Thoughts.com Blogs - "Paprika"--anime DVD review

Satoshi Kon, director of such animated works as Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers, heads a team of amazing artists and even makes an appearance in the anime film "Paprika" himself. It is the vision of author Yasutaka Tsutsui, who wrote the original novel, brought to life by a man who had been working through other pieces to reach this sort of "pinnacle of achievement". Kon had read the original story early in his life and had dreamed of meeting the author. Upon doing so, the two decided to make the film.

It is the (approximately ninety-minute) story of Atsuko Chiba, a sort of psychotherapist who works with a scientific team on a project called "The DC Mini" which can allow users to tap into a person's dreams to identify problem areas(and who is, personally, rather attractive). It is an amazing piece of technology that bridges into perhaps the final sanctuary of humanity. And, that is exactly what becomes the issue in question as the story progresses. [There are a few conflicts of humanity and technology which reflect the way the world is being advanced these days itself. There is also a conflict between the value of one versus the value of all. It is not quite clear who is in the right. It is up to the viewer to decide.] Trouble arises early on when one of the prototype DC Minis is discovered stolen. While figuring out who is behind the theft, scenes are torn apart by random interludes of dream sequences melding together with reality. The crossovers alert the geniuses behind the gizmo of the impending chaos that may ensue if the thief continues to possess and manipulate its power.

In order to confront the dreams(whether at this time of crisis or in her own sessions/studies), Atsuko creates a virtual persona named Paprika who is, in essence, the total opposite of herself(ironic how her hair is the color of the spice she is named for). While Atsuko is very proper and reserved, Paprika is an eternal child full of wit and imagination not unlike Peter Pan. This virtual pixie aims to teach everyone in the story a lesson before it ends. She helps a detective with a reoccurring nightmare which brilliantly pops up in spurts throughout the film.

Atsuko also has estranged relationships with her obese co-worker who is the mind behind the DC Mini and her slimmer field assistant who acts strangely possessive from the start. It reminds me of "Shallow Hal", a film in which the main character is forced to see women for who they are and not just their body types.

There is so much artistic brilliance in the movie. While much may seem like clutter beyond belief, the overall concepts are rather astounding. If the imagery doesn't amaze you, then perhaps the mysteries and philosophies will. I also like how they(the artistic team) weave in the metaphors and images of the director and author themselves as characters. I found myself having a difficult time sorting the dream from the reality at first. It helped to watch first in Japanese with English subtitles and then in English with the subtitles as comparison dialogue. [The subtitles also helped identify/spell-out characters names and presented commentary(when activated) without talking over the film(which was a real treat/relief).] The music will also likely have a profound effect upon you though it is not a sensible theme song with identifiable lyrics.

The DVD extras cover extensively the minds behind the cartoon and the main actors. [In fact, the director, author and two lead vocals talk at length about the most minute and unusual details. One must have patience to truly absorb all they can from the long discussion.] There are also the customary movie trailers(for films I had never heard of) and alternate language/subtitle tracks(English, Japanese, Spanish, and French).

After seeing this film(the first by Kon that I have seen), I aim to seek out others including Tokyo Godfathers which looked quite interesting from the trailer on this DVD. Compared to other anime works, this is far less bizarre or derogatory towards women. [Granted, some of the images may still be puzzling or unsettling.] Anyone who dreams of visualizing the fantasies of their minds on a big screen or has ever felt a sense of drifting into another dimension simply by (day)dreaming will find this movie worthwhile. Based on a few complex concepts(including strange violence) and brief moments of female nudity, I would not recommend this for anyone under the age of fifteen(regardless of the R rating). [It is nothing out of the ordinary from which the average teenager is exposed to in modern video games or other anime verging on hentai yet not for young eyes.] I give "Paprika"(the DVD) three and a quarter stars. [Perhaps my rating would improve with additional viewings since it took two different viewings to make better sense of a few details.]

--brainstormer, free-lance movie critic and participant in the Thoughts.com blogging experience.