Review of Paprika

A somewhat flippant remark on this film would be that it has more style than substance. It is one of those assertions that might at first glance seem reasonable. A more perceptive look however, would reveal rather quickly how juvenile it is, for it assumes without any apparent reason that a distinction between the two (style and substance) actually exists. Satoshi Kon's non-linear meta-narratives are fascinating, entrancing and spellbinding. The animation is impeccable. The soundtrack is brilliant. For the average viewer I believe it should be an enjoyable watch. The story isn't mind-blowing. None of it seems incredibly original. I don't think it matters though. Plots don'tintrigue me much. A story cannot encompass a life; a story has got nothing to do with our world. One should think of a story as a plausible outcome in an alien universe which lives in harmony with immeasurable other outcomes which may easily be presented in an identical manner. Some of which the viewer may develop a fondness for and some that she may dislike. The essence of a work of art is not a summary of its plot rather what it achieves in its presentation regardless of how things materialise in the story itself. Paprika is a peek inside a fictitious world which houses in itself the worlds of dream and reality, two worlds in which the same people can have different manifestations: and it is a good one at that.

Characters too should not be defined be how their lives unfold in a supposed reality. They should instead shape your perspective about their very existence. Human beings are too complex to be understood by each other. What they have in their minds are mutilated over-generalisations of the personas that other people exhibit. A decent depiction and development of characters is too much to ask from an art piece. The backstories of Atsuko and Paprika aren't the point; their split personalities are. Similarly the forced romance between Atsuko and Tokita means nothing but the idea that the most rational of people can at times fail to rationalise their feelings holds weight.

Lastly, I would like to point out that the film doesn't only refer to the dreams we see unvoluntarily at night. It also ponders over the dreams we see when we are wide awake: the ones that give meaning to the lives of so many of us. And its allusion to the internet as a world where people may have multiple manifestations and a freedom not seen in the world of sticks and stones is ingenious especially considering it was released in 2006.