How to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes:

1. Be in any language but English
2. Be about a family
3. Be ambiguous with your [spoiler] sad [/spoiler] ending

_Shoplifters_ isn't a bad film. It has some interesting things to say about families and it says them extremely well. But when I think about about a film that embodies passion for filmmaking, _Shoplifters_, with its over-long second act, wouldn't be my first choice this year. (If you care, the correct answer amongst films in competition is either _Dogman_, _Happy as Lazzaro_ or _Leto_, but I would've accepted _Under the Silver Lake_ or _Burning_ ;-) ).

Still, _Shoplifters_ is a safe choice and is a harmless film for critics to rave over so run along then and play with your trophy, I have bigger films to see.

**UPDATE**: After receiving several death threats, I'm forced to re-evaluate my position... Honestly, upon reflection a day later, I've realised _Shoplifters_ has affected me more favourably than I'd thought, so I'm increasing my rating to a 'like'. In retrospect, I probably went into the cinema with a chip on my shoulder, bullying the film into making me like it, and this is a film that doesn't deserved to be bullied.

Bittersweet. A beautiful exploration of family and poverty in 21st century Japan. Right from the start, the movie finds the exact right tone. It’s warm and sweet without ever becoming too sentimental, almost like a Ghibli film in live action. The cinematography is gorgeous and the acting feels so authentic and real (the younger cast included!). The writing specifically excels at investing you in these characters, while not forgetting to include some subtle complexity. The film opens with one of our protagonists shoplifting and kidnapping a child, and yet because the writing is so strong, you don’t think of him as this irredeemable asshole. As the film progresses, the film presents us with some dark emotional moments that are sure to leave an impression on your memory because you care so much about these people. It also plays with this idea of the chosen family vs the biological family, think _The Rise of Skywalker_ if those final moments had any authentic weight. This is honestly pretty much perfect for what it’s trying to do, every choice I find to be incredibly tasteful. You could call it a perfect ‘tearjerker’, but since we tend to associate that term with cheap trash, I’m not going to. Just know that if you’re the sensitive type, this one’s really effective at tugging at your emotions.

9/10

A genuinely super film about a family of small time chancers who survive on their wits on the verge of poverty. There is something almost Fagin-esque about their behaviour, but in best Robin Hood tradition we always feel that their small-scale criminal activities are carried out as a result of necessity than from any need or wish to do anyone else any harm. They take in a little girl off the street which stretches their already meagre resources but without rancour or complaint and we skip through a series of events, some beautifully poignant some rather more serious. The contrast between the three generations of the "Shibata" family living in a space no bigger than an average garage compared with some of the wealth and Japanese opulence surrounding them is expertly delivered by a strong cast - especially the youngsters - under the careful direction of Hirozaku Koreeda - and makes for a thought-provoking two hours of cinema.