SummarySet in contemporary Russia, this film recounts 13-year-old Lilya's struggle to survive the grim streets.
Directed By:Lukas Moodysson
Written By:Lukas Moodysson
Lilya 4-Ever
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
83
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
96% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
4% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
What makes the film so compelling is the ferocious ingenuity with which Moodysson ratchets up the fear and astonishment that accompany Lilya's all too believable descent.
91
It's almost too devastating for words, yet never less than compelling and heartbreakingly affecting.
90
It is Akinshina's presence and performance that make the pedestrian story heart-wrenching. She is pretty, responsive, reflective. Without the slightest strain, she convinces us of the beauty and pathos and hope within Lilya.
88
What's remarkable as we watch Lilya's plunge (and the brief, false rays of light that illuminate it) is how real Moodysson makes her plight, how intensely he makes us empathize with Lilya.
75
Riveting.
70
Amazingly realistic and engaging drama about society punctuated with both humor and grittiness.
60
The result is grimly "effective," but it made me long for Hollywood junk.
User score
Generally Favorable
78% Positive
35 Ratings
35 Ratings
13% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
9% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Mar 24, 2023
7
I guess I should have done a little more research on this film before watching it because I wasn't in the mood to get depressed and man, this story is quite a depressing odyssey. An impressive tour de force for its leading actress Oksana Akinshina in what was the role of her life. Lilya 4-ever is a film distinctly focused on inciting outrage and pain. It is frank and clear in what it documents even with the manipulative touch of the narrative, but it's more than inevitable to turn to that kind of emotions in the face of such a plot and I applaud what it achieves with what it does.
Production Company:
- Memfis Film
- Det Danske Filminstitut
- Film i Väst
- Nordisk Film & TV-Fond
- Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI)
- Sveriges Television (SVT)
- Zentropa Entertainments
Release Date:Apr 18, 2003
Duration:1 h 49 m
Rating:R
Awards
Guldbagge Awards
• 5 Wins & 6 Nominations
Chlotrudis Awards
• 4 Nominations
Gijón International Film Festival
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
