Movie Review: Paprika by JR

Paprika, the new anime film by Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers), is every bit as meserizing as you have heard. It follows the story of the DC Mini, a device created to allow people to see what others are dreaming, and the people involved with it. I’m going to try to keep the description as vague as possible so as not to give away any spoilers.

I am a newcomer to the whole anime genre. I had seen “Perfect Blue” a few years ago, and really enjoyed it, but it was only this year that I finally saw “Akira” and “Ghost In the Shell” and my appreciation for anime began to grow. When I first saw a trailer for “Paprika”, I was, as I said before, mesmerized. I couldn’t take my eyes off, I wanted more. My biggest complaint about anime before “Paprika” was that it was so difficult to understand. Usually the films took more than one viewing to fully grasp what had just happened. While that’s entertaining occasionally, in my experience that had been the case for every anime. To me, they were an acquired taste, like Miike movies, and I was going to try to acquire that taste. “Paprika” helped give me the push into anime that I needed. It’s plot is complicated enough to keep it interesting, but it’s simple enough to understand in one viewing. However, this is a film that stays with you long after you’ve seen it, revealing more of itself to you day by day.

The animation in this film is none less than phenomenal. From the breathtaking opening scene, in which Paprika bounces throughout a city scene, popping in and out of billboards, transforming into the people around her, to the climactic ending, the audience is held in the spell of the visual beauty of this film. The soundtrack adds the perfect compliment to the visuals. Susumu Hirasawa, using keyboards and various electronic instruments along with vocals, composed the score, and it’s entirely infectious. The song that is heard in the trailer is the song that is played during that breathtaking opening sequence, and I’ve had it stuck in my head ever since I saw it. One of the songs from the soundtrack can be downloaded for free by clicking here. Lucky for us, Susumu Hirasawa is a free music advocate.

The characters are also a lot of fun to explore. Because we get to see their dreams, fantasies, and fears, the audience gets to see all facets of every character. It never becomes too confusing either. I wish I could tell you more about my favorite parts, but it would give away too much. If it were me, I wouldn’t want anyone to spoil this lovely film.

Several questions have been asked as to the nature of the “R” rating. Animation too often throws people off. How bad can it really be? Well, “Paprika” really isn’t terrible. There’s no blood, no gore, but there are plenty of suggestive visuals. If a child were to watch this film, they probably wouldn’t get half if not all of what the visuals are supposed to suggest, but still they should probably not see it. The storyline alone is too confusing for a child let alone the average teenager, so the R rating is justified, especially coupled with the visuals.

I understand that “Paprika” is currently undergoing a very limited release, which is unfortunate. This film deserves to be taken in on a big screen with an audience.