Momoko is a high school sophomore living in a rural Japanese town where “everything you could want” is supplied by Jusco, the local Wal-Mart equivalent. Too bad she dreams of living in the extravagant French Rococo era, and lives out her fashionista fantasies as an Elegant Gothic Lolita. Her gangster father and adulterous mother probably influenced her amoral attitudes, which boil down to “do only what feels good.” For Momoko, that translates to spending all her money on frivolous outfits and isolating herself from the world, rather than partaking in sex and drugs. Forcing her out of her shell is Ichiko, a tough-talking, frequently-spitting, head-butting biker chick, drawn to Momoko for her embroidery skills and dedicated sense of self. They make a typical film odd couple and go through all the expected motions of clashing, making up, and helping each other out of some bad fixes. Not too much originality there, but the whole package is a fun and colorful romp. Momoko’s introduction is a breathless life story in several minutes, Amélie-style. Flights of fancy and other visual metaphors are given cinematic treatment, making Momoko and Ichiko seem like characters in the video game world of hi-tech Japan. A few exposition scenes are even animated, just one detail that kept reminding me of the equally kinetic Tank Girl. The story doesn’t aspire to be anything more than a celebration of crazy youthful shenanigans, but like a big bag of candy, it’s fun while it lasts.

There are no comments yet. You could be the first!