Paprika (2006), The everlasting dreams cutting through reality.

Directed by: Satoshi Kon | Written by: Satoshi Kon, Seishi Minakami
Produced by: Madhouse Inc.

Awards

• Best Visual Design; Chlotrudis Awards
• Prêmio da Crítica - Critic's Awards; Fantasporto
• Public's Choice Award; Montreal Festival of New Cinema
• Feature Film Award - Animation; Newport Beach Film Festival

Genre

 Science-Fiction, Thriller, Mistery 


Paprika! Once a novel written by Yasutaka Tsutsui in 1993 became a late summer anime feature film sensation by the likes of Perfect Blue (1998) and -dare I say- a more colorful reminder of Inception (2010). Being Satoshi Kon's last known feature film before his unfortunate death, it holds Kon's years of experiment and expertise fully devoted in this dream filled eye candy.
 Though generic at first Paprika (both the film and the character) catch up to it's true intention and develop a deeper sense of the collapsing dreams that overrun the psyche of many unfortunate victims.

Story

The DC mini, a small apparatus used to enter into someone else's dream when worn by both individuals, is used to explore the subconscious as a form of modern therapy. We follow the story of Paprika, an alias used by a Dr. Atsuko "At-chan" Chiba who illegally uses the said machines on patience below the radar to help it's progress. The opening of this movie is a dream of a particular psychatic patient Dectective Tonoshimi Konokawa who is haunted by the abrupt end of his dreams after chasing a mysterious figure which ends with his escape and the sight of the death of Konokawa's latest investigation min the middle of the chasing. That said scenario derails when the said invention is stolen and used by an unknown party for malicious reasons by accessing dreams without consent and taking over their state of mind in the process. The adventure that leads to the true intentions of Atsuko Chiba's peers and the exploitation of the fundamental difference of her dead-serious personality and her flamboyant dream excavation counterpart Paprika.

It may not have a particularly dept like Perfect Blue, but it did manage to entertain and prevail where it counted: the explanation of the subconscious on an understandable level. The experience witnessed by the dreams projected by the unknown terrorist in the minds of it's victims was quite a mouthful, the visuals and diversity of elements baffled me into understanding how the said victims lost their psyche and reasonably conduct in the blink of an eye. The parade of dreams controlled by one man is stunning and is hard to forget after watching this film.

However, as the story develop and more aspects of the "dream creator" where revealed , you did expect a sudden switch in style and feel knowing. Though the dream parade was enchanting and beautiful it lacked in variation and symbolism that,even when covered by the nightmares by the real terrorist, where still left unchanged. Unlike Detective Toshimi Konokawa's dream which took some turns and revelations as his character bloomed. When explored, it wen from sub-plot to absolute dream-breach as paprika's dream extase and his intertwined. I felt like they devoted more time to the signification of his dream, which was crucial for this detective nonetheless, than the collective pool of dreams that ran amok in this film even overthrowing reality itself.

Rating

8,7 - Absolute dream extacy!

Being one that has seen all of Satoshi Kon's Feature films (with a film list to tell about it), I can safely say that this -out of all his like-minded film- is the only one to literally break that tin line between reality and fantasy in a magical yet psychotic fashion keen to the eye. tough the lack of in dept signification of the many colorful, visually-enhanced elements that virtually danced on the screen in an orchestrated fashion. The time necessary for such adjustments is neglected or filled with unnecessary turmoil.

Well, that concludes this review and all of Satoshi Kon's films on this blog. Do comment below and leave feedback and visit the now completed film hub of Satoshi Kon.

M.

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Memories (1995), The segmented film.

Directed by: Kôji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, Tensai Okamura | Written by: Satoshi Kon (segment 1),Katsuhiro Otomo
Produced by: Banday Visual Company, Studio 4°C, Shochiku, Kodamsha Co.

Awards

• Ofuji Noburo Award; Mainichi Film Concours

Genre

Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller






 The collaboration of 4 Animation masters as suggested in the many trailers and posters isn't falls. The 1995 segmented film Memories forms an ensemble of 3 feature films mostly based on Otomo's manga short stories. There is no question that the quality and dept is admirable among other things, but does it work as an ensemble?

The film caught my interest particularly because of the collaboration of Satoshi Kon and Katsuhiro Otomo in the first segment "Magnetic Rose". Little did I know that he did not actually direct anything until his first work in 1998 leaving me displeased with the fact he only did the script Notes

But you cannot judge such segments based out of petty presumptuousness. A film directed by such artist behind , The Animatrix "Beyond" (2003), Wolf's Rain (2003) and not to mention Otomo's previous work Akira (1982/1988). With Koji Morimoto and Tensai Okamura's experience in the countless anime works they directed/wrote/animated, the ideal episode-like feature film was not far away and made with utmost quality and efficiency. But as a full film? "efficiency" becomes a debatable praise.

The story cannot be seen as a whole and therefore cannot be review as such, the three episodes share no connection nor do they have any continuation what so ever. Unlike The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) which -like this movie- was a collective of anime studios and director including Madhouse.

Story [SPOILER]

Episode 1

Magnetic Rose

Directed by: Kôji Morimoto | Written by: Katsuhiro Otomo,  Satoshi Kon (script)

A team of deep-space  salvage freighter get a distress signal coming from the space graveyard, they are lead to an asteroid made solely by space scrap when our two protagonists the down to earth Heinz and nonchalant womanizer Miguel are send to trace the signal which leads them into the web of a noble Opera singer or what is left of her and her tragic life while dealing with haunting memories that defy reality in every way raising the question of that distress signal was real to begin with.

This was hands down the best episode and a potential undeveloped story which could have lead to a prolonged film. The dept  and story have a tremendous impact which isn't replicated by the more easy going following episodes. Magnetic Rose set a league of it's own. The magnificent decor is paraded by it's clever 360° view which in turn stimulates the chaotic and frightening nature of particular scenes. 

This episode is a film on it's own and it is a shame that it was left "unfinished" and squeezed with two other episodes. The highlight of this movie, but then again that might just be me.

Episode 2

Stink Bomb

Directed by: Tensai Okamura | Written by: Katsuhiro Otomo

Nobuo, an employee at a medical company who is bothered by a nasty flu is advice by colleagues to try the "experimental medicine" in the Chiefs office which he mistakes for cold pills . When he wakes up the next morning he is horrified by the sight of all the dead employees who died by mysterious causes. Nobuo who foolishly ignore the cause of these deaths is tasked by the headquarter to go to Tokyo with the medical samples and files unbeknownst to the headquarter that the medicine in his body made him a walking bio-weapon which spreads his body odor like poison gas.
The dark comedy is very present in this episode as you witness an epidemic caused by a dimwit everyday man which happened to take the wrong medical sample. Nobuo is in every sense the pinnacle of stupidity. It should strike every person as odd when every one near him suddenly dies, animals and humans alike. It should clear some confusion. Not with Nobuo I was struck between entertainment and frustration by the excessive stupidity brought forth by this man. I had a hard time digesting the fact that a man covered inside deadly gas fails to understand the true cause of it even when the military is blocking his path with their every move to hinder the virus.




Episode 3

Cannon Flodder

Directed | Written by: Katsuhiro Otomo

In a heavily walled city which contains canon at every corner and every few houses in order to fight an unknown city which is implied to be nonexistent.We witness young boy who wishes to become a cannon shooter unlike his father who is a cannon-loader.

The last and more random episode of the bunch. The animation style and feel of the overall episode is more western-like due to the rough thick lines and chaotic shading. The story itself is meaningless pleasantry portrayed in a linear fashion. The few shots after the enormous Red cannon which is central and symbolic to the city strength, are seen as craters in an empty wasteland which questions the very existence of this "moving city", an interesting concept in this short episode next to the animation style.

Rating
8,5 -  Sci-Fi/ Fantasy entertainment pack
Though I enjoyed the bundle of episodes I'm still stupefied of the difference in quality between episodes. The collective rating is slightly down played by the episodes following "Magnetic Rose" which ended with a silent yet full-filling open ending. I'm well aware that the stories are based off the many short stories of Otomo which, without a doubt, is full of better alternatives to form a coherent pack of episode. I'd say it's a good time but the dept of every episode diminishes considerably due to the overwhelming performance of it's introductory episode. But opinions may vary, and so does taste. Comment bellow about your personal experience concerning this film

M.

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"Ohayo" (Good Morning) a NHK short film by Satoshi Kon

Ohayo (オハヨウ), Ani-Kuri 15 

Ani-Kuri 15 where 15 Short Films that ran on the japanese tv channel Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK) 3 seasons long as fillers between programs. I was able to retrieve the last one made by satoshi Kon in 2008. For those who saw it on Twitter/Facebook/Google+ keep sharing!

Paprika

2006

• Visit the film hub for updates

*Also I will review Paprika AFTER I finish one or two other Films.

Comment below !

Tokyo Godfathers (2003), A strange winter story.

Directed by: Satoshi Kon, Shogo Furuya (Co-directed) | Written by: Satoshi Kon, Keiko Nobumoto

Award(s)

• Best Animated Film; Mainichi Film Awards
• Audience Award | Best Asian Film; Neuchâtel International Fantasy Film Festival
• Best Animated Feature Film | Orient Express Award - Special Mention; Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival

"Although apt for family consumption, Tokyo Godfathers still keeps one of the director's obsessions: psychologically worn-out female characters, on the brink of despair, even though here the disturbed spirit is not one of the main characters." - Luis Canau (Translated by Carla Graça), Cinedie Asia 

The 2003 film that premiered at the Big Apple Anime Festival (BAAF), which marked it's last festival held as of yet, Tokyo Godfathers is a cozy turn of the reality-mashing flicks driven by fantasy and Romance or straight criminal paranoia. It's a strange holiday story that won't end up in bed time stories as most heroes aren't homeless, burned out,running away and hiding emotional scars while trying to return a baby they found in the garbage...

I have got to admit that I was expecting something mind blowing around every corner being it hallucinations or a play within a play. It wasn't that much saddening as exciting to see this film enlist in a new direction after two successful films. After all, I got the impression Satoshi Kon has a nag for interesting stories that do not necessarily contain the same elements. Despite this they are still some traces that bend toward excessive daydreaming.

Story

When a Washed out alcoholic, A homosexual cross-dresser and a runaway tomboyish girl  find a dumped baby with a note during a garbage search the day before Christmas. They are split between reporting it to the police or personally returning the child to it's parents or having to live with the fact that the baby's parent will be a cross-dresser who longs for a child. It is obvious to say that they chose the latter.

The comical side of the story defined by the strange group dynamic surfaced every now and then were entertaining. But I couldn't shake the fact that the ones paying for transportation fees are unhoused without any means of income (seriously, even I couldn't pay for the trips they made...). 

I also had a major problem with the plot structure of this film. Despite the great middle and unexpected ending it still felt like I was thrown into a movie that started 20 minutes ago It did not share it's predecessors strong plot structure and flawless introductions. The abrut start of the movie which felt like a considerable loss in story development. If it wasn't for the quick development later on and the subtitle character development along the way it would have stuck as a slightly incomplete plot.
As I said before the group dynamic between the 3 individuals drove the story brought adventure together with the events that occurred in this film, filling each others short coming and gradually solving each others issues. The diversity of personality, preferences and moral conduct is dysfunctional which causes 3 close friends to spice up the most normal journey turning Tokyo over the top in the most hysterical situations.

Though this movie wasn't as fantasy indulged as it's predecessors, there was still some hints of it in flash backs and in terms of making a point. I think the influence of Keiko Nobumoto Screenplay writer of such works as  Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door (2001), Macross Plus (1994/1995) and  the anime/manga Wolf's Rain (2003/2004) had a positive outcome on this movie.

Rating
8,5 - An uncanny Tokyo drama
As much as I loved this movie I could not shake the feeling that the lead of this movie could have been improved. Despite that this movie is unlike any drama-adventure I've seen before containing classic anime characteristics while maintaining a steady story. Might not be Satoshi Kon's best work, But it still is one of his greatest.  Comment and send feedback about your personal rating.



M.

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Making Of Tokyo Godfathers 2003 [video inside post]

Directed by: Satoshi Kon, Shogo Furuya (co-directed) | Written by: Satoshi Kon, Keiko Nobumoto
A preview of the 2003 film directed and written by the late Satoshi Kon I'm about to review. The 20 minute video has essential information on the production of this film and it's voice actors.
The video comes with the DVD, it has Japanese audio and Subtitles at choice (though I only uploaded the English one at this time). Tokyo Godfathers was released on the 28th of November in 2003 distributed by Destination Films.

*I was planning on releasing this Yesterday but I had some subtitles problems... Well, three unknown programs later fixed it.

 Leave comments below!

Steam Boy (2004), Otomo's Steam Punk bravery

Directed by: Katsuhiro Otomo | Written by: Sadayuki Murai, Katsuhiro Otomo
Produced by: Sunrise

Award(s)

• Best Animated Feature Film; 37th Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival

"The movie has intriguing ideas about human lives ruled by machines, which is why the technology in "Steamboy" seems promising. Otomo has reportedly been working on the film for 10 years, drawing countless animation cels by hand and also using computer resources; why, with all the effort he put into the film's construction, did he neglect to go anywhere interesting with the plot?  - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Steam Boy, the result of my irresponsible negligence of curfew (to quote a few) and my obsession with 10-11 PM blockbusters. One movie which is embedded in my childhood as the one reminder that cartoon violence is indeed real... in japan. The joint screenplay of both Akira fame writer/director Katsuhiro Otomo & Sadayuki Murai, known for his excellent screenplay in Satoshi Kon-directed films, is remarkably blank though...

SteamBoy is an animated Steam-punk by the book spiced up by anime violence and Katsuhiro Otomo's radical touch which bears similarities to it's predecessor Metropolis in terms of chaos and the characters inept ability to cope with it in times of need and plot twists, which isn't necessarily a positive thing.

Premise

The story of a young impulsive boy James Ray Steam (Anne Suzuki) with gifted knowledge about steam-technology on a genius scale is hunted down by strange men after receiving a package from his presumed deceased father in an accident. The boy find himself caught in a conflict as he finds out the package is the most advanced energy source in the fictional 19th century. Which is in fact, the story in a nutshell. This movie fails to show a significant amount of debt and logic; you are left puzzled with the character's decisions and state of mind. Especially James' father and grandfather who are in conflict with each other. You are expected to draw your excitement out of the countless well animated and thought through escape scenes in the beginning of the movie and the Epic outcome & background battles, did I mention the top-notch quality already?

I was gradually disappointed when the flaws from it's 2001 successors where taken over instead of discarded for deeper plot and build-up. After watching both movies  I was overwhelmed by indecision as to the movie actually ended properly and weather I enjoyed it or mildly liked it. You'd think that screenplay brought forth by the same mind of the well received stories of Perfect blue (1998) & Millennium Actress (2001) would have the means to get the job done with the help of Katsuhiro Otomo no-less, Or is that too much to ask?

Despite all that, I still enjoyed the film. The escape scenes where well thought, the enormous scale of this film could only be described as breath-taking mixed with the insane visuals, the character design was corny yet fitting. The revelation of the secret that started with one Steamball, an immense steam source was well planned and captivating despite the fact that it floated on a somewhat flat story. For what it counts, You could really feel the 19th century which was well portrayed.

Rating

7,9 -  Imperfect steam-punk story
This movie is something I'll remember from my childhood for it's creative concept and sharp-visuals. But the blank going-nowhere plot (which I did not mind back then) drags this animated wonder down with it. I still urges anyone to see this movie because despite it's flaws,  It's still a good time If you do not over think it... or think logically in general. 
If you did see it,  feel free to comment and leave your thoughts




M.

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Millennium Actress (2001), An animation within a play.

Directed by: Satoshi Kon | Written by: Sadayuki Murai
Produced by Madhouse Inc.

Awards

• Best Animation Film & Fantassia Ground-Breaker Award; 5th Fant-Asia Film Festival
• Ofuji Noburo Award; 56th Mainichi Film Awards
• Orient Express Award; 34thSitges - Catalonian International Film Festival

"The film's matter-of-fact, realistic animation style makes a fitting contrast to the topsy-turvy nature of its narration. Though the moments of drama have an inescapable corniness, as a piece of visual legerdemain as well as a rumination on the place movies have in our personal and collective subconscious, "Millennium Actress" fascinatingly goes where films have not often gone before." - Kenneth Turan, Los Angelese Times

Millennium Actress (Sennen Joyū), the second work of the late Satoshi Kon which takes a turn from the illusion-indulged thriller violence to a fictional biography based on the life of real veteran actress Setsuko Hara. The movie that sets out to be a biography of an old secluded former actress rapidly turns into a vivid adventure filled with passion and drama as old memories are remembered and portrayed with the use of her early movie scenes as memory-recollection medium's. This brilliant display of "a play in a play" meant to set you of guard from the beginning truly is a Satoshi Kon signed feature.


When long time fan Genya Tachibana (Shôzô Îzuka) and his young jovial cameraman set off to document the  aged former actress Chiyoko Fujiwara (Miyoko Shôji), they find themselves reliving more than an old star's biography/Filmography. Chiyoko's love for film was at start a mere mascaraed for her love for a mysterious activist she fell in love with. The story entrusts us with the delicate story of how her feelings and stubbornness kept her searching for this man for decades in a time of national oppression and war in 1930-1940.


The clear and sharp color were slightly polished and uplifted from it's predecessor Perfect Blue becoming -in my humble opinion- more keen to the eye which could be joyful and quite dark  undertoned in dramatic entries.The Shadows are soft implementing the clear shading I so admire in this Animated Film.

Chiyoko's life told through her various scenes and character incarnations

The movie didn't have a wide variety of main characters but many recurring ones that cleverly substituted unknown antagonists in her film scenes to form the row of collage-like memories such as the man with the scar that hunts down the mysterious activist throughout the film . The characters that it did posses (even if they had very little character development) were the ones I LOVED. Not once did I think that Genya or his easy-going cameraman where an annoyance or in the way of a particular film scene of the actress' past, on the contrary they filled the position of spectators and main duo of this film, the ones that where in her plays and in Genya's case: the one that played a roles in her film scene-memories he watched and cried to. Genya's interrest and respect for Chiyoko is also explained and exploited and comes together in this -what can only be described as- satisfying closure.

Click to enlarge

Rating
9,8 - True Drama!

I loved this movie from beginning t'ill the last frame. The moving story and misfortunes in her lives illustrated by her own film scenes is a a clever concept in which her life is shown true fragments of her best moments and career. Every scene has its feel and moment that has been carefully portrayed through well written screenplay. I can only hope others enjoy it as much as I did even after the movie ended. Do comment if you saw this movie already and if you liked it as much as I did.

M.

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Perfect Blue (1998), an anime psycho-thriller

Directed by: Satoshi Kon | Written by: Sadayuki Murai, Yoshikazu Takeuchi (novel)
Produced by: Madhouse

Awards

• Best Animation Feature; 2nd B-Movie Film Festival
• Best Asian Film; 1st Fant-Asia Film Festival
• Best Film - Animation; 17th Fantasporto

"The film is inundated with frightening and sordid imagery. I would definitely categorize it as a horror film complete with vicious stabbings, a naive female victim being stalked and hunted, and a staged rape scene that is downright chilling. Don't be fooled into taking your kids to see this one just because they like Power Rangers. This one will be rated R and deservedly so."    - ATHAN BEZAITIS, Filmcritic

Perfect Blue  (パーフェクトブルー Pāfekuto Burū), Satoshi Kon's first Film as a director which was screened in 1997 at the FantAsia International Film Festival. The exceptional and reality-twisted story is one of the first in the -by then improved- Satoshi Kon films like it's acclaimed and highly acknowledged like-minded successor madhouse marvel Paprika in 2006. The story takes you through the life of a young girl Mima (Junko Iwao) who goes from Japanese Pop-idol to become an actress as her life and reality spirals downwards shattering the common sense of reality and dragging it down with it emphasizing the events throughout the movie.



The background and animated visuals are stunning and true to the Madhouse quality in the 90's, It is clear and pleasant to the eyes while accentuating certain feelings of a scenes by clever use of lighting and reflections while maintaining an animated sense of reality.
Satoshi Kon was not afraid to remind his faithful audience that this is in fact a fantasy-thriller. The gruesome stabbings and unpleasant nudity is to be taken seriously and is a considerable change from the silent beginning of the movie, beginning with a frightening accurate websites that practically follows her every move.
Mima's state of mind deteriorates to the point of paranoia which is cleverly portrayed as her growing role in the thriller TV Show shares the presumed same symptoms as her mixing real life experiences with her acted character's persona while dealing with her imaginary Idol self" which constantly haunts her. It is mind-blowing how the line between reality and delusion becomes non-existent to the point of psychological disorientation, what might be real could easily be a dream or her acting performance. This is the mind of a person who lost herself and is clinging on to her sense of desperate reality.

Be that as it may, the film's scenario had it's flaws: considering the fact that a few important individuals where brutally slaughtered you'd think that panic and fear would be a factor, well you thought wrong. It took two murder and a bomb injury (in front of a dozen witnesses) to strike some level of awareness that Mima could be in danger especially as one of these cases is the screenplay writer of the TV show she debuted in. It didn't necessarily affect the viewing experience but it did linger in the deepest depths of my mind... the whole time.

Rating:
**** A psychotic thrill!
The transition between reality and fantasy was sublime despite the forced entry in the psychotic aspects. The limits of the human mind are exploited and re-invented by this movie as the psycho-driven fantasy are accompanied by fragments of reality and moral understanding. the A truly great start as director for the late Satoshi Kon.

• This movie is rated R due to violence and nudity, keep that in mind.

M.

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