the show with a long, Bergman-esque close-up of her coming to grips with why she kidnapped the child.

A few of the plot threads aren't tied up--the sister becomes entranced by one of her customers, but this isn't resolved--but it's an emotionally powerful film.