by Rob Kohr

It’s a rare thing these days to find traditional animation in American theaters. Unlike their Japanese counterparts, theaters in the US are fraught with 3d eye candy pumped out by studios that will as soon as capture the movements of an actor and then throw them up on the screen and call that animation instead of ACTUALLY doing animation. True, there was a day when Ralph Bakshi was using live action video to make “American Pop”, but that was different, the hand of the animator still came through.

“Paprika” is the latest jaunt in animation from Satoshi Kon. Kon is well known for his psychological thrillers such as “Perfect Blue” and the television show “Paranoia Agent” as well as more subdued films such as “Millenium Actress” and “Tokyo Godfathers”. Not since “Perfect Blue” has Kon played with the ideas of psychological trauma and distress. In fact “Paprika” takes it to a new level.

29 year old Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a research psychotherapist whose work on a powerful new psychotherapy devise known as the “DC-MINI” allows her to enter into people’s dreams, as her alter ego named Paprika, and synchronize with their unconscious to help uncover the source of their anxiety or neurosis. It is believed that someone is manipulating the machines has a more evil purpose. The DC MINI is being used to destroy people’s minds and merge reality and fantasy.

Art Director, Nobutaka Ike, who has worked with Kon on all his past films brought forth really solid character designs that contrasted the world of reality and the dream world. For instance Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a very solidly realistic character, while her dream self Paprika is very solidly anime looking.

Satoshi Kon and Nobutaka Ike build an amazingly neurotic world where Paprika can dance about like a fairy between a painting and then merging into a shirt, to falling out of the sky dressed as an ancient Japanese mythological character. The editing recalls so much of how we see our dreams, where no one thought stays long enough for us to linger on it, where a door can lead to a room where you are watching yourself leave the room you just came from. Then you turn around and find yourself on a roof top or a beach. This is the strongest element that this film has, to the point that you crave more of the dreamworld and less of the reality which takes up most of the first 30 minutes of the film.

On the weaker side I would have to say the character development could have been stronger, and the story lacks the imperative of a truly compelling plot. This film has a lot of eye candy, though it also presents a lot to think about. I would have to liken it more to Darren Aronofsky’s “The Fountain” mostly because its all there, just missing some things. I do have to disagree with a lot of reviews, this is not some dumb anime, this could get an Academy Nomination, especially when all it has to contend with is “Shrek 3″ and “Surfs Up”. You have to at least give Kond credit that he always is trying something new and doesn’t rest on his laurels.

Trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony/paprika/hd/

Related Links:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0851578/
http://www.sonyclassics.com/paprika/

Hated it:
http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=reviews&id=10441

Loved it:
http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0721,nelson,76724,20.html

Blogged it:
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/paprika-trailer