eastasiancinema: All About Lily Chou Chou (2001) is a beautiful coming of age story about the hards

eastasiancinema:

All About Lily Chou Chou (2001) is a beautiful coming of age story about the hardships and enlightening moments that come along with being a teenager; confused as you’re trying to find yourself under peer pressure. We follow the lives of two boys who find refuge in listening to Lily Chou Chou and posting on an online forum dedicated to her music. At times the movie is very dark and depressing. They experience humility as they are bullied relentlessly, to the point where as they grow older they themselves begin to torment their peers. Even so, the film creates a balance between the negative themes through showcasing friendship; having sleep overs, having philosophical discussion and even taking a trip to Okinawa. This is where the film becomes something special and unique, switching between observing through a third point of view to a first person point of view via handheld cameras they take with them on their trip. This change of perspectives continues to be present throughout the film.

This movie has a ton of depth, which makes it hard for me to give it justice through a review. At a lengthy run time of two and a half hours, it can be a tough film to watch but it is one hundred percent worth it. Personally, I relate the film to Sympathy For Mr Vengeance as it’s hard to take sides with anyone in particular. The scene where Hoshino and Yuichi go to the Lily Chou Chou concert stood out to me as something so depressing, you feel angry, sad, betrayed. It’s a roller coaster of emotions that is executed beautifully, and that’s what I really value in film; the director’s ability to turn something so heartbreaking and dark into something relatable and profound. 

At times, the film may be slow or hard to follow. It’s a movie that demands attention or you will not be able to experience what it has to offer. If you do commit to watching it and withstand some or the slower scenes and it’s run time, it is very rewarding. Otherwise you may find yourself needing a repeated viewing. Either way, this film is one you may want to watch two or three times to really dig deep to find and appreciate an artistic and rewarding plot that holds a lot of depth. 

Highly recommended, but you may want to do some research rather than jumping into it right away. Due to the film’s depth it can become confusing or hard to follow. 

That’s all.