All About Lily Chou-Chou

Director:  Shunji Iwai
Year Released:  2001
Rating:  1.5

Sadcore story about listless, depressed teens and, in particular, one young man's obsession with a Japanese pop star named Lily Chou-Chou. Flamboyant and messy, Iwai is not of the 'less-is-more' school - he overuses his gimmicks, like the extended digital video vacation and the annoying 'online chatter' that fills the screen every few seconds; he also junks up his narrative by showing sequences out of order. I think it's trying to say something about the lack of 'proper' idols for kids to care about these days, but there's also a sensationalist side to the film that wants to rub your face in the grim topics of child prostitution, theft, attempted suicide, hazing, homicidal ideation and rape.

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