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Dreams are a mystery to us. Even with all our scientific and technological advances, we are still not sure how they came to be, what they are or what they mean; and yet, they can have a lasting effect on us. From something that can be intriguing to us, to something that can be terrifying and disturbing. Some times, a dream can be so affecting, so profound that science feels just like "nothing but a piece of trash" before it. That mystery, along with that intersection between science and dreams lies at the forefront of this animated Japanese film.
Paprika follows different groups that are trying to bridge that gap between dreams and science. There's the scientists that developed a device – the DC Mini – that allows them to actually view other people's dreams, to a mysterious "terrorist" that has stolen one of these to somehow become all-powerful. Somewhere in between, there's the titular character, Paprika, a dream alter-ego of scientist Atsuko Chiba (Megumi Hayashibara) who has been using the DC Mini "off the grid" to help some patients.
This was a recommendation from an online friend and my first film from Satoshi Kon. I've never considered myself an anime guy, but I decided to give it a shot. The film has many of the trademarks I usually associate with anime, but it is also a very unique premise that is also executed in a unique way. Paprika moves at a pace that makes you feel like the characters of the film, as if you were catching up on everything. As the manifestations of these dreams keep growing, the story becomes more weird and bizarre and it's interesting to try to figure out what's going on.
I would've wished that the characters and their relationships were better constructed, especially the relationship between Chiba and her co-worker and inventor of the DC Mini, Dr. Kōsaku Tokita (Tōru Furuya). Also, both Detective Konakawa (Akio Ōtsuka) and Dr. Osanai (Kōichi Yamadera) both of which are integral to the character of Dr. Chiba/Paprika, feel somewhat underdeveloped. However, the story seems to be more focused on the visuals and the style than fleshing out these relationships.
Regardless of those flaws, Paprika remains an intriguing film full of mesmerizing visuals and colorful characters, even if I wish they would've been better handled. It is still an interesting contrast of dreams and reality, and how we use the former to "escape", either consciously or not.
Grade:
PAPRIKA
(2006, Kon)
A film with a title that starts with the letters O or P
(2006, Kon)
A film with a title that starts with the letters O or P
"Science is nothing but a piece of trash before a profound dream."
Dreams are a mystery to us. Even with all our scientific and technological advances, we are still not sure how they came to be, what they are or what they mean; and yet, they can have a lasting effect on us. From something that can be intriguing to us, to something that can be terrifying and disturbing. Some times, a dream can be so affecting, so profound that science feels just like "nothing but a piece of trash" before it. That mystery, along with that intersection between science and dreams lies at the forefront of this animated Japanese film.
Paprika follows different groups that are trying to bridge that gap between dreams and science. There's the scientists that developed a device – the DC Mini – that allows them to actually view other people's dreams, to a mysterious "terrorist" that has stolen one of these to somehow become all-powerful. Somewhere in between, there's the titular character, Paprika, a dream alter-ego of scientist Atsuko Chiba (Megumi Hayashibara) who has been using the DC Mini "off the grid" to help some patients.
This was a recommendation from an online friend and my first film from Satoshi Kon. I've never considered myself an anime guy, but I decided to give it a shot. The film has many of the trademarks I usually associate with anime, but it is also a very unique premise that is also executed in a unique way. Paprika moves at a pace that makes you feel like the characters of the film, as if you were catching up on everything. As the manifestations of these dreams keep growing, the story becomes more weird and bizarre and it's interesting to try to figure out what's going on.
I would've wished that the characters and their relationships were better constructed, especially the relationship between Chiba and her co-worker and inventor of the DC Mini, Dr. Kōsaku Tokita (Tōru Furuya). Also, both Detective Konakawa (Akio Ōtsuka) and Dr. Osanai (Kōichi Yamadera) both of which are integral to the character of Dr. Chiba/Paprika, feel somewhat underdeveloped. However, the story seems to be more focused on the visuals and the style than fleshing out these relationships.
Regardless of those flaws, Paprika remains an intriguing film full of mesmerizing visuals and colorful characters, even if I wish they would've been better handled. It is still an interesting contrast of dreams and reality, and how we use the former to "escape", either consciously or not.
Grade: