#Kumi omori movieAs such it is as much a horror movie as it is brilliant and magnetic and often a difficult watch. Her enablers are as ruthless - if not more so - and do not suffer much of a moral dilemma either. This is not a tale of a good girl victimized. That may be true, but no one comes out looking good here. Liliko is the paragon of perfection, but is ruthless and self-aware knowing what she needs to do for her position and fan base. Her portrayal is extreme and chilling as hell. While nature may have given Sawajiri improbable beauty her talent as an actress is also palpable. Liliko understands the fleeting nature of her existence as a product and makes sure to safeguard her position and disrupt her competition. What is worse, Kiko is under contract by the same agency. She is jealous of new face Kiko (Yoshikawa Kozue) with whom she is told to work. To make matters worse Liliko's position atop of her industry does not exempt her from envy and rage. In trying to maintain her beauty, and thus her popularity, things get out of hand. Setting aside Liliko's picture-perfect appearance Joan Rivers would have done as a cautionary example of extreme plastic surgery as well. At one point someone references Michael Jackson in the film. As such, she is as much a hostage to her plastic surgeon's table and tablets as she is to the hordes of fans loving and idolizing her. The more she gets work done, the more follow-ups she requires. Unfortunately for them, however, her procedures are not permanent and require constant touch-up and regeneration. It takes strength and determination to maintain her existence - she tells her chubby younger sister to become beautiful because "beauty makes you strong" - and she, alongside a dedicated team comprised of a manager, an assistant and others, is up for it. The model looks stunning even when crawling on the floor due to exhaustion or knocked to the ground in a haze of pills. Except for her "eyeballs, ears, fingernails and pussy" she is as manufactured as a human being could be. Liliko is the product of a myriad of plastic surgeries. Unbeknownst to her legion of fans - a plot device that is hard to swallow - she harbours a secret however. Everyone wants to be her, see her or use her image. Her likeness is everywhere and sells everything. Her body, legs, face, lips, nose, hair, nails and clothes are iconic. Liliko (Sawajiri Erika) is Japan's most beautiful, most adulated, sexiest and ubiquitous super model. This film is true to its name, uncompromising and downright scary. With that said, nothing will prepare the viewer for the depiction of design, sound and thematic wallop that is Helter Skelter. Those who have watched the director's previous film Sakuran should have an inkling what to expect in terms of approach and explosion of colour and vibrancy. It is a live action adaptation of the manga of the same name. Setting aside documentaries like No Logo or The Corporation one can only think of movies like American Psycho, Captain Fantastic or They Live which have been so entertaining yet so critical of materialism and modernism at the same time. Helter Skelter, the second feature film by fashion photographer Ninagawa Mika, is a fascinating and fast-paced look inside the world of style, models, egos and icons, yes, but more fundamentally consumerism and the cult of capitalism. There is no room for slacking or letting up. Secondly, in the fashion and modelling worlds one needs to consistently remain up-to-date and flawless. Wisdom as applies to this film is twofold.
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