114 minute running time so at least 20 minutes too long … "Happy Japanese families are all alike; every unhappy Japanese family is unhappy in its own way." I liked Kore-eda’s Shoplifters so I thought I’d give an earlier movie of his a try (plus Farr recommended it, probably because it stars the gorgeous Hiroshi Abe), but I wasn’t that thrilled. Kore-eda interested in exploring the cruelty of his parents’ generation, and especially the cruelty of mothers to children, husbands, and in-laws. Kore-eda also likes to reveal things slowly … I thought he did it more effectively in Shoplifters.