A
little background before we start with this review: a few years ago, Erika
Sawajiri was an up and coming actress. From beginnings in modeling and gravure,
she gained popularity from a number of TV dramas, especially the dramas “Taiyo
no Uta” and "1 Liter of Tears," where she played the lead role. With both an acting and singing career
on the way, she seemed to be on the fast track to the top of the Japanese
entertainment industry. However, it all came falling down when she was
promoting her latest film at the time, Closed Note.
Obviously
in a bad mood, Sawajiri answered questions during this promotional event in a
very rude manner and seemed to be either distracted or uninterested in being
there. Perhaps somewhere else, or with a different actress, the reaction may
have been different, but this was Japan. The backlash from this incident was
great: despite a formal apology and several interviews to try to salvage the
situation, Sawajiri’s career was more or less done. She didn’t get any more
work, her agency dropped her and she faded into the background, marrying a man
twice her age. Soon after she became tabloid fodder, often the topic of various
stories of her exploits abroad.
Now, five years later, Erika Sawajiri returns to the big screen, and she does it
full force, like a storm over the seaside.
Helter
Skelter is based on a josei manga by Kyoko Okazaki. It tells the story of
Lilico (Ririko in other translations), a hugely successful model and actress.
She is considered a trendsetter and her public image is pure and sweet.
However, her private image is far from clean: she sleeps her way to the top,
abuses her assistant and is generally an unpleasant peson. To add to that, her
picture perfect looks are artificial, having undergone extensive plastic
surgery to improve her looks. The problem is, the illegal and dangerous
procedures that give her the look need to be done regularly, or else everything
breaks down. And Lilico’s body is beginning to show signs of breaking down: she
eventually needs stronger meds and more frequent procedures. To add to that, a
younger, prettier model (played by Model/Actress Kiko Mizuhara) is stealing her
spotlight. As she unravels, Lilico is determined to spread her misery and self destruction
to everyone around her.
The
film adaptation follows the manga quite closely; at times scenes are word for
word copied from the original. While both the film and manga can be considered
a critique of the shallowness of beauty and the entertainment industry, the
film conveys this shallowness through imagery. Director Mika Ninagawa is, first
and foremost, a fashion photographer, and it shows in the lush and vivid imagery
throughout the film. Like her debut film Sakuran,
Ninagawa uses color and motifs to drive the story forward. While at times the
color and set design matches the mood, in other scenes, the colors come across
as too garish, which may be intentional.
Erika
Sawajiri acts her butt off in this film. Given the parallels between Lilico and
Sawajiri herself, it makes the movie experience that much more close to home.
Acting against her earlier pure image, Sawajiri’s Lilico lashes out with rage
and almost nihilistic tendencies, and yet we sense that deep down inside her, a
part of her original self remains. This film is her best acting role yet, and
before this film she was no pushover, either.
Much
buzz was given to Erika Sawajiri’s many sex scenes in this film, but most of
them are not aimed for tittilation (although that’s never stopped anybody from
trying anyway.) Usually, whenever Lilico has sex, it is either to manipulate
someone or to inflict emotional damage on someone else. It was unnerving in the
manga, and it has the same impact here.
The
supporting cast delivers their roles perfectly. Shinobu Terajima deserves some
sort of award as Lilico’s oft-abused assistant, and Kiko Mizuhara proves once
more (after a great showing in Norwegian Wood) that she isn’t just a pretty
face. Nao Omori also shines in his role, and Kaori Momoi nails it as Lilico’s manager/mama-san.
Props go out to a special cameo by fellow model/actress Anne Suzuki.
While
exposing the hypocrisy of society’s views towards beauty, and the fragility of
celebrity, neither the film nor the manga offer a solution to the problem. I
honestly can’t offer anything either; it’s just how the system works. At least,
however, I hope that the film gets people to think about it and try to consider
true beauty and what it means to them.
The
ending for both manga and film are the same, although the film is a bit less
vague about it. As for its meaning, I’d like to know too. It's crazy beyond the imagination. But like the manga says at the last page, that's a story for another day.
fun note: there's a cameo by director Ninagawa in one of the montages of Lilico. Also, somewhere in the film, an actual photobook by Ninagawa and Kiko Mizuhara can be seen in a stack of magazines.
