A strange and difficult film, but also an amazing one born from the world of dreams. I think it can best be described as a mood piece. The film runs two and a half hours, and not much really happens plot-wise. But a lot does happen emotionally. The film is about a teenage boy in Japanese junior high school (early to mid teen years) who is caught up in some rather nasty circumstances that occur within his peer group, including robbery, rape and prostitution (the same set of circumstances that brought about a movie like Battle Royale, and you'll recognize some of the character types that the two films share). To escape from the horrors of everyday life, the boy, named Yuichi, listens to the ethereal music of Lily Chou-Chou, and chats about her on the internet. As dark as the subject matter of the film is, its point of view is stuck in the dreaminess of Lily Chou-Chou's music. The hazy digital photography, with its glowing aura, communicates this beautifully let no one say that digital doesn't have a place in the world of cinema. The film is not cohesive, but it would probably be a mistake if it were. It would lose that haunting tone that makes it so special. It's outstanding.
Review of All About Lily Chou-Chou
