Mima Kirigoe has spent two years as a member of the
popular Idol group CHAM. Now she is
ready to retire from music and pursue a career as an actress. This sends ripples through her rabid fanbase
and some aren’t taking the news as well as others. As Mima steps into a new realm of
entertainment she might not be ready for, she becomes the target of a dangerous
stalker who may be linked to a series of murders involving her current production. Mima’s grip on reality begins to fracture as
a result. Will the former idol succumb
to a spiral of insanity or will she meet an untimely demise first?
Satoshi Kon’s death in 2010 shook the Anime world to the
core. The man was a huge influence on
the medium, often focusing his talents on tales of extreme psychological depth
and study. In turn, one could say he
became the Alfred Hitchcock on Anime.
After watching his directorial debut, Perfect Blue, I cant say I argue with
that sentiment. Hell, Hitchcock would
probably shake hands with Kon and have a coffee with him. Perfect Blue isn’t just a stellar beginning
for Kon’s legacy, it’s one of the Best Anime Feature films of all time.
I’ll get my one nitpick with the movie out of the way
because it is minor. While you always
get the sense that Mima was beloved for her music throughout the movie, I wish
we could have seen some of that rising idol career, at the very least in an
opening movie montage. That said, it
also makes sense that the movie begins at the end of her idol endevors and thus
the roller coaster, already parked at the top, begins to descend fast and picks
up speed like crazy. Ok so maybe not
that quickly. There is a good amount of
build up to the walls beginning to crumble for poor Mima. But when they do, HOLY CRAP THEY DO!!! Kon shows off an expert understanding of
tension with every shot of Perfect Blue, to the point where its understandable to
feel a bit uncomfortable. Mima is losing
her grip on sanity every few minutes and each new twist and sudden change in
scenery only highlights this. What is
real and what is false? Is Mima the
architect of her own downfall or are there other powers at play? Just when you think you have an idea of where
Perfect Blue might be heading, the obvious turns out to be another misdirection
and it never feels irritable, only more exciting.
You feel for Mima a lot in this movie. She isn’t a bad person by any means. She’s a little scatterbrained but she does
want to move on to the next stage of her career and challenge herself. That comes with a cost she doesn’t expect and
her dwindling psyche pays that price. It’s
kind of scary how very real Perfect Blue’s subject material can be. There have been plenty of real world celebs
who have begun careers as fresh faced talents who try to reimagine themselves
to either grow as a person or be taken more seriously in show business. Factor in how crazy some fans and stalkers
can be in regards to their idolization of them, which has lead to some pretty
serious situations, and Perfect Blue feels like a true Anime take on real life. It might feel like a story ripe for a live
action film. And yet, Anime is the perfect
medium for Perfect Blue. I’m not saying
it could be done but the constant changes in scenery and the ethereal sense
that there’s more to Mima’s plight than you might think is a feeling only Anime
could instill.
One part of the movie I found enjoying a lot was the
soundtrack. CHAM’s pop tunes are catchy
and fun to listen too even during the darker parts of the film. Meanwhile, Masahiro Ikumi’s score perfectly adds
to the building tension, acting more like a timer or a fuse leading to the big
bang when the next twist occurs and leaves you stunned for a moment before
resetting itself. Ikumi’s music mixed
with Kon’s direction and the films editing are a match made in Anime
heaven. Never has the downward spiral
into madness been given such a fitting score.
Like I said, my nitpick about maybe doing the beginning a
bit differently is the only gripe I have about the movie and it isn’t even a
serious detriment. The mystery and the
almost complete exclusive focus on Mima and her journey into darkness is one of
the most compelling in all of Anime and its boosted by a brilliantly animated feast
for the eyes and the brilliant direction of Satoshi Kon. Horror doesn’t always have to be about
Vampires, Werewolves and monsters under the bed. Sometimes the terror is closer than we
think. Man…Satoshi Kon rocked and if any
film truly explains why…it’s Perfect Blue
10/10
No comments:
Post a Comment