Paprika
By John • Sep 2nd, 2008 • Category: 4 Stars, Action, Fantasy, HorrorThis is the latest feature film by Satoshi Kon, who is becoming one of my favorite directors (thanks for Tim’s recommendation). He always uses animation for all his projects, which enhances his stories in a way that live action couldn’t capture easily.
Paprika is a good example of that. The story is fairly simple, it’s about a new device that allows to view and interact with dreams, up to a point where the dream world merges with the real world. That’s the simplified plot, but obviously there is so much more to this movie.
The dream sequences are a visual treat. I’ve always liked dream sequences that are surreal but make sense somehow. These dream sequences are not too hard to follow, but of course there are things that just look great but I don’t understand too well.
The character of Paprika is very much like a superheroine, it almost feels like she has supernatural powers. That’s something that is not explained, which bugged me a little bit. There is also a bit of a mystery in the story, as to who is the villain. That was a nice touch.
Some of the dream sequences are hard to watch, especially the one between Paprika and the traitor. The last act is a long dream/reality fight that gets more and more surreal. It all reflects the characters subconscious, so to me it makes sense.
There are some relationships that were not explored as well as I would have liked, but overall this is a great movie with some astounding visuals. I will watch all Satoshi Kon’s work in the future.
Rating: 4 Stars
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