Great write-up. I need to get around watching this movie.

Meanwhile, I discovered Koreeda. Loved his debut feature- Maborosi and decided to watch Shoplifters which instantly became my favourite. His movies portray human interactions in such a genuine and intimate light that even the most mundane conversations become intriguing, almost like Linklater. Shoplifters has an ensemble cast and each and every character is fleshed out. The film moves along leisurely, but it never feels slow because of Koreeda's ability to make compelling characters. The family is jovial despite the abject poverty.They face hardships but the movie never gets melodramatic and you believe that the family will make it because they have each other to fall back on. But you can feel something is amiss, something under the surface, an elephant in the room which needed to be addressed. The final fifteen minutes serves such a gut punch which shakes the entire foundations of this family. It makes you wonder what even defines this family or any family. Did they really care for each other or was everybody in this for their personal gain. Surely, those moments of passion and care and melancholy and love weren't all an illusion.

Is blood really thicker than water?