“Single mother Miyabi relies on her child idol daughter Kasumi as her only source of income and ticket to future financial stability. When Kasumi is replaced in the group by a more popular girl, Miyabi must ensure she gets her daughter back in the lineup.”
The idol system in Japan, while giving great success to a select few (Wonderfully explored in the documentary “Tokyo Idols“), is far from being a perfect system. However, this concept is not unique to Japan, as any competitions that offer money and validation based on the talents of a child is bound to create toxicity between parents, kids and observers. In approaching the inherent issues in the system, director Ryushi Lindsay crafts an unnerving story on ow the drive for success can corrupt morality.
Putting the weight of poverty on the shoulders of a mother, who is reliant on her daughter's talent to put food on the table, creates a strong air of desperation early in the production. The reason for the mother's struggles is not entirely explored, rather the film puts the audience at a desperate point within family life, almost losing their apartment and interest in the daughter as an idol waning under an uncaring talent scout. Consequently, when the mother decides on a desperate act, which is horrific and would normally show a lack of moral guidance, the weight of her decision becomes understandable yet unforgivable. Ultimately, the greatest strength of “Idol” is in building up the mother's desperation to frame the crime in a way that shows the deep suffering of all parties involved.
While the narrative is impactful and well executed, the rest of the production does show some shortcomings. While the performances are serviceable, the cinematography feels underutilized in capturing the emotional severity of the situation, with shots that seem to take a further step back from the moment, more focused on the environment than its subjects. Additionally, the sound design and score feel rather muted, and could have used more flair to heighten the drama of certain scenes. However, the way the story builds and unfolds exists as such a strong defining factor of the production that these elements do little to bring down the overall experience.
“Idol” is a strong film that explores the darker side of the world of pop idols, one which is bound to make the audience feel unnerved at the desperation and the responses of its subjects. Ultimately, the balance of approaching the problems within a controversial industry, backed by a engaging narrative, makes “Idol” a memorable project worthy of a larger audience.
