Review of Paprika (2006) by Christopher N — 28 Nov 2012

Going into Paprika after experiencing the film it inspired, Inception, places a unique strain on the viewer. Inception trains the mind to follow carefully, to pay close attention to its tutorials and machinations, to understand the rules it establishes. Puzzle over the exceedingly convoluted narrative laid out by Paprika, and you'll find yourself lost in a frustrated haze of confusion. It's near impossible to absorb the film's sci-fi of interwoven dream terrorism on a cursory viewing. But that's probably the point.

Paprika disarms much like a dream. There's a non-euclidean sense of the unexpected driving every sharply-cut scene. Each blink is cause for a new element-- a frantic, ever-shifting lanscape of infinite possibilities; mesmerisingly illustrated through a blend of hand-drawn animation, CG, and real-life images.

Thematically, the film presents a stark contrast to Studio Ghibli's natural simplicity. Here, luddites are shunned while technology serves to open new, imaginative possibilities. This creed is both the film's biggest strength and weakness. The cyberpunk fantasy allows for mind-opening sequences of dream avatars cruising through neon-lit billboards one moment, to them phasing in and out of computer screen glows the next. Unfortunately, the striking imagery provides most of the film's character, and strips away the tenderness and familiarity that Ghibli manages so well-- It's hard to care for a character who's personality is lost behind constant, skittering metamorphosis.

That said, there is fantastic entertainment unlike any other here; and the sooner you stop trying to play keep-up, and instead relax into Paprika's frantic brand of technobabble lunacy, the better. NOT OPTIONAL.