In the japanese animation department, we now have to take into consideration Satoshi Kon.Coming from the school of Manga and helper on animation classics such as Patlabor 2, Roujin Z and Memories, Satoshi Kon acquires a status of author on his first movie which he also directs, Perfect Blue, horrifying thriller skillfully inspired from the italian Giallis of Mario Bava and Dario Argento.And instead of staying in a genre determined by his succes, Satoshi Kon takes a radical exit with Millennium actress, a romantic lyrical chronicle, that encompass all of Japon's history, and then with the delectable and intimist Tokyo Godfathers, A Chrismas tale cooky and generous.Two gems.

Also responsable for a TV animation (Paranoia agent) Satoshi Kon doesn't let his inspiration drop and rules with Paprika, mind blowing moral fable where onirism, psychoanalysis, mystery and science fiction cohabitates in harmony.The excuse to the plot : an experimental psychotherapeutic machine disapears from the lab .If into the wrong hands it can not only read its patients dreams (its primary function) but also drive them on the verge of madness.Several of it creators find out the hard way....A cute scientist and a cop lead the investigation, the first one becoming the slutty Paprika when she enters virtual dreamland, the second one being much less comfortable in this unstable universe that tends to spill over on to reality.

Ideas and dreams spill over everywhere in Paprika. First under the disguise of a formidable idea, great with visual ressources, a colorful parade that flows in like hot lava.Certainly one of the strong asset of this smart movie, that refers as much to Hitchcock's Vertigo than the best of japanese animation.Floating in a climate of constant tension, that Susumu Hirasawa's music maintains, unpredictable from one scene to the next, as mystery ridden than a walk amongst the rides and trailors of an empty county fair at midnight, Paprika has the taste of sweet pepper that it conveniently borrows its name from.