Lilya 4-ever

As tragic, over the top, and as well constructed as this movie is, it falls quite a bit short in terms themes and personability. At certain point, it feels like this movie turns into straight depression porn like some of Lars Von Trier's lesser films. The reason that comparison is so strong in my head is because this feels very dogme95 inspired with the handheld cameras and naturalistic, gritty presentation. A movie like this needs subtly, and by the fourth insert of a McDonalds logo, all the thematic subtly was gone and we were just left with impersonable tragedy porn. I just don't know if the other elements of movie complement the decision to have such a overt and nowadays stale critique of capitalism. I will say that this film in particular seems very intentional in some minor bits of composition and inclusions of certain items in the frame, so it isn't to say that this is clumsy, it just comes across that way. I'm ragging this movie so hard because it's so close to what I adore about something like Nobody Knows or Dancer in the Dark, it's just a shame it doesn't live up to the hype I created for it in my head.