|
Millennium Actress
 |
|
|
Animation - 9.2 |
|
|
Sound - 8.9 |
|
|
Story - 8.3 |
|
|
Character - 8.4 |
|
|
Value - 8.3 |
|
|
Enjoyment - 8.5 |
|
|
Average - 8.6 |
|
|
|
| Average |
7.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| Millennium Actress is a 87 minute movie released in 2001. It is a romantic drama presented in a novel and interesting style, which sadly does not delivery every time.
The graphics of Millennium Actress are more realistic and detailed than most other anime out there. The higher level of realism adds to the accountability of the anime, which is generally seen as a positive aspect, despite some cliché with the overall style. The animation is sufficiently detailed to accompany the graphics, resulting in a movie that fares highly favourably in the visual department.
The voice acting in Millennium Actress is good both in Japanese and translated English. The theme songs accompany the genre of the movie well, as do the background music. The overall presentation of Millennium Actress is quite good, especially from an artistic perspective.
The story of Millennium Actress is told in a way which is novel and unique, but can be extremely confusing at times. The rapid and sudden transitions between some scenes and settings may disorientate the viewer, in particular during the early stages of the movie. The storyline itself is strictly aimed at viewers of romantic dramas, since it does not contain much other than the relentless 'pursuit of ones love'. As a romantic drama, Millennium Actress contains plenty of storyline development and has an interesting and unforeseen ending.
Millennium Actress focuses heavily on its main character and develops her to a very high extent. As a result, viewers who find the movie engrossing would be able to relate strongly with the main protagonist. This however, meant that there isn't much opportunity in the movie to develop the rest of its cast. But this is not necessary bad, since it enables the movie to portray many of its characters in a shroud of mystery. Overall, Millennium Actress has a cast which complements the movie very well.
There is no doubt that Millennium Actress stands out with its artistic style and presentation. The storyline however, is strictly aimed at audiences looking for romantic dramas. For a romantic drama, Millennium Actress fares quite well with its unfaltering storyline and high calibre cast. For other viewers however, the confusing methods used to present the storyline can make the movie seem uninteresting an confusing at times. Therefore, I would only recommend Millennium Actress to fans of romantic dramas.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
andy |
(2008-04-28 17:41:15) 2008-04-28 17:36:33 |
|
| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| The seamlessness of the integration of reality and theatrics is a bit jarring at first. As soon as the first little confusing bump passes, and the overall simplicity of the story sets in, Millennium Actress becomes a heartwarming and epic semi-biography of a now aged movie star.
2 filmmakers manage to track down the now retired film giant of her time, Chiyoko Fujiwara, for an interview. As she begins telling the story of her life, centered around an elusive man she met as a high school student, she pulls the interviewers into the worlds of her films. Because the characters she plays in her films always perfectly mirror her own lifelong pursuit of the love she held as a teenager, the lines between reality and the worlds of her films are indistinguishable. This is confusing at first, but once it sets in that there is no need to distinguish her "real" life story from the stories of her movies, Millennium Actress reveals its simple and touching core about a woman who retains her youthful spirit throughout her entire life.
Despite the fact that Chiyoko's pursuit of her love spans the whole movie, it's not really a romance for her counterpart has but a few lines and isn't a very fleshed out character. Instead, Millennium Actress is all about the tribulations Chiyoko, as well as the rest of her country, goes through during this 50+ year long chase.
The sound and animation are typical of Satoshi Kon. Fast paced piano themes make up most of the music and its liveliness is nice fit to the movie. The animation is certainly not spectacular for a feature film, but it's hard not to fall in love with the drama and beauty of the running scenes.
Millennium Actress at the end of the day is a simple pleasure that is difficult to dislike. Even though there isn't a juicy and powerful build-up climax setup, there is enough drama interspersed throughout the movie to keep it gripping. The nostalgic, albeit romanticized life story told by the aging Chiyoko is lovely pure and simple. She doesn't create the impulse to hug and squeeze her the way a cute character might. Instead, she draws the same nostalgic and immortal admiration we give to our own classic movie idols. This accomplishment is the highlight of the film.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
|
| Average |
6.5 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| What is the strength of love? How long can it last? Can a one incidental encounter in young days determine the whole life of a person?
Another movie directed by Satoshi Kon. Unfortunately, this time, besides, yet again magnificent direction, I didn't find anything above par in this movie. It concentrates on retelling the life story of already old and retired actress and how was her whole life influenced by her first love. While the method of retelling the past is interesting, the past itself isn't. To tell you the truth, if not for the nice direction, which sometimes tended to be confusing (in positive sense) I would've dozed off somewhere halfway through this movie. This is the only Satoshi Kon's movie I didn't love, though thanks to the fact that he was a director of it, I still liked it, even though barely.
If you've already seen and liked Perfect Blue and Tokyo Godfathers, I doubt you can resist the urge to watch this movie. On the other hand if you are not fond of Satoshi Kon's directing, it would be best for you to avoid this piece. Unless you believe in every idealistic love crap the world throws at you.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
|
| Average |
9.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This anime is very good stuff and its is certainly a unique anime with the story line very different from anything which I have seen. This is nothing like ghibli's movies, and it really did surpass my expectations.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
|
| Average |
6.7 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Millennium Actress is fairly experimental in its story telling and animation style, and though the experiment was worth it, little can be learned from this beyond what we already know, the sound of a film is vitally important and there is such a thing as running too long.
Read my review for more.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
petran79 |
(2006-04-27 14:20:48) 2006-03-09 08:22:40 |
|
| Average |
7.0 |
| Animation |
0 |
| Sound |
0 |
| Story |
0 |
| Character |
0 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Initially while watching this movie I thought ''not another tearjerker like Grave of the Fireflies''. It was the moment Chioko narrated her first childhood memory when she met the mysterious painter for the first time. Then suddenly a camera man and the interviewer she gave the interview appear inside her memory. I was surprised. Then a few minutes later the viewer is warped to medieval Japan and from then on for almost 15 minutes a timeline of various epochs appears on screen and I thought the movie would loose the plot. But then I remembered the first scene of the film and saw that everything is in reality an allegory. There is a love story behind but it never gets fully developed.
The movie turned out completely different than I had expected. Thats why I didnt read any reviews prior to watching it. In contrast to Perfect Blue things worked out much better here, though the concept was even more difficult to handle.
The characters lack the sentimentality that would make the viewer feel for them. Despite this the movie is watchable and worth trying at least once. I dont know if I'd watch this a second time though. But it probably needs to be watched more than once to be understood
Overall a good title.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
|
| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Wow. That sums up Sennen Joyu in a word. This is why Satoshi Kon is one of the anime world's most revered figures. On his second full length film, he pulls out one of the most touching stories in history, and instead of telling it straight, he gives it a unique twist of mixing it with movies. The result is something so astounding, it cannot be missed. If you have not had a chance to see any Satoshi Kon works, this would be a perfect palce to start. Even people who dislike anime would probably adore this, since it has several qualities of an art film. You cannot miss this. It'll make you laugh, cry, and even recommend it to everyone you know.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
Radeonic |
(2005-04-20 02:17:43) 2005-04-03 01:13:34 |
|
| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| A really rare anime that was created truly just for the arts. Unlike other anime feature films, this movie does not have any pretense or any preachings to lay on the viewers. This movie was created just for the enjoyments of the beautiful backgrounds, sounds and the illustrious life of a fictional character.
The art is really beautiful. This is certainly not the typical modern anime style we have right now, but a more traditinoal, pastoral drawings. The characters are much more "Japanese" and the details of them are simply amazing.
The sound, especially the background music, is just magnificient. The different seiyu of Chiyoko really brings out the best of her.
The story is a bit confusing at first, but as you keep on watching, it is very clear that the plot doesn't have any twist and turns. But a rather very relax paced movement that tells the viewers everything by metaphors and symbolisms (for example the mirror of the old woman, the door, and the key). The story is more of a backdrop for the arts unlike other anime. From the end of the Taisho period to the end of World War II to today, the recurring theme is more than enough to carry the plot along.
The characters, or more importantly, Chiyoko, is all that it matters. You really think that after you have watched this movie, you'll know her better than anyone even though that she is a totally fictional character.
I've thought at first that this slow paced movie will be very boring, but the arts and the pacing really makes the movie much more than enjoyable.
*edited for spelling.*
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
nauXolo |
(2005-04-12 16:22:10) 2005-03-12 22:20:19 |
|
| Average |
7.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| This movie was too much for me to bear. I would think it'd be more suitable if this or similar persons actually existed and he or she viewed this movie for his or her sake to review the memories of his or her life.
I just don't understand what kind of audience would watch this, unless that audience was entirely aloof to its message.
It is too depressing. At least, for anyone would thinks about death and youth and the whole change, it really hits one hard.
Stylistically, it seemed to get kind of repetitive. The constant change between reality and movie life with its blurring of the line of which belonged to which , with only the emotions being the consistent part, was too much... too overused. Furthermore, the constant appearance of the interviewer guy just was more of an annoyance and hindrance than a role in artistically setting forth M.A.'s message.
It is definitely unique, and perhaps this can be considered more of an artistic value piece rather than entertainment based, however Millenium Actress really doesn't seem to vibrantly strike any nerve in my body.
Reflecting upon the difficult past and realizing that your whole life was a large disappointment is just too much for me, even though I'm still young. If i saw this while i was a senior, I'd be very depressed.
Perhaps if it is tuned well to your taste, you'll enjoy it.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
|
| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| To be honest i had high expectations for this anime, since it's been rated so high by reliable and smart anime otaku's... i'm not claiming i'm dissapointed of it, it has been enjoyable, but not as much as i expected.
The animation is different from the mainstream anime, somewhat similar to that in Jin-Roh and Perfect Blue, the characters look more realistic wich is a good thing, since i kinda got bored of watching characters with huge eyes... On the other hand the animation looks kinda old for it's young age, it seems that they didn't use any CG lighting effects and stuff like that, but then again the detail is fantastic, animation fluid and somehow the movement of the characters remind me of Disney... maybe the no-CG choice was to emphathize the reminesence of the old times, when the bulk of the action takes place. Also the static images, pictures at the begining of Chiyoko's story are nice, since it gives you the impression of reminesence, of going back in time and starting to visualize everything from motionless pictures that slightly start to get life and collor into them and so introducting you in a time gone by. Still it's not as good as most of the movies out there.
The background music wasn't that impressive, but the voice acting was ok.
The story... the story is the main focus of this movie... Well the way it is told is pretty wierd and confusing, but nontheless original and enjoyable and it keeps you watching as you never know what would happen next, it moves from reality to fiction without leting you know and so you might be confused on what's real and what's just part of a movie... but it does this with some nice twists, i especially liked the way they connect eartquakes with Chiyoko's feelings... it developes a pretty emotional story, of the struggle to find a lost love... but if you stripp it down to it's basics the story is pretty stupid and unrealistic. I mean come on, let's be honest, how can you fall in love with a person in one single day, and even stranger, how can you keep on loving with such a devotion for the rest of your life a person that you've only meet once, and you didn't even see his face, kinda dumb right? but they still manage to pull a good story out of it, maybe it has more to do with the fact that we all need something to guide, to give us strenght to reach a goal in our life then with the love story, it could have more hidden meanings to it, and it does if you pay attention to Chiyoko's last words, it's not about love, it's more about that thing that keeps you going...
As for the characters, well the main character is the focus of developement, since we're talking about her life, the others are just fragments of her memory and the two reporters are a way to give the story a more atractive and interactive mood... pretty good.
Satoshi Kon seems to be quite a talented, since he made up an enjoyable story out of a stupid plot... Worth watching this for shure.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
|
| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Reprising roles that span a millennium, an actress who longs for her first love re-enacts the drama of affirming her love for him. 'Millennium Actress' puts the theme of unrequited love in a light that is universally encompassing. It is ultimately a story of a pure-hearted character whose loving devotion to one person, innocently conceived and passionately guarded, lends itself sentience and weaves fiction with stark reality of often longing and despair. There is no doubt that this film has left me profoundly impressed.
'Millennium Actress' adopts an esoteric 'film within film' form that is disclosed in flashbacks by the actress, Chiyoko. Her highlights of her cinematography is interwoven with real events of her life, and both fiction and non-fiction aspects of her life adhere to the context of concise Japanese history. Some of these flashbacks at least in their thematic references recur more than once, and variations between them become clever plot devices that lend meaningful depth of time and space to the film.
The recurring and consistently relevant symbols in the flashbacks not only pique the viewer's interest, but also anchor a means to explain the psyche of Chiyoko. Her reaction in each flashback and present to one particular entity is another indication of her perspective on her love, one of many signs of deep implication that enhances the film.
The animation in the film tends to be minimalist except for a few instances where it is cast in significant passage of film (for example running), but the art direction and technique which realize various era of Japanese history and provides a fluid transition between fictional flashbacks to accounts rooted in reality is most elegantly and superbly executed. Character design is accordingly appealing, especially the depiction of Chiyoko through various stages of her life that delineates the same dignity and purity. So much so that it seems almost as if Chiyoko itself transcends to some abstract form of ideal love, only unrequited, and therefore something of great potential but not wasted; since it essentially defies time and space, as allegorically portrayed in her various film roles.
The director Satoshi Kon commented in his interview on his pleasure with the music, which seems to be electronically assembled with a lot of repetition. It sometimes stands out as a bit overbearing and idiosyncratic, yet considering the nature of theme from the film it does not detract from the overall viewing experience.
Only note of letdown, if there is any point to it at all, comes from my personal disdain for a rather melancholy sequence at the end. Yet, a conventional Hollywood resolution would not apply here. As a footnote to my rambling, and for which I must apologize, I should add that 'till death do us part' could not be more opposite of what this film professes.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
Ridian |
(2005-05-17 18:56:00) 2004-11-24 03:45:54 |
|
| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| It is absolutely ludicrous to compare this in any way to Perfect Blue, even though they were both directed by Satoshi Kon. That would be like comparing Spiral and Excel Saga even though they're both by J.C. Staff. Millennium Actress needs no psych-thriller to stand as a good movie, and establishes itself as a romance masterpiece in its own right. Its vivid and unique presentation allow it to incorporate all sorts of elements: romance, comedy, drama, fantasy, catastrophe, space travel and even some ninja action. The movie is consistently gripping and very intriguing.
Okay, so I lied a little. Millennium Actress does bear a bit of similarity to Perfect Blue in the story telling field, colored by their non-linear plot exposition. It is constructed in an intricately sequential way. They both employ alternate realities, though Millennium Actress demonstrates many more of these quasi-worlds. It may be a romance, one of the most insufferable and difficult genres of anime, but it is a romance that spans so many different epochs and locales that it becomes something far more fantastical. This romance that Chiyoko pursues is something wild and free, and the adventures she endures in seeking it are both exciting and heartbreaking as well. Her time-traveling exploration, narrated deftly by ways of the movie she was starring in at that moment, keeps the pursuit absolutely fresh and interesting. Millenium Actress simply would not have worked any other way, and its execution was powerful and unique. It only receives an 8, however, for an ending that may leave some viewers feeling gypped. I personally found the ending tolerable, but felt that it could have concluded in many better ways.
Chiyoko is an extremely likeable heroine. I found myself rooting for her as she searched with unmatched tenacity; the viewer actually wants her to find her mysterious love. She may have only known this person for one day, but in a life as hollow and lonely as hers, one where she constantly fears unfulfillment, she needs this kind of thing to fill her emptiness. This is scarcely a romance of love, so much as a romance of necessity, but nevertheless Chiyoko's ambition is one that endears itself to the viewer very quickly. She's also a very good actress, as she communicates several diverse parts throughout her movie career: a ninja princess, 50's housewife, and astronaut, just to name a few. Chiyoko aside, the cameraman and director also are vivid characters, especially the cameraman. In each era, he always comes to her rescue as another character of the movie, which is a charming recurrence. In fact, this reappearance is applicable to several of the movie's characters, which allows the viewer to clearly grasp each character's motives and personality. Chiyoko's love himself remains mysteriously faceless, which only adds to his mystique. Characters are conceivably Millenium Actress's strongest aspect.
Yet another work of art by Satoshi Kon, Millenium Actress is an exotic, romantic and exciting romp through many different locales that all bear one thing in common: the love-lorn Chiyoko Fujiwara and her search for the man who gave her a key. The adventure she undergoes is a wild and remarkable one, uniquely painted by its vivid storytelling and powerful characterization.
What's next on my list? Tokyo Godfathers.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
|
| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| I enjoyed this film and found it very captivating. The means of story telling was very magical and I think the strongest feature of the film. The mixture of movie clips and reality was very engaging and flowed smoothly making the film enjoyable to watch. I also really enjoyed the overall theme of the eternal searching - or the journey as more important than the destination.
The characters were interesting enough. There are just enough supporting characters to flesh out the story and help it along. The artist is not really developed - it’s more about the idea of the artist than the actual person.
I liked the animation style, but it didn't really stand out as exceptional.
I recommend watching the movie it has a nice feel to it.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
OberonBob |
(2006-09-09 22:05:46) 2004-09-25 19:26:39 |
|
| Average |
9.2 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| A very good, very unique movie. This is one rare anime movie that once it got started did not let up. the movie continues to run at breakneck speed as it circles in on itself. it shares some of the story telling aspects with Perfect Blue, in that reality is fluid, and twists back in on itself. Unlike Perfect Blue, this movie is uplifting and not paraniod or unsettling at all.
The movie is about the lifelong search that the actress goes through, and we phase in and out of her various movie roles as they tell the story of her life. The two men that are attempting to document the actress's life also take a part in the movies. Apprently, each of the movie scenes are from a real Japanese movie. not that I would personally know.
The characters repeat, and so does the plot, but the ride is exillerating as the actress recalls her life. Wonderful animation. Quite funny, and I thought it had a great ending.
Highly recommended.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
DeathGate |
(2004-09-25 15:40:28) 2004-09-25 03:23:01 |
|
| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Although I can so far only base this statement on Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Paranoia Agent, I am starting to agree with everyone who says that “Satoshi Kon is certainly a reliable director�. All of the things I’ve watched that he’s done so far have been quite good and well above the average anime movie/series. I can’t wait to see his other works like Tokyo Godfathers (which I’ll save for Christmas time).
Part of the reason why I like his works is his animation style – it pleases me very well. I have always been a fan of the more realistic character designs, so Millennium Actress certainly doesn’t disappoint. I also love the somewhat surreal style of directing this director uses. For example, in this movie it would cut from reality of the past suddenly to a movie.
The sound was very well done here – the voice acting was certainly on par, but I felt it was the music that really drew you in, it did a really good job of setting the mood, at all times. The ending theme was also very listenable.
For the story and the characters, although I thought that they were both above the normal anime movie storyline, I didn’t quite feel that they were fantastic. I wasn’t as drawn into it as I could have been. However, because of the presentation of both the story and the characters, you still feel for both and are able to identify with the former actress. Its essentially a small romance theme, as she looks for the one who was her first love. The ending improves my story score a bit. As far as the characters go, the only main character to really be developed well was the former actress. The cameraman and interviewer didn’t really do much in the story. Still, the development of even the minor characters of the woman’s past was better than many anime movies I’ve seen.
All and all, this was an enjoyable watch. I’d only recommend it to those who are big fans of drama – there’s no fan service or sexual jokes to speak of. There are a few action scenes that were enjoyable to watch but the main bulk of the enjoyment came from how this past life was presented. I felt a little sleepy at times but I could possibly watch this again.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
Pantha |
(2005-02-12 16:31:47) 2004-08-28 16:52:53 |
|
| Average |
7.8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Clever and striking, Millennium Actress is a beautiful love story without being a love story at all. There's not a single kiss, a single loving word, or even a couple in a romantic relationship, but yet it manages to be heads and tails above the contrived trash sitting pretty on the top 100 list. Seamlessly connecting past dreams with the present, the film idealistically divulges abandonment, loss, and neglect.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
Manji |
2004-08-28 02:25:23 |
|
| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| A brilliantly directed film that is truely touching. It blends the line between "art imitating life" to tell a simple yet well executed tale of chasing love. With more films like this anime will be recognised world wide as a true artform.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
|
| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| A beautifully told story of hope and love set in the historical background of 20th century Japan.
Was a bit difficult to follow the story at first because of the non-linear fashion by which the story is told. But then I realized it was the intention of the director to play this mind game with the viewers to enhance the emotions and perspective of the main character.
Overall, a fantastic story and anime which also showed the other human side of war time Japan.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
CupNoodles |
(2004-07-31 15:46:19) 2004-07-14 23:48:29 |
|
| Average |
9.2 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? This movie about movies that imitate yet influence life immerses the viewer in this question. This interesting perspective combined with the characters’ ability to switch roles makes for a fairly original and very well done film. The art is really sharp. The characters are realistic, the backgrounds are painstakingly rendered and there are tons of frames, as far as animation goes this is everything a feature should be. This film’s sound really stands out; the songs remind me of experimental orchestral arrangements, definitely above average and very fitting. The Japanese voice acting fits perfectly, my only sound complaint is that there is no dub—oh well, this is too good to complain much about that. The characters are very cool and are definitely very deep. Each have so much substance, it is really incredible, even the minor characters never seem hollow. This is probably because the creators worked with identifiable character “types.� The director is a slick director type. The documentary maker is a compassionate nostalgic type ect. This style works really well because it allows the viewer to identify with the characters in a very short period of time. Overall, this is a really great film, I am not a romance fan but I rather enjoyed it because the film really isn’t about romance, it’s more about life’s adventure and reflection upon that adventure—all in all a very touching a well executed anime.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
Freddy C |
(2006-04-11 13:23:41) 2004-06-09 19:27:43 |
|
| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Very good - very, very good...
I loved this. As you'd aspect from Satoshi Kon who gave us Perfect Blue, this also had a non-linear narrative. You the audiences have to decide what's what and if you hate that or any type of non-linear narrative, then you will hate this. For all that loved Perfect Blue, this will be a treat.
The animation was very smooth and was well complimented by the sound effects and the music score. Though the animation may have seemed dull, it doesn’t deny the fact that it was good.
Some characters were a little out of place but the main character was very well designed. Personally, she was instantly likeable being sweet and also very mature.
The story was the main attraction here; basically it's a love drama. And being me - a romance fan, I loved it, I’m pretty sure this will appeal to all romance lovers alike.
One of the most interesting animes I have seen, I’m not even sure why, maybe it's the smoothness of all its aspects and they all worked very well, maybe it’s the way I got twisted and turned by the plot but Millennium Actress is indeed a work of art. It's also the type of anime that's hard to come by. Go watch it now if you like the sound of it, you can’t go wrong.
|
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
|
|
|
Site design by ecxol.net:
|
