Paprika

Japan 2006, 90 minutes
Dir. Satoshi Kon
In Japanese with English subtitles
Rating: [R13] Contains violence and content that may disturb
Genres: Cult, Science Fiction / Animation, Anime

Topics: Mind-bender.

Aroview: Mind-altering extravaganza of stolen dream technology from the anime trailblazer behind PERFECT BLUE, forged from the dir’s pet themes of media, spectatorship, and fiction-reality fusions.

Another meta-hybrid of cinema homage and real-world narrative, this is a dexterous circus act of film genre, dream logic, and apocalyptic thrills, centred around a team of scientists who must retrieve a prototype dream recorder which has fallen into the wrong hands. Headache-inducing in the best sense, Kon’s latest animation is also one of his most relentlessly enjoyable in its roller-coaster pace, and is so overwhelmingly detailed that it demands repeat viewings.

NZ International Film Festival 2007