any notion of hope or chance for things to change for the better in this film are swiftly squashed and shattered. yet, there is such raw power in the emotions of this film. much of it can be seen in the face of lilja as her life spirals out of control, no matter how hard she may try to escape the fate she knows is coming for her. moodysson pushes us to the edges of human cruelty and hopelessness in this tale of a young girl trying to escape a terrible fate after she is abandoned by her mother. and then moodysson pushes us even further. there isn't much hope in this world that he has painted for us. we sympathize with lilja in the deepest of ways which makes this film even more depressing. does this film border on emotionally manipulative at times? i think it probably does. some of the stuff early on in the film seemed unearned to me. i think a little more time with lilja before the inciting incident happens would have made the film feel less cheap and emotionally manipulative at some points. and, at points, some of the things that pile on to the characters in this film seem almost unbelievable and out of place. in those terms, lilja 4-ever definitely has some flaws as a film. but all these flaws pale in comparison to the emotional power of this tale. in some ways, the power of this film overcomes any of the narrative or structural flaws that i may have had with the film. it may not be the most subtle film, but its power is undeniable. definitely a difficult film to sit through but well worth the effort, in my opinion.