Paprika (2007)
The whimsical sci-fi adventure ?Paprika? explodes with one
of the most mesmerizing and spectacular opening sequences I?ve ever seen and
continues on with high-paced intensity until the credits roll.
This latest film from the underrated Japanese anime director,
Satoshi Kon, (?Tokyo Godfathers,? ?Millennium Actress?) plunges into a lucid
dream world where reality and fiction are nearly indistinguishable to both the
viewer and the characters.
Chaos ensues when an experimental technology that allows
psychologists to enter the dreaming subconscious of patients is stolen and
abused to keep them in perpetual sleep. A team of researchers and therapists
try to recover the stolen device and stop the meddling madman, but it?s up to
the lead scientist, Dr. Chiba, and her bad-ass alias in the dream world,
Paprika, to put an end to it.
Kon manages to capture the trippy essence of dreams in a
medley of the bizarre, including ?parades of kitchen appliances and frogs with trumpets,
talking dolls, ridiculous music and sudden shifts in location, all achieving
the hazy sensation of uncertainty that is so surprisingly akin to our
reflection on our dreams upon waking.
Similarly, the dream paradox is often toyed with, causing
character and audience alike to ask, ?Have we awoken from the dream yet??
Kon keeps the suspense as high as the confusion with enough
creepy scenes and disturbing imagery to evoke some bizarre blend of ?Spirited
Away,? ?The Matrix? and ?Se7en.?
The undeniable allure of ?Paprika? is the flurry of thematic
elements introduced as society?s collective dream as it spills into reality.
Kon subtly bombards the viewer with answerless, thought-provoking questions
regarding heavy topics, such as the ethical limits of science, the relativity
of truth, personal desire versus social responsibility, but, above all, the
escapist parallel between dreams and technology in response to a repressive
society, and the potential dangers of both.
The DVD offers lengthy footage of the director and author of
the novel from which the movie is based, as well as interviews with the voice
actors. However, the DVD?s main attraction is clearly the film, with the
interviews serving as reflective afterthought.
Like a lucid dream, ?Paprika? consumes with a vivacious
madness beyond the restraints of reality, and far from a children?s cartoon, it
is contrarily one of the most profound movies around, animated or not. It will
leave you dazzled, dazed and wanting more.
5 stars out of 5
Once (2007)
Last year?s hit Irish film ?Once? is a rare exception to the
norms of criticism. This is largely because it defies so many basic conventions
of film and storytelling to the extent that it is impossible to evaluate it objectively
as a film; rather, it must be evaluated as an entity in itself.
Do not be mistaken by any inaccurate descriptions ? ?Once?
is not truly a musical, but rather a movie about musicians, and it?s only a
?movie? in a very unconventional sense. ?Once? takes the age-old template of
guy-meets-girl and then puts a musical twist on it, abandoning much more plot
development.
An unnamed street musician (played by Irish rock band singer
Glen Hansard) meets a similarly unnamed immigrant street hawker (Mark?ta
Irgl?va) as he?s singing his heart out on the avenues of Dublin.
A strange friendship ensues as they help each other realize
what they truly want out of life. Unlike traditional musicals that weave songs
into dialogues, the songs in ?Once? are performative in nature ? whether its
Glen singing on the street, on a bus, in a music shop or in a recording studio,
it is no Irish ?Moulin Rouge.?
With approximately two-thirds of the entire movie consisting
of songs, it is reasonable to assume that emphasis was not placed on the
script, or even the acting.
In the special features, director John Carney says he wanted
?really great singers who can half-act [over] really great actors who can
half-sing.? As he says, Hansard and Irgl?va are both wonderful during songs, but
often act stiffly when the melodies end.
With much of the lyrics unintelligibly slurred and many
others trite or empty, ?Once? is less moving than it sets out to be. Toward the
end, it starts to feel as if you?ve heard every song at least twice, and the similar
melodies get daunting. Ultimately, if you don?t like the songs (which aren?t
remarkably likeable), there isn?t much to the movie. A small amount of
salvation is found in the commentaries for each song in the special features of
the DVD, which give interesting insight to each.
?Once? is not a movie concerned with artistic
cinematography, a good script, compelling actors or even an engaging, complex
storyline.
Placing all of its chips on the musical aspect, ?Once?
encroaches upon what feels like a prolonged music video, but it also presents
us with a new approach to film ? one that sees a very fluid and mutually
influential relationship between film and music.
While ?Once? succeeds in a subtle, amateurish, and even charming
way, it still feels like a rough, albeit enjoyable, prototype.
3 stars out of 5
