Sunday, February 8, 2015

Lolita 52 Challenge: #2!

Hi raspberries! Onto part 2 of the Lolita 52 Challenge. Question #2 is...

5 Movies for Lolitas!

I have a few movies that always inspire me, and I know inspire other lolitas. I hope they inspire you, too!

1. Kamikaze Girls

kamikaze blog

Kamikaze Girls, sometimes called Shimotsuma Monogatari, for its Japanese title, 下妻物語――ヤンキーちゃんとロリータちゃん, is a lolita classic. It's probably the only feature-length film ever made that accurately depicts a lifestyle lolita. It's a heartwarming story about Momoko, a girl from the country in Shimotsuma, who takes the train hours to Tokyo to shop at Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. Her father is a small-time gangster who made money selling knock-off goods, and eventually getting into hot water for it. They move from Kobe to Shimotsuma to Momoko's mother's house to avoid getting caught. Momoko ends up meeting Ichigo, a girl from an all-girl bosozoku (motorcycle gang) while trying to sell her father's knock-offs to pay for her burando. The two become unlikely friends. I don't want to spoil the rest of the movie, so I'll leave the plot there. It's a really lovely story about this unlikely friendship and it's got some lovely old-school lolita fashion in it. The film was released in 2004, so the styles worn are definitely a bit outdated, but it's still relatable and beautiful nonetheless.
Watch the full movie here! 
  • Mister Rococo

This is kind of a cheat but I didn't want to put it as its own movie since it's only 14 minutes long. Mister Rococo (ミスターロココ) is a short film, released in Japan in 2010 that tells the story of a lolita who becomes a wrestler to prove something to her boyfriend. She ends up proving more to herself!
Watch the full short film here! 

2. Marie Antoinette

marie

This is it, folks. If you're looking to see some beautiful clothes, scenery, and palaces, look absolutely no further. I'm not here to tell you this is a fantastic movie. It's not. But it is damn beautiful, and one of the most visually inspiring things I've ever looked at. I cried the first time I saw it because it was like the dream I wanted to live in, visually. I'm sure many lolitas would feel this way about the film. The movie tells a more or less historically accurate version of Maria Josephina's transition from the Archduchess of Austria to the Dauphine, and finally queen of France, Marie Antoinette. The film does a pretty good job of depicting the French aristocracy in the period just before the French Revolution, and showcases the decadence of court life. Coppola uses Marie's hair as a not-so-subtle metaphor for her becoming more and more corrupted by the over-the-top frivolity of life as the queen. Still, it's pretty to look at (and has a kickass soundtrack.)
Watch the trailer here! 

3. Pride and Prejudice






I don't know a straight woman alive who can resist this confounded story. I'm not a romantic. I really should by all rights hate Mr. Darcy and find him annoying and not worth Elizabeth's time. But damn it all, I don't. To be honest, I love Jane Austen. I think she's witty, timeless, and just all around wonderful. There have been many adaptations of Austen's most famous work, Pride and Prejudice, but I'm recommending the 2005 version starring Keira Knightley because I think the cinematography and costume design are the nicest. This story (as with all of Austen's) takes place during the British Regency Era, so the clothing is nowhere near as over-the-top as the French Rococo designs seen in Marie Antoinette. I still think it's beautiful. The countryside scenery is lovely, the characters are all endearing, and it's an incredibly compelling and timeless love story.
Watch the trailer here! 

4. My Neighbor Totoro




In my opinion, this is one of the most timeless films ever made. Studio Ghibli has churned out classics for years, and have made many of the greatest animated movies ever (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, etc.) but nothing consistently does it for me like My Neighbor Totoro. I've never found anyone, 5 years old or 95 years old, who doesn't love this movie. In the bonus features for the American DVD release, Miyazaki talks about the film extensively, saying for him, it was important to make a story centering around nature that was mostly light-hearted and focused on the "nobility of youth". What a powerful phrase! I think this is something all lolitas can connect to as well. There is something very noble about innocence, about not forgetting who you are or what you really love and what matters to you. This film is most of all, adorable, and is a good watch for if you're down or having a bad week. Nothing scary to see here!
Watch the trailer here! 

5. The Grand Budapest Hotel





I saw this film only very recently (it came out in theaters in 2014). It's the most recent film from Wes Anderson, one of my favorite directors, which is perhaps more than a bit twee of me. I'm recommending this particular film of his because of the heavy use of pink and pastel color schemes throughout the film, but I think many lolitas would appreciate any of his films. Anderson's films usually deal heavily with meticulous set direction and tiny scenery details. I think his two most meticulous are Moonrise Kingdom and The Royal Tenenbaums, if you're looking for that. This film is a bit more relaxed than some of his others, but is still witty and adorable.
Watch the trailer here! 

I also wanted to recommend some additional movies that are pastel-y and such, but not necessarily over-the-top lolita-y or whatever, so here are those! These have inspiring fashion, or preeeetty colors.

That about does it for the longest post in the history of ever! Hopefully some of these movies help inspire you on your journey to be fabulouser, though! Love you all



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