The influence of music varies from person to person. Whether it be that one song that touches you or a group/artist you can’t get out of your head. For Cleo (Helena Howard) that connection was with The Smiths in Shoplifters of the World. Yup The Smiths – the English rock band out of Manchester who rose to fame in the early to mid-80s. Although the band had a short shelf life, only about 5 years, they had a devoted following. It was this following that felt the shock in 1987 when The Smiths abruptly broke up.
Cleo was just aimlessly floating through life in Denver on that fateful day in the late 80s. Her home life wasn’t the best, many of her friends had gone off to college, and she seemed to be stuck. Working at a grocery store, avoiding college at any level, and dreaming of her fake French boyfriend to save her. At least she had the music of The Smith’s to escape to. Their lyrics and sound resonated with her and perfectly described her teenage angst. Until the soul crushing news came out that is.
On the other side of town Dean (Ellar Coltrane), who also is in love with Cleo, has other plans. Dean works at the local record store and has a more optimistic take on The Smiths breakup. He wants to celebrate all the music they were able to get from the band, not harp on no more coming. In an effort to impress Cleo and leave his mark, Dean has decided on a more dramatic approach. He wants to share The Smiths music and send a message. Dean heads to a local Metal radio station and forces DJ Full Metal Mickey (Joe Manganiello) to play The Smiths all night at gunpoint.
Kijak intertwines Dean and Cleo’s stories throughout Shoplifters of the World. He allows us to see what is happening in both their worlds simultaneously and how their actions impact each other. In addition, Kijak also breaks the film up into chapters – all based on The Smith’s lyrics of course. The music, script, old footage, and easter eggs throughout are all homages to the band. For someone that is a fan of The Smith’s it may be the ultimate experience. Kijak goes as far to say that there is “enough buried treasure to keep the avid fan digging in for months on end, trying to connect all the dots and solve all the puzzles.” That’s great for The Smiths fanatics, but what about the average fan or regular ole movie lover?