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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 7 december 2018
An unlikely meditation on family in 'Shoplifters'

By LINDSEY BAHR And, with that, this new,
Associated Press very tenuous chapter be-
The idea of family as a gins with Yuri as the new-
simple, straightforward est Shibata family member.
concept is challenged by Shota has complicated
the provocative but oddly feelings about this, feeling
touching "Shoplifters," the both protective of Yuri and
Palme d'Or winning film also jealous that she's now
from Japanese director Hi- part of this little shoplift-
rokazu Kore-eda. ing crew (in a great scene
Kore-eda puts his lens on we see Yuri thinking fast
a poor, multi-generational and unplugging the tackle
family, living on the seem- shop's metal detector, so
ing brink of homelessness Shota can run out with the
in a tiny apartment some- merchandise). Suddenly
where in Tokyo. They sleep shoplifting is not just some-
two and three to a mat thing he and Osamu do,
and they're about to add although you suspect that
yet another mouth to feed more is going on here when
to their cramped settings. it's revealed that Shota re-
Shoplifting is a way of life fuses to call him dad for
for the Shibata clan, who reasons we won't learn until
we are introduced to in a This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows a scene from "Shoplifters." later.
rather exciting and realis- Associated Press Things are getting more
tic little heist in a local gro- complicated, and this un-
cery store between father, aunt Aki (Mayu Matsuoka), they don't starve. Walking back to the struc- stable situation becomes
Osamu (Lily Franky) and and grandmother, Hatsue On their way home, in the ture where they found her, even shakier with every
son, Shota (Kairi Jo). Osamu (Kirin Kiki) included. freezing cold, they spot a they overhear Yuri's parents passing day. Yuri has been
feigns actual shopping with Their rationale? No one very young, and underfed in a heated argument that reported missing to the
a basket in hand, while the owns the thing yet when girl who is outside without only makes it clearer that cops and is now a fixture
tiny and crafty Shota works it's in a store. And if it's not a jacket. Osamu gives her this is not a home that has on the local news. Osamu
his magic fingers and per- sending said store into food and takes her back any love in it and is certain- gets injured and can't even
fect timing to drop micro- bankruptcy, why not? And with them. They discover ly not a place to return to. do his day labor job any-
wavable udon bowls into it ends up being a kind of marks on her arm and fig- "This is kidnapping," Nobuyo more. Shota is growing up.
his backpack. This is dinner bonding experience be- ure that this must be abuse. tells her husband Osamu. And Nobuyo's employment
for the whole family, mom tween father and son, in Her name is Yuri (Miyu Saski) "No," he explains, "It's not, is uncertain as well.q
Nobuyo (Sakura Ando), addition to making sure and everyone takes to her because we're not asking
like a little injured bird. for ransom."
Eric Bana brings 'Dirty John' to TV with

Connie Britton

ing his services for Doctors
Without Borders in Iraq.
Newell, who had already
been married multiple
times and had grown chil-
dren, thought John was
the man she had always
been looking for. Her
kids, however, immedi-
ately didn't trust him. As
they make their concerns
known, John succeeded
in driving a wedge through
Debra's family.
A Los Angeles Times re-
This image released by Bravo shows Eric Bana as John porter, Christopher Gof-
Meehan, left, and Connie Britton as Debra Newell in a scene fard, covered the story
from "Dirty John," a series derived from the popular true crime and turned it into a wildly
podcast of the same name. successful, addictive pod-
Associated Press cast. Bana didn't tune in

By ALICIA RANCILIO Bana plays John Meehan until he heard of the TV
Associated Press and Connie Britton plays project.
NEW YORK (AP) — Eric Debra Newell, a couple "I downloaded and lis-
Bana is bringing the pop- in California who met on- tened to all six very quick-
ular true crime podcast line and fell in love. John ly and loved it," he said.
"Dirty John" to TV with a claimed to be a doctor, "There were parts that I
weekly series on Bravo. just back from volunteer- couldn't quite believe re-
ally happened."q