Millennium Actress

Japan 2001, 83 minutes
Dir. Satoshi Kon
In Japanese with English subtitles
Genres: Cult, Drama / Animation, Anime

Aroview: The thinking-person's animator, dir. Satoshi Kon further extends his body of "real world" anime with a work of brilliantly conceived illusion and film homage.

Recounting the personal and professional life of a bygone studio actress (shadowed by an intrepid documentary crew), Kon's narrative traverses a frail line between fiction and reality that's both inspired and genuinely moving. A loving ode to Japanese cinema, this film-within-a-film is as mature, romantic and conceptually ambitious as anime gets.

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-2 of 2 member reviews.

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4 stars (Very Good) Cinematic scene-dropping leads to a dreamlike deja vu viewing experience deftly mirroring the the fragile, shifting identity of the lead character. ~NDK
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4 stars (Very Good) Probably great, but hoo-boy, that dubbing is rough. Still, a fascinating walkthrough of Japanese cinema in a touching frame. ~Pop&Coffee