Hirokazu Kore-eda set to steal Chinese hearts with 'Shoplifters'

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Winner of the Palme d'Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival “Shoplifters,” helmed by Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, is set to hit the theaters across the Chinese mainland Friday, August 3.

It is not the film’s debut in China. During the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival held in June, tickets for the film sold out within second, and was the sought-after movie among the 500 selected titles for festival release.

The official Chinese poster for "Shoplifters" /Photo via Mtime.com

Before being introduced to China, the film topped the domestic box office in the first three weeks since its release in Japan and pulled in 29.2 million US dollars in the first month, which replaced “Like Father, Like Son,” a winner of the jury prize at Cannes in 2013, as Kore-eda's biggest domestic box-office hit.

Currently, “Shoplifters” has a sound score of 8.8 out of 10 points on Douban.com, China’s popular film rating and review site.

About 10,000 users on Maoyan.com, China’s online movie ticketing platform, have clicked to express their wish to watch the film within half a month since the release date announced.

June 23, 2018: (L-R) Japanese actress Matsuoka Mayu, pre-teen actor Jyo Kairi, and writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda attend the film's post-screening meeting with Chinese audiences during the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival. /VCG Photo

“I completely cannot say no to Hirokazu Kore-eda!” said Maoyan user @Dayaowang.

Another user @LEE-05 believed “helmed by Kore-eda, awarded with the Palme d'Or – rest assured that it will be an at-least-9-point work.”

Though without much hype, it has been a much-anticipated film for mainstream Chinese moviegoers thanks to the critical acclaim received in the festival and the writer-director's prestige, especially among art-house audiences.

Screenshots show the ratings of part of Kore-eda's works on Douban.com.

The productive filmmaker has more than five movies with scores of 8.5 or higher on Douban.com. Produced in the past decade, many of his movies, including “Still Walking” and “After the Storm,” explore family relationships, an issue that also resonates with Chinese audiences.

Described as “modern day Oliver Twist story” by Variety, the film “Shoplifters” again sees Kore-eda master his favorite themes, depicting a heart-touching and heart-wrenching story of a destitute Japanese family, who ekes out a living through petty thievery. However, the family still takes in an abused little girl and provides her with temporary shelter.

A still from Kore-eda's "Shoplifters" / Photo via Mtime.com

The 56-year-old filmmaker indicated in an interview with the Chinese media that the story was inspired by his own childhood, where it was quite common for the whole family, from grandparents to grandchildren, to squeeze into a limited space.

Recent stories about cheating, abuse and even murder within families made him rethink the family unit, and wonder what bonds families in the worst conditions.

A screenshot shows the comment of film critic “Taotao Picking Films” on Douban.com.

As he did in the previous works such as 2004’s “Nobody Knows,” Kore-eda once again examines the existing national system in the new piece, on which he put his distinctive signature.

Instead of directly presenting the cruelties, Kore-eda tends to describe the charming and delicate details in daily life, through which humanism is well shaped. Some audiences claim their preference for the exquisite craft and the societal values embraced by his films.

A screenshot shows Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu's film review on Weibo.

Douban user @Jiongzhi pointed out that “Shoplifters” creates a window through which the daily lives of Japanese people are vividly presented. Film critic “Taotao Picking Films” found that “the family relationships are more special and involve more warmth and societal concerns, which make the film more profound.”

Others highlighted that the shocking reality is then represented in a more comfortable and acceptable way in Kore-eda’s films.

Famous Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu shared her exciting comments after watching the film on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like website, describing it as “a blend of bitterness and tenderness with a reserved storytelling.”

A still from "Shoplifters" /Photo via Mtime.com

The gentle brushwork conducted in a slow, measured pace, though sometimes unpleasant, to a great extent contributes to the typical Kore-eda’s style – the warmth, honesty, and strength that coexist at certain balance in his work of art – and appeals to more audiences to appreciate the bittersweet fable.

As Kore-eda himself admitted in the earlier interview that he prefers to create a parable that will trigger some reflections. “Instead of just making the audiences cry, I believed it would be the best result that audiences will feel a little bit painful after watching the film.”

(Cover photo: A still from Kore-eda's "Shoplifters" /Photo via Mtime.com)