This review may contain spoilers
a jut at beauty standards
While many people think this movie is a disaster I think it is a beautiful and cruel portrayal of beauty standards.
many of the scenes were quite unexpected and i was shocked at the amount of sex scenes there were. i felt the overall shifting between the present (when everything is basically over and its just the investigators) and to the past (where all the events were happening) was quite poorly done.
The cinematography, colour and actual camera shots were very pleasing to the eye. the sets were elaborate and reflected lilico's character, red and yet messy like her state of mind. While some say the butterflies were just tacky and misplaced, I think it accurately reflects lilico's state of mind, as this is her movie after all. Her deteriorating sanity and pent up jealousy causes her to rage on others wildly, and yet we see some glimpse of her in a rational state. Meeting her sister, realizing the surgery is ruining her body allows us to feel sorry for her, yet detest her foul actions. Sawajiri's acting is extremely realistic and I suspect is due to her own personal experience drugs and the entertainment/modelling industry. she was often high on filming sets and this movie directly addressed the emotions she might have felt being thrown into this toxic environment from such a young age.
an unsettling aspect of the movie is how lilico's assistant and her boyfriend seem to obey her every move. some may say this is unrealistic but i believe it is just a representation of how one can be blinded from beauty, especially mentally. the assistant constantly says 'your beautiful' and feels pleasure from getting compliments from lilico, and this transforms into infatuation that eventually muddles her sanity to comply with her every move. This seemed to me as an hyperbole for how many girls will do anything just for beauty that is not even attainable, at the cost of themselves.
Changing oneself for the sake of beauty is a major idea in this movie, as she is completely modified except for her 'eyeballs nails and pussy'. Yet when the Kozue comes in, this beauty standard is shifted towards her. Lilico only thought she was beautiful because people liked her. when she lost the attention, she spiralled out of control and lost her 'power' over everyone. but in reality did her looks change? she was still the same person. this movie just starkly emphasises the impossibility of being forever 'beautiful' by societal standards, and how your own self opinion is the most important.
While this movie came out in 2013, I think it was definitely ahead of its time concering plastic surgery. one day people will wish to change themselves so deeply they lose sense of themselves, yet the cold world keeps turning and no one cares.
Overall there was a lot to think about after watching this movie. I would recommend this, but watch out for some nasty scenes that might take u by surprise.
many of the scenes were quite unexpected and i was shocked at the amount of sex scenes there were. i felt the overall shifting between the present (when everything is basically over and its just the investigators) and to the past (where all the events were happening) was quite poorly done.
The cinematography, colour and actual camera shots were very pleasing to the eye. the sets were elaborate and reflected lilico's character, red and yet messy like her state of mind. While some say the butterflies were just tacky and misplaced, I think it accurately reflects lilico's state of mind, as this is her movie after all. Her deteriorating sanity and pent up jealousy causes her to rage on others wildly, and yet we see some glimpse of her in a rational state. Meeting her sister, realizing the surgery is ruining her body allows us to feel sorry for her, yet detest her foul actions. Sawajiri's acting is extremely realistic and I suspect is due to her own personal experience drugs and the entertainment/modelling industry. she was often high on filming sets and this movie directly addressed the emotions she might have felt being thrown into this toxic environment from such a young age.
an unsettling aspect of the movie is how lilico's assistant and her boyfriend seem to obey her every move. some may say this is unrealistic but i believe it is just a representation of how one can be blinded from beauty, especially mentally. the assistant constantly says 'your beautiful' and feels pleasure from getting compliments from lilico, and this transforms into infatuation that eventually muddles her sanity to comply with her every move. This seemed to me as an hyperbole for how many girls will do anything just for beauty that is not even attainable, at the cost of themselves.
Changing oneself for the sake of beauty is a major idea in this movie, as she is completely modified except for her 'eyeballs nails and pussy'. Yet when the Kozue comes in, this beauty standard is shifted towards her. Lilico only thought she was beautiful because people liked her. when she lost the attention, she spiralled out of control and lost her 'power' over everyone. but in reality did her looks change? she was still the same person. this movie just starkly emphasises the impossibility of being forever 'beautiful' by societal standards, and how your own self opinion is the most important.
While this movie came out in 2013, I think it was definitely ahead of its time concering plastic surgery. one day people will wish to change themselves so deeply they lose sense of themselves, yet the cold world keeps turning and no one cares.
Overall there was a lot to think about after watching this movie. I would recommend this, but watch out for some nasty scenes that might take u by surprise.
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