after seeing this on the big screen at Aya, i thought i ought to share my views on it with the rest of you...
Synopsis
a TV journalist and his cameraman travel deep into the Japanese coutryside to interview Chiyoko Fujiwara, a famous retired actress who has lived in seclusion for several years. During the course of the film, she tells her interviewers the story of her remarkable life, set against the dramatic backdrop of twentieth century Japan.
The film
The character designs are very much what fans of Satashi Kon have come to expect, and the visuals are breatakingly lifelike. in fact, it is probably his most visually stunning film to date: the portrayal of the locations is quite frankly beautiful and the colours are either bright or washed-out, depending on what the atmosphere of the scene demands.
The story is told through a combination of memories and scenes taken from the films Chiyoko starred in, with the interviewers being taken directly into the action itself. this aspect is quite difficult to convey through words alone: in true Kon style, fact and fiction are seamlessly blurred into one breathtaking whole with the surreal and realistic side by side.
Compared with the slasher/thriller themes of Perfect Blue and the gritty detective/mystery vibe of Paranoia Agent, Millenium Actress is more of a sweeping biopic that has more in common with the Magnetic Rose section of Otomo's Memories anthology. The storyline is actually quite a straightforward one, with the mixture of real and fictitious events being the main source of confusion. at times i found myself merely enjoying the gorgeous animation, instead of trying to figure out whether the action appearing onscreen is part of Chiyoko's real life or another part of one of her films.
Summary
If you like the visual style and originality of storytelling that Kon is famous for, this is well worth looking forward to. it's not as dark as some of his other films and while i personally found it not quite as deep (the plot has more breadth than depth, if you see what i mean) and leaves many questions unanswered it ably demonstrates his versatility as director and makes for emotional and compelling viewing.
thats all i can think of for now.
Synopsis
a TV journalist and his cameraman travel deep into the Japanese coutryside to interview Chiyoko Fujiwara, a famous retired actress who has lived in seclusion for several years. During the course of the film, she tells her interviewers the story of her remarkable life, set against the dramatic backdrop of twentieth century Japan.
The film
The character designs are very much what fans of Satashi Kon have come to expect, and the visuals are breatakingly lifelike. in fact, it is probably his most visually stunning film to date: the portrayal of the locations is quite frankly beautiful and the colours are either bright or washed-out, depending on what the atmosphere of the scene demands.
The story is told through a combination of memories and scenes taken from the films Chiyoko starred in, with the interviewers being taken directly into the action itself. this aspect is quite difficult to convey through words alone: in true Kon style, fact and fiction are seamlessly blurred into one breathtaking whole with the surreal and realistic side by side.
Compared with the slasher/thriller themes of Perfect Blue and the gritty detective/mystery vibe of Paranoia Agent, Millenium Actress is more of a sweeping biopic that has more in common with the Magnetic Rose section of Otomo's Memories anthology. The storyline is actually quite a straightforward one, with the mixture of real and fictitious events being the main source of confusion. at times i found myself merely enjoying the gorgeous animation, instead of trying to figure out whether the action appearing onscreen is part of Chiyoko's real life or another part of one of her films.
Summary
If you like the visual style and originality of storytelling that Kon is famous for, this is well worth looking forward to. it's not as dark as some of his other films and while i personally found it not quite as deep (the plot has more breadth than depth, if you see what i mean) and leaves many questions unanswered it ably demonstrates his versatility as director and makes for emotional and compelling viewing.
thats all i can think of for now.