I don't generally remember much of my dreams, though what I do recall -
Tom Cruise getting annoyed in Weston-Super-Mare because his
Scientology History of the World film is doing much worse than next
doors showing of the *other* History of the World film [1], the one with
the famous Last Stand of the Red Indian Highlanders [2] and the Attack
of the Gun****p Windmills - suggests that my subconscious is probably far
beyond the help of books which state that the colour red is a sign of
impending work anxiety.
Such memories as I do have mean that I was intrigued by Sato**** Kons
latest work, Paprika, which by most accounts was about the merging of
dreams and reality. And theres probably no better candidate to tackle
such a subject than the man who gave us Perfect Blue and Millennium
Actress.
Paprika starts very well, with an opening set in that most creepily
effective of anime settings, a circus, which transitions into a somewhat
bizarre chase scene followed up by a very clever credits sequence.
The story revolves around the invention - and subsequent theft of - the
"DC Mini" [3], a tiny device that allows access to a users dreams. This
rather worries the development team, as it soon becomes clear that
someone is using the DC Mini to wreak havoc on the minds of their fellow
researchers. Only the cold and aloof Doctor Atsuko Chiba stands a chance
of undoing the damage, by calling on the aid of a *very* close friend -
the carefree and footloose Paprika.
To say more would be to spoil things a bit, so I'm going to move on to
my feelings about the film. I certainly enjoyed the opening scenes very
much, and even the DVD menu invokes the imagery of flying, surely one of
the most common dream types for many people. And theres certainly some
great and very fun images to enjoy.
However, the main feeling I got was one of deja vu. The opening, and
some subsequent parts, remind me of the style of the Urusei Yatsura
movies. This is no bad thing, as those are some of my favourite anime of
all, and again helped create a favourable impression. Theres also a
recurring use of a rather creepy procession, which is something I've
seen used in a number of anime.
However, my overall feeling is one of slight disappointment with the
way things turn out in the end. Some of the later scenes seem perhaps a
bit too familiar - Akira springs to mind, especially in the final half
hour - and seems to retread ground we've seen countless times in other
anime.
Paprika is by no means a bad film; far from it. I just feel a little
bit let down that, given the subject matter, I wasn't blown away by it
more. Maybe its not the films fault; after all, its imagery has got to
compete with what your own inner child comes up with every night.
Now, if you'll excuse me, theres a guy in scuba gear over there who
needs my help to fight off the 'raptors, and I've only got this hammer
to do it with...
[1] The same cinemas lobby also included a Godzilla: The Shooting
arcade game, the greatest arcade game thats never been made.
[2] Very old and famous division, the MacSweenys.
[3] Sorry, Sega fans - its not a hand-held Dreamcast.
--
*"Magic Girl supposed wear cute *justin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
thing! Not... " * *
* "You wanna look cute or kick ass?"* *
- Yuki and Largo, Megatokyo. * All outta gum. *
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