Anime Movie: Paprika

[grapeofdeath]

I haven't had nearly as much time on the computer as I once did. Between two job and work, things have been hectic (all except for last Tuesday when I was putting off doing homework...). I might have had some time last Thursday, but while reading the Willamette Weekly I found out a movie that I had been waiting to see was playing at the Portland Art Museum... for one night only. I cleared everything else I might have done that day and went to go see it, along with my younger sister.

Are any of you familiar with Satoshi Kon? He was the director for Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, and now most recently Paprika. It's an anime movie based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1993 novel Paprika, about a female detective who investigates criminal cases by entering the dreams of her subjects. I haven't seen many of his films, but I and my sister had been a fan of Paranoia Agent ever since it came to the USA (except for the ending...). It's the dark and creepy with some comedy that I find most interesting. When I first saw the trailer for Paprika in the theater, the music caught me first and when I saw the main character jumping over a fence only to have it dissolve into reality where she's in actuality about to jump off a balcony from a 10 story building, at that moment I knew I had to see the movie. My sisters reaction was the same. :P

This movie obviously isn't for everyone. Within the first ten minutes of the film someone has used one of the DC-MINIs to get into one of the doctors brains, he hallucinates while he's awake, and runs out of a two story building window to the ground below. It sucked me in the same way the first eerie 5 minutes of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence did. However there is also a lot of humor in the movie, not just the cameos to famous anime that are sprinkled here and there. There are many laugh out loud scenes. I would say anyone who's enjoyed Satoshi Kon's work in the past would enjoy this movie. It won't come out to theaters til June, so you all have time to think on it.

Back to work at the bookstore. I'll try to find time to update on my life later.

Comments

[slipperieslope.livejournal.com]

The director's name didn't tickle anything in my brain, but the film name, "Tokyo Godfathers" did. I think I bought that for the library. The story you describe seems a bit violent and strange, for me but, I am curious about the name of the film, 'Parika', the spice? Is it the main character's name? Not surprising my lack of enthusiasm for gen anime. I realize, as you know, that I am more about the yaoi anime and the beautiful artwork; Angel Sanctuary and Kazuma Kodaka are what brought me here and then the LOTR doujins became a passion.

[thegrapeofdeath.livejournal.com]

Yes, my tastes are a bit strange, but the movie wasn't all that violent, I just made sure to mention those parts so people wouldn't be to surprised. Paprika is the code name of one of the main doctors who helps people out within their dreams.

I like pretty artwork and anime when I come across it. Ghost in the Shell 2 was amazing in that sense. The 3D animation blended perfectly with everything so well and made everything seem more real. I don't watch all that much anime, at least compared to my friends. They've influenced me a bit on what I watch and the rest is what happens to be on television. Stuff I leave on as background notice while working unless I begin to find it intriguing.

I didn't really start collecting comic books until around the LOTR doujins. I have a couple old Sailor Moon books from six or seven years ago though. (I can't believe how much they're worth now!) Though I find any comics now to be an expensive hobby. Must limit myself...