After successfully trying his hand at film noir Kore-eda goes back to more the usual territory of houmu dorama (family drama), with a particular focus on the kids. But nothing about this story of a (very) small-time criminal family seems tired or cliched, because of Kore-eda's clear passion for exploring all the facets of this quirky group. Played by many of his regulars with evident relish, the characters are touching, maddening, funny and proud.
The movie met with tremendous success in Japan, despite the government's disapproval, likely due to the fact it depicts people on the margins. People who work for a pittance, are treated like trash, yet whose humanity shines through relentlessly.

Just finally got around to seeing this this weekend. Couldn't see it at the film festival up here last year, where I usually see his films. I think I missed his last one, the crime drama(?), I think the genre change did kind of slip it off my radar.'

I enjoyed this one, I love some of his past movies, don't know if I liked this more than Like Father, Like Son or Our Little Sister, but there's probably a bit more subtle nuance going on with underlying story of not only the family but essentially each individual that made it up until the end. Those parts of it actually stood out most to me ('choosing your own family, questioning what makes one a mother/father'). I think it was a hard story to end, at least in a way that didn't leave you kind of sad wondering what will happen to them all.

> I think I missed his last one, the
>crime drama(?), I think the genre change did kind of slip it
>off my radar.'

I'm not even sure what kind of distribution it got in the US, if it got any. I saw it on a flight which is generally a shitty way to watch a movie, but even in that format I was enthralled.

Read a Positif interview with HKE about Shoplifters where he says he grew up on Euro cinema way more than Japanese one. He keeps being asked in itws if he feels closer to Ozu or Naruse but he stated that he feels more inspired by Ken Loach. I can definitely see it with this one, and IMO Kore-eda is better because he doesn't box himself in thematically (much respect to Loach tho)