Review of Avalon (2001) by Joshua B — 15 Feb 2009

I was excited to see a Mamoru Oshii film that was live action, as I had known him only for Ghost in the Shell (a fantastic film) previously. He uses a very Tarkovskyan visual aesthetic, complete with a washed out, sepia tone. The score is brilliant, and the last fifteen minutes are plain amazing.

I think much of Avalon is lost in the translation (I've even heard unnecessary narration is added to the English version to make it "easier to comprehend") from Polish to English. The English dub doesn't flatter the actors, so I would recommend watching subtitles if you have the option (I didn't). It's a film that befits repeat viewings, and is open-ended, which is nice. This is a review and not an analysis, so I won't get into the film's many nuances and possible meanings, but it has something interesting to say about manufactured reality, and it's quite open to interpretation. It's a movie you can talk about, and that's always a good thing.