Paprika is a breathtaking piece of animation splendor that explores chaotic daydreams and mysterious nightmares, while revealing the danger of liberating them. The filmmaker is Satoshi Kon, and like most of his work, this requires the use of one's imagination. Many of its key moments could only have been realized through this Japanese artistry. Paprika shames our constant and polluted exploitation of CGI by igniting the deepest and most bizarre areas of the mind with an ageless hand-drawn style.
What if you could analyze your dreams? That is what the prototype DC-MINI enables psychologists to do for certain patients. The problem is that the invention is not quite complete. In addition, an unknown villain has stolen the DC-MINI, and is using it to invade people's minds and control them however he/she sees fit. The result is mass confusion when the dream world begins to mesh with reality. The only person that can stop the problem is Paprika, an alter ego of sorts created by Chiba (voice of Megumi Hayashibara), one of the psychologists that was working on the DC-MINI. Lives and sanity hang in the balance if the culprit is not apprehended quickly.
New technology can have its consequences on humanity, and that theme is deftly expressed, and marvelously executed with precision quality. The screenplay is based on a serialized novel by Yasutka Tsutsui, and from the opening minutes, I was engrossed by the thought of delving into the fantasies, fears, and perplexity of dreams. Paprika unveils possibilities, and introduces points that are equally intelligent and intriguing. The ways in which such a tool could be abused for one's power is unbelievable. It becomes uncertain what exactly is achievable with the DC-MINI. Could you be trapped in a dream? To what extent can your mind be manipulated?
Each protagonist is fascinating. Of course Paprika is a delightfully relentless and effervescent character, but Dr. Tokita (voice of Toru Furuya) was the highlight. He is an obese, overeating slob that has the brains of a genius, and the maturity of a teenager. At the same time, Detective Kogawa (voice of Akio Otsuka) is attempting to fulfill a recurring nightmare, while also trying to understand the situation of the crumbling city around him. His sub-plot is concluded masterfully. This bewildered individual is the easiest to sympathize with. The lab chairman is Seijiroh Inui (voice of Toru Emori), and he sees this theft as proof that this device should have never been created in the first place. He is a wheelchair bound man, who is also creepy and philosophical.
The logic and transitioning is more coherent that one might suspect after glancing at a summary on paper. It seems like a perfect topic for Kon's maddeningly hypnotizing approach. For those who do not pay attention, the storyline could appear puzzling, but at 90 minutes, one should have no trouble just sitting back and staring in amazement at this vibrant pageant of giant appliances, geisha dolls, and abandoned carnival attractions. This is a surreal universe that is impossible to calculate or foresee. That is the beauty of Paprika. Primary criticisms include the enormously zany ending, but the escalating degree of lunacy only increased my fondness of this picture.
This resembles Kon's Millenium Actress rather than his previous submission, Tokyo Godfathers. His vision blends two realms in brilliant fashion. I was reminded of Frederico Fellini's 8 1/2 as much as Being John Malkovich, but Paprika still stands outside the crowd due to the intense excellence of the illustrations. Kon is very disparate in technique to fellow animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away). His subjects are directed more towards older audiences sure, but because his methods never strive for practicality, he accomplishes something truly extraordinary by luring viewers into his gorgeous hallucinations.
On some levels, Paprika plays like a celebration of Satoshi Kon's influences, ranging from Disney to monster movies, but that is not necessarily negative. I would not argue with someone who said it was difficult to pinpoint a single genre he salutes here. My only complaint lies with the undeniably calm demeanor of the main heroine, but that is minor. This mayhem-infested film is like getting slammed with dozens of pop-ups and spyware on your computer, only you can do absolutely nothing about it. In this case though, you enjoy the overlapping onslaught of imagery.
No other animator molds his scenes to have more natural fluid motion than Satoshi Kon. Paprika is evidence of Kon doing what he does best, in top-form. In a genre filled with overused concepts, sloppily constructed material, and predictable characters, Paprika instills a revitalizing change of pace that reminds moviegoers that animation has no limits, and can always astound us.
The 411: The first Satoshi Kon film I saw was Millenium Actress, and to be honest it took a while to process. I understood everything, but wasn't sure how I felt about the experience, and then I realized that Kon's films are meant to be experiences just like that. This is without a doubt one of the best animated films of 2007. I recommend it to anyone. Japanese anime grows an audience primarily on DVD, but it is outstanding to watch in the theater as well. My final note must touch on the catchy soundtrack, which I still have in my head. It was very energetic tune that complimented the background of the action. Do yourself a favor and see this movie. You won't be sorry.
