How should I write about this movie?

That was my first and the foremost thought. Then another thought clouded my mind.

Should I write about it?

Yes, I'm writing, so that question is already answered. Anime is not my favorite genre but I almost never miss out on trying something different. My first would be Howl's Moving Castle, which I already wrote about; then I watched a few other Ghibli Productions. Trust me, they are worth your time. But I'm not talking about a Ghibli Production today. I'm talking about director Satoshi Kon, who in his very short life span has created quite a few films that will put you into deep thoughts. You'll be asking yourself if you have liked it or not or what impression it leaves on you. Paprika (2006) is one of the last anime he made before his death.

`Paprika (2006)`

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The name of a spice; it's interesting, right? No, this isn't a film about spices or masala. Many of you may remember Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010); Paprika is the inspiration behind that movie. They're not similar; except for the fact that both the movies deal with the ways of trying to enter into other people's dreams. Okay, no more talking about Inception.

There's more to it than meets the eye. I cannot say much about the actors but I can certainly talk about the characters in play here. Firstly, the plot, it's about a group of scientists who had invented a machine called DC Mini that helps one to enter into someone else's dream; the idea of it was to help patients with psychiatric issues.

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The protagonist here is Paprika, yes the movie is named after her; although I'm not sure if she is the actual protagonist as she is the alter ego of Dr. Atsuko Chiba. Dr. Chiba is the head of the team working on the prototype which still isn't completely finished. Her teammates Dr. Toratarō Shima and the creator of the project Dr. Kōsaku Tokita are working closely and trying to make this project a great success. Another major character would be Detective Toshimi Konakawa who's haunted by a recurring dream; something that has always bothered him, a guilt that he couldn't face. Dr. Seijirō Inui is the chairman of company who was against the project and wants to shut it down because (his excuse) he thought in the wrong hands DC Mini can prove to be catastrophic; believe me, my first thought was Dr. Charles Xavier (if you have seen X-Men then I don't need to explain)

Shall we take a brief look at the plot?

The Plot

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Even though the movie is named after Dr. Chiba's alter ego Paprika, it's not centered on her. Dr. Tokita has created DC Mini with the help of a friend/colleague Dr. Himuro who's the assistant of Dr. Shima. It was supposed to help treat the mentally challenged but Tokita's reason behind it was much more simple, to share dreams. Yes, a little gullible to begin with; he thought what if friends could see each other's dreams, that would be so much fun. But little did he know that a concept so innocent could have a terrifying outcome.

The plot is twisted and very chaotic, I wouldn't say disoriented. There's order in disorder, of course. The first would be the title song; I thought nothing of it, it was very pleasant and I found it lighthearted but nothing is ever as it appears to be.

What To Say

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From the parade to jumping from one dream to another, the layers of dreams seem like onions. Often it's difficult to tell what's real and what's a dream because the overlaps are frequent and so smooth. If the walls don't bend or the ground doesn't disappear from underneath, it's hard to tell the difference; that is something I really enjoyed.

Within a week, I have watched it twice and I still couldn't form my own opinion about the movie. You may think I would be able to form a better opinion about the movie but I failed. It's a great story but I was hoping to find more about how I felt about it; honestly I couldn't because I found it complex. Yes, that's possibly the easiest answer because it's a complex story. I was befuddled but it has been some time since I felt like this about a movie. I don't watch trailers, I didn't make an exception in this case either.

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I always re-watch the movies I have seen before, it helps me know more about the movie. I can't tell you much about the behind the scenes of the animation genre or how they are formulated or anything. I only focus on the plot, the direction, acting and the scores. SO, I may actually find a better way to explain my views after a few more tries. And this I may consider as semi successful review of the first Satoshi Kon's film I watched.