The relationship between musician and fan is a delicate animal by virtue of the fact that it is primarily a one-sided affair. Individuals shape entire identities to connect to these artists whose work speaks to them unlike anything else. For teenage outcast Cleo (Helena Howard, Madeline’s Madeline) and her tight-knit friend group, this is certainly the case. These angsty teens are appropriately drawn to the King of Sad-Guy music, Morrissey, and his iconic alt-rock band The Smiths. The year is 1987 and these small town rejects are at various emotional turning points within their lives that is exacerbated by the sudden announcement that The Smiths are calling it quits. Cleo is devastated by this news, and she lets everyone who will listen to her know it. The most welcoming ear is that of the local record store clerk holding a secret flame for her, Dean (Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood), who is kind enough to let her shoplift cassettes at the store – oddly enough she chooses to take work by The Smiths, which you think a superfan would own. While Dean is about to embark on a romantic gesture that will “go down in history”, Cleo and her friends set out on a journey into the night to nurse their fractured feelings.
As the lead, Helena Howard is given the most to work with in the core friend group, but the threadbare script gives her little to truly devour like she did in her breakout role in Madeline’s Madeline. The performatively sad Cleo rounds up her gaggle of friends including oddball Billy (Nick Krause), who also happens to be crushing on Cleo while figuring himself out. The final two puzzle pieces come in the form of the Madonna-cosplaying Sheila (Elena Kampouris) and her boyfriend Patrick (James Bloor), who is busy rebuffing her sexual advances by claiming to be celibate like their dear Moz, but in actuality is struggling with his sexuality. These very broad character traits are about all that is given to develop them in the slightest. The four claim to be devoted Smiths fans, but no one really displays what makes the band so special to them specifically. Sure, they are supposed to be a band for “the outcasts”, but as far as this film shows there are plenty of people in this town who count themselves among the outcasts. At some point, they cannot claim to still be the minority.
The film really thinks it is clever in the way it tries to service the Smiths fans in the audience, but the effect feels more like that person in the friend group who is trying too hard to be cool. The biggest downfall of this film is how these characters act, that is that they never feel like anything but “characters” in a movie. It is fair to say a good 70% of the dialogue spoken by these four characters are in the form of Smiths lyrics or other closely-tied references to the band. As a casual fan of the band, I picked up the most obvious references in the dialogue, while the uber-Smiths fan that viewed this with me gave a half-hearted chuckle of recognition at far more things that I missed. To the average non-Smiths fan, it will probably sound like these characters are having a stroke since most lines are like a square peg being forced into a round hole. The bad part about it is, it does not work for fans of The Smiths either. These characters are so out of the realm of believability that it ruins any scenes they are in, which is most of them.
The aspect of the film that does work in its dopey way is that of Dean and his epic gesture. Loosely based on a real-life encounter that never actually came to fruition, Dean barges into a heavy metal radio station and takes DJ Full Metal Mickey (Joe Manganiello, Archenemy) hostage at gunpoint and forces him to play The Smiths all night long as tribute to their legacy. Coltrane seems slightly out of his depth, just like young Dean, but Manganiello is a rip-roaring delight as the begrudging DJ who balks at the so-called musical importance of The Smiths. The pair form an unlikely bond over discussion of music, relationships, vegetarianism and more, ultimately reaching a mutual appreciation of one another’s views. The sentiment is very on-the-nose for the film, but the performance from Manganiello makes it work with equal parts heart and humor.
Shoplifters of the World builds up goodwill simply by including scores of tracks by The Smiths from popular favorites to deep cuts, but the joy of hearing this great music is diminished by the lack of a compelling main story. For a band that contains such depth in their lyrics, it feels like a betrayal that the characters in this film contain no trace of nuance. The filmmakers are obviously huge fans of the band, but that passion has not been translated into anything ready for mass consumption. There are a few fun aspects within the film, but mostly it will serve as a reminder that you have not rocked out to The Smiths in a while and you need to change that.
Video Quality
Shoplifters of the World comes to Blu-Ray with a gorgeous AVC encoded 1080p transfer that showcases the look of the film really well. Where the transfer really shines is the impressive level of detail both in the costumes and the production design. Everything from the album covers in the background of the record store to the texture of the stylish costumes is quite impressive. The cinematography features some nice pops of color with everything appearing to have a slightly soft, dreamy quality about it like a nostalgic memory. These colors bring a vibrancy to the story that is appreciated in the way it keeps with the 80s aesthetic. The picture is mostly clear with only brief instances of murkiness during a few darker scenes. Black levels are admirable but could stand to be a bit deeper. Skin tones are natural throughout with some impeccable details present in certain shots. Overall, this is quite a powerful transfer that should please fans.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that has quite a bit of depth and is well balanced, which is appreciated in a film that celebrates music so much. Environmental effects play a substantial role in the film, and this track brings these elements to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully enveloping world works quite well. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. The track is most active when the music from The Smiths are permeating the room in a really wonderful way. Activity in the low end is very subtle and is mostly used to add a bit of texture to the songs and other sonic elements. RLJE Films has delivered a great track for a film that appreciates music.
Special Features
- Story and Inspiration: A six-minute piece in which the cast and crew discuss the origins of the film and why they wanted to tackle this material.
- Look and Feel: A six-minute piece in which the cast and crew discuss bringing the creative team together to build the look of this world.
Final Thoughts
Shoplifters of the World is a film that seems to be catering to those among us who identify as a fan of The Smiths, but it feels way more interested in pleasing those fans rather than telling a necessary story. The main cast of characters are fairly one note in their characterization, with only the B-story providing the lion’s share of the entertainment this film has to offer. Those who love this music will enjoy hearing these songs sprinkled throughout, but the movie itself does not make a strong case for why you shouldn’t just go put on those albums instead. RLJE Films has released a Blu-Ray that features a rock solid A/V presentation and a couple of decent supplemental features.
Shoplifters of the World is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.