Storyline
In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. When Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl, their already fragile existence begins to unravel. As the family grows attached to her, buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and what makes a family.
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CinemaSerf
May 30, 2024
8 / 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.
