Shoplifters won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2018. I wasn't able to see it during the St. Louis Film Festival, but I was able to see it for free on Hoopla. I thought I knew what this movie was after seeing the trailer but I was wrong. I would quickly venture into spoilers (see below) if I expanded anymore on where I was wrong after seeing the trailer.
The full cast is fantastic, from the children to the grandmother. They very much draw you into their world. I became invested in their success very quickly. The movie is 2:01 long, so there is plenty of time to dive into the various characters lives and how they contribute to the common goal of surviving.
So many topics are covered in this movie that everyone should be able to relate it to experiences that they have had. Love, crime, death, money, black mail, losing a job, losing a parent, bed wetting, and many more. I think this movie has a broad appeal.
Carve out a two hour block of time and get ready for a journey. The movie is subtitled, so don't start it too late in the evening. This was an Oscar nominee for best foreign film and is well deserving of that nomination.
*Spoilers Below*
If you watch this with someone else, you will have plenty to talk about after you are done. The final half hour is shocking; I didn't see any of the reveals coming. You find out that the definition of 'family' is different from what you expected. The relationships that you thought existed for the last 90 minutes are put through a new lens. The movie leaves you questioning where you draw the line for good and bad.
This was not a story of a struggle of survival by stealing. Nor was it about adoption and bringing a new child into a world full of desperation. It also isn't a story of a boy coming of age and trying to escape from a life of petty crime. It uses elements form all of those to make a unique and wonderful movie.
The end of the movie flips the table over that was just set up. It is a wonderful ending that gave it a much more lasting impact.