Paprika
I went to see Inception last month. And I thought it was a very nice piece of work. The premise alone was very interesting.
A few weeks later, I watched Paranoia Agent. And that was cool. Then, I looked at what else the director had done. Paprika came up, and after reading the premise, I said: “Well, that sounds familiar. I should watch this.” So I did.
Like Inception, the premise is that technology exists that allows people to share dreams. In Paprika, the technology is used in psychiatry to help better understand and treat patients.
One day, one of the prototype “DC Mini” devices ends up missing. And to their horror, the development team sees that it is being used to manipulate others’ subconscious–while they are awake. And without the device attached.
I really liked this movie. In fact, I may go on to say that this was a great movie. The dream sequences were really well done. Just like in real dreams, rather than rigid sets, they flow from location to location based on emotion, with logic thrown to the wind. And yet, it makes perfect sense. The story never lost me, and I did like the changing dreamscapes here better than the more rigid ones in Inception.
And I swear, Dr. Tokita, the genius who invented the DC Mini, looks just like Gabe Newell. Seriously.
Both are very good films, and have my recommendation. (But Paprika was better.)
And one final note: a week before my review of Paranoia Agent went up, the news broke that Satoshi Kon, the director, had died of cancer. I was shocked, (and slightly creeped out,) as this was just a few days after I watched it. And now, after watching Paprika, I can really understand why people referred to him as one of the most inventive directors of our time.
Rest in peace, Kon-sama.