T.A.O's: The Classics:

Review:

-Satoshi Kon's animated thriller "Perfect Blue", is a roller-coaster ride of a film. Full of an ambitious plot, rich visuals and a groundbreaking usage the camera. Being that, it's easy to forget just how great a movie like this really is; one filled with so much content and exposition to boot. It's a constant reminder of the kind of thematic exuberance flourishing in anime.

I have seen the film a great deal many times, and during each viewing I find myself repeatedly drawn into it's remarkable visuals, it's elegant & daring direction & faultless editing. Here's a movie which ends up being so ambitious, so stylish and yet at the same time even gloriously shameless. In the end, it's perhaps easy to ignore the film's undeniable level of energy.

Perfect Blue revolves around a "pop-idol", an alleged serial murderer & an inane arche of mistaken identities; but the movie might as well have been a documentary about the pop-idol industry from it's inherant country. And while the story is steeped into the differentias of anime & the Japanese culture alone, the film does not attempt to ignore the arches of a good old-fashioned Hollywood thriller.

The story's hero is "Mima", a pop-idol with a damaged career. She stacks up her talent on the endless remainder of tours, close fan-based concerts & anything the producers of her group "Cham" can get their hands on. The opening scenes of the film finds the audience at Cham's final concert (Which is not a huge gathering by any means, but rather one of camera crews and T.V. reporters). Mima proceeds to sing her "last song", & spill the allegedly good news to fans that she's taking up an acting career.

It is by this plotline arche along, that Perfect Blue proceeds to craft it's rocket-paced exposition plot of twists, reveals and hallucinations (Which account for about 75% of the story to much avail with respect for it's inherant messages).

There have been those who have both criticized and praised the film, mostly with regards to it's technical merit; which is in my opinion, what everyone should be rooting for. Kon masterfully balances a series of fixated but jumbled memories and scenes. They are all mysterious to the plot's actual messages, but when they pay off, it's quite satisfying & perplexing. I admit, I am blown away each and every time.

The film's dialogue was written by "Sadayuki Murai" (Who lent his talent to some of "Cowboy Bebop's" greatest verbal mettles & montages). It conveys a sense of the pop-idol industry through Mima, her many producers & 'adoring-fans'. And for the most part, it does a substantial job, if not an occassionally uneven one; and it's stellar during the balancing act of the 'real' & 'non-real'. The part of these however which is true or not, is left for the audience to decide by the end (That is, if you yourself don't allow the elusive screenplay to fill up the holes for you).

For starters, the movie is about a series of murders against allegedly legit television program executives. As we watch the victims fall one by one in the story, we witness first-hand their suffering through Mima's eyes; as she attempts to piece together the remainders of what is seemingly a difficult puzzle of identities.

Mima herself is viewed as "a traitor" by an alleged fan. In one of the film's opening scenes, Mima receives a mean spirited fax from the mysterious sender giving her threats. Mima is both puzzled by the occurences & shocked, but that amount of shock cannot compare to the level of victims which fall prey to the elusive hunter seeking Mima's demise (Or so it would seem, the movie doesn't give us any easy answers).

It amazes me to believe that despite all it's elusive randomness, and cleverly-executed levels of exposition; Perfect Blue is still foremost an entertainment vehicle by itself. The story presents us with an alleged series of victims, a villian figure (one not really there) & of course a central hero figure; which the story traces from the beginning to end, in order to see through the outcome (Which is either a happy or bad ending depending upon your individual point of view).

As I've said, I endulge into the remarkable images of the movie; and I am often blown away as a result. There are a few stand-out, gruesome scenes which play out like random sequences of 'errie eye-candy' (Catchy phrase alone, but wait until you see the scenes & you'll understand what I mean). Such scenes like the one inside a parking lot with a show's screenwriter (a perfect scenario in a horror movie or thriller). For those of you who've seen the movie, I don't have to tell you what happens next, but for the record: It's quite terrifying.

As the story progresses, Mima becomes relatively successful as a full-fledged pop-idol turned actress. That is however, until she starts gaining kinky roles in television shows entitled: "Double Bind", and spends most of her free time posing in dirty magazines and photo shoots. Kon plays around with these subplots against the backdrop of the success of Mima's ex-"Cham" partners. Several occurences which end up being messy & often violent. Kon is not afraid to place the "camera's eye" into places where most directors (Especially ones of animated films) would ever think of putting it (The film's Un-rated director's version is considerable evidence of that).

Of course, there have been many fans who've seen the film (Especially upon it's initial American theatrical release back in 1998), who have criticized it for being too rampant in it's content, and not graceful enough in it's style execution. And from what I can muster as a fan & onlooker, as well as a fan of the movie; this seems to be the main negative argument against it.

I can tell you personally that I disagree. I believe that Kon's visual style here is the main strength of Perfect Blue. He utilizes a clever sense of timing and direction to execute a series of both errie, and remarkable images. By doing so, Kon succeeds in balancing the reality from the non-reality. This sort of style lends itself extremely well to the narrative of Perfect Blue, which revolves around alleged murders, identities; and to top it off, one confused pop star.

Knowing all this, it's probably no surprize that the audience also feels just a little bit confused, but being confused is just half the fun of watching this movie. If you've realized that much by now, it's likely you can call yourself a true anime afficionado. Perfect Blue is proof of such styles and the use of them, in order to create cinematic impact. Not always just simply logic.

Of all the anime movies I've seen, I can say that "Perfect Blue" is one of the more visually impressive ones; courtesy of it's stylishly surreal animation and imagery. From the get-go the movie creates for us a series of unusual and unique characters, it follows them but not in a conventional mannor. The music is also haunting, accompanied by a brilliant sense of direction & timing (Arguably the most crucial factor in any good thrillers, no matter how outlandish). It's fast, but not too fast.

Observe closely in the shocking climax, as we (the audience) are given a breather; in order to comprehend eighty-minutes of what we've just seen. Look carefully at the fish tank & the poster in Mima's room. It is really her room? You tell me. I'd actually tell you myself, but then you wouldn't be following the script.

~This Has Been Yet Another One Of "T.A.O.'s" New Reviews Of Classic Anime Titles.~