Don't Believe the Hype

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

This is a messed up film. Lilya is already living in poverty but when her mom left, her aunt who takes care of her downgraded her house to even smaller house. Lilya became a hooker to support herself because her mom severed all ties with her. Lilya is then tricked into prostitution. Now, her only friend felt betrayed and killed himself. Lilya got depressed sex after sex and she dreamt of her friend telling to not give up. She managed to escaped but still gave up in the end because she couldn't take it anymore. Sometimes, dying is actually better than living.

This movie is real depressing , mainly talking about this Russian girl "lila" and her little male buddy , and how their lives take turns to the worse after each glimmer of hope , the movie radiates a negative dark view about how miserable the life is in some Russian neighborhoods . if you're nihilist or you like depressive stuff here is one suitable for you .

This film is both terrible and terrifying because it shows an accurate depiction of events in the real world that likely happen everyday without our knowledge of it. Moodysson does an incredible job at directing this film to create a sense of universality. This could be happening to everyone and anyone; perhaps your neighbour. your relative, or your classmate, who knows.The excellent cinematography helps in creating this universal sense, as during the montage of 'customers' we only see their faces, and not Lilja's. This is a very unique stance, and the fact that we do not see Lilja generalizes the scene to the people of the public, showing that these customers could be on top of anybody, even you. I find this montage to be very powerful because we as the audience are forced to be in this position, and so in a sense it is us that this is being done to, making us identify with the ones being trafficked.Oksana as Lilja does a wonderful job at showcasing her character's stubborn personality as well as initial innocence and naivety of the world she lives in. Her expressions, and especially her eyes are very powerful at conveying emotions. Lilja is forced to grow up in a short amount of time, and whenever one of her fantasies seem to becoming true, it gets crushed, and Oksana shows these transformations superbly. Artyom as Volodya also does a great job, and the young innocence yet wisdom his character shows is heartbreaking. As well, the strong bond between both their characters can be felt throughout the film.Additionally, the music accompaniment in the film is quite interesting. There are a lot of instances in which there is loud heavy metal music enveloping the scene. I take these scenes as ones which show Lilja's internal emotional turmoil, and though she may not necessarily seem conflicted, her behaviour may suggest otherwise. The best example would be in the ending scene when our auditory systems are hijacked by heavy metal, and the music can be seen as representing both her anger and frustration at her life situation or we as the spectator's inability to do anything.Overall, a terrifyingly realistic depiction of one case in the sex trafficking industry with universal implications created through impeccable cinematography, acting and directing.Read more movie reviews at: champioangels.wordpress.com

There's been so much written about this film that I approached it with trepidation. The biggest temptation is to say that Moodysson's first two films were optimistic and this is pessimistic in the extreme. However, I am not quite so sure. Whilst the action and the tone of this film are very hard hitting, there still seems to be more than a suggestion of possible happiness in death for the main characters (very optimistic, right?) I feel like starting again. On the one hand the film is very moving but I didn't feel manipulated like I do with many Hollywood movies. I felt very angry at the way everyone who exploited Lilya acted, so much so that I was ready to go out and kill the Swedish pimp (if he'd been real). But still I did feel uplifted in a bleak way by the ending. Third attempt: This bleak and depressing film will and should politicise you about the situation regarding the exploitation of children in the former Soviet Union and many other parts of the world. Go and watch the movie then do something about it. However, Moodysson is still a skillful enough director to make this more than just a depressing polemic.The acting is as near faultless as you will find anywhere. The music, as in all this director's films, perfectly matches the action. It is an important film and it has an important message but it still works as art and as a movie. It's very hard to write a meaningful review. See it.