Rating: PG
Genre:
Drama
Theatrical Release: 09/12/2003(USA
Release Date: 10/28/2003
SubTitles: English/French
Dubbed: Japanese
Sound: DD5.1/DDS2.0
Run Time: 87 min
Flags: Adult Situations, Adult Language
Distributor/Studio: DreamWorks
Following up on his highly acclaimed animated
psychological thriller Perfect Blue,
Satoshi Kon spins this
mystery about a
documentary filmmaker and a legendary actress. In honor of
Gin Ei studios 70th anniversary, a small production house run by
Genya Tachibana is selected to make a commemorative
documentary.
Genya decides to focus his film on actress
Chiyoko Fujiwara, a massive star who at the height of her popularity retreated from public life. Accompanied an eager young cameraman,
Genya doggedly tracks her down to discover her living a hermit-like life of charmed isolation. He also learns that in spite of her advanced age, she has lost little of her famed charm or elegance. As he interviews her,
Genya learns of
Chiyoko's troubled past and eventually the reasons for her sudden retirement.
~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
A remarkably textured journey (both visually and emotionally) into the rich and varied past of an aging former actress,
Satoshi Kon's follow-up to
Perfect Blue successfully retains that film's sense of fantastic reality while eschewing its more suspenseful elements in favor of a more reflective approach. It's interesting to see
anime being used for
drama rather than for
science fiction or
fantasy, and this is where
Kon truly sets himself apart from most filmmakers working today. By using animation for dramatic purposes,
Kon's creativity in terms of story structure is virtually boundless. While this might an intimidating factor for some directors,
Kon has an uncanny knack of making it work in his favor by truly getting to know his characters. By using dramatic means to drive the more fantastic elements of the story and by rooting the characters in a familiar reality,
Kon allows viewers to relate to those characters while gradually getting absorbed into the tale of lost love and remarkable adventure. Though the film, at times, borders on melodramatic,
Kon and crew have enough sense to pull back from time to time and let the story tell itself when necessary. If at first the film doesn't seem as visually dynamic as viewers might expect, the gradual progression from simple to complex images, as well as the creative use of textures to express emotion, slowly envelopes the viewer until the film's heartfelt and visually elegant climax. With
Millennium Actress,
Kon has not only proven that
Perfect Blue was no fluke, but has truly set himself apart from the pack by being a remarkably creative visual storyteller and a true innovator in the realm of mature and dramatic
anime.
~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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