Borrowed Family

SHOPLIFTERS (A) - Hirokazu Kore-eda ("I Wish," "Nobody Knows," "Like Father, Like Son") puts it all together in this perfect narrative of a makeshift family that gets by via grifting.  IMDb succinctly boils down the plot:  "A Japanese couple stuck with part-time jobs and hence inadequate incomes avail themselves of the fruits of shoplifting to make ends meet. ... 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."

That little girl, Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), is rescued from an abusive home by Osamu (Lily Franky) and his wife, Nobuyo (Sakura Ando), who have wrangled their children into the fold. Older daughter Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) earns money doing peep shows, while their shaggy-haired adolescent son, Shota (Jyo Kairi), carries out the main shoplifting in tandem with Osamu. The matron of the family is kept around but not for entirely charitable or loving purposes. 

Kore-eda unravels his sophisticated narrative with impeccably timing, dividing the two-hour film into three distinct acts tuned with precision. Humor mixes with heartbreak, as the quaint domestic set-up is smudged with dark undertones. As the true nature of this family structure is revealed, frivolity morphs into a bland menace. This is an entertaining and touching story about how we get by and how love can conquer insecurity. It is beautifully rendered, with powerful performances, most notably by Kairi as the rudderless boy in the emotionally fragile embrace of his kin.

BONUS TRACK
The trailer: