Review of Millennium Actress (2002) by Abraham S — 09 Dec 2013

A very confusing, sentimental, stylistic animated film about, or at least I think, an actress's search for the man of her dreams. Chiyoko Fujiwara falls for a rebel painter in the early 1930s who is captured by authorities, or so it seems - though difficult to follow due to the confusing narrative and seemingly disjointed plots, and she spends the next fifty years of her life chasing after him.

At some point, she may have fallen in love with the search for him more than the man himself, but she persists, encountering tragic turn after tragic turn as the years go by. If after the first half hour, you're still not sure what the hell is going on - what's real and what's symbolic, then don't worry, this, I think, is normal.

A wise stylistic and narrative choice by the director? Questionable. But definitely not out of the ordinary to be scratching your head even an hour in - thinking you knew what was going on but being hit with very unusual plot devices and scenarios that don't seem to make the sum of what you were given.

I would share this film with devout anime fans and with loved ones on a quiet night.