Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Palaest recommended

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

pkurylenko-03752 I cry rarely. Very rarely. I cried after watching Lilja 4-ever. And I still do - I've seen it at least a dozen times. Not only because it's horrifyingly sad, but because it's horrifyingly sad and true. So many young girls have gone through this same torture. Many in Russia and the former Soviet states know that this has happened and does happen, but few know in the West. And many of those that do close their eyes and pretend it's just a film. This is not just a film. It's real. The direction is exceptional. The acting is exceptional, especially Oksana and Artem. It this was a Hollywood movie both would have won an Academy Award. Best actress and best supporting actor. The locations are perfectly chosen. And they're real. I visited Paldiski on a back-packing trip in 1998 - a couple of years before this was made. I remember thinking my God what a depressing place. So many crumbling, dilapidated, empty residential buildings. No industry, no jobs, no future, nothing. Having dabbled in short films myself I remember thinking Paldiski would be the perfect setting for a horror movie. Turns out I was right. Everyone should see this. Everyone. Children are gifts from God and not something to be sold, trafficked, tortured. If you haven't seen Lilja 4-ever then do. It will move you to the core.

Morten_5 When "Lilya 4-ever" premiered in Sweden 15 years ago, it shattered many hearts and gave fire to a debate on human trafficking that would last for years. I finally watched Moodysson's amazing film and it broke my heart too.Twitter: @7thArtShortRevs (Mårten Larsson).

Nicole C 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

Suman Shakya Most of the time the films stand for an escape from the real life truths and sees world through rose colored spectacles. But in this film, the things are opposite. The film exposes the surreal truths of life and is very sad and disturbing. Right the moment the film begins, the story delves into the ruthless situations our 16 year old protagonist is exposed to. The film shows the anguishes of a sixteen year old girl full of zeal, who is cheated through fate and is a victim of the cruelty of the real world. The character and the situations created in the film look so real that you are filled with a feeling of disgust and agony; which is the real power of this film. The film has many unlovable and disturbing moments and will linger in your mind for days to come. So if you're anticipating a film to uplift your moods, this is not the one you ought to go for. But concerning a good film exposing the real picture of a society, this one you should definitely watch.Rating: 2 stars out of 4