Genres: Science Fiction, Drama, Thriller
Duration: 90 min
Music By: Susumu Hirasawa
Directed By: Satoshi Kon
In the not-too-distant future, a team led by 29 year old Dr. Atsuko Chiba has made a groundbreaking development. They have created a technology for psychotherapy that allows the researchers to enter the dreams of a patient and explore matters of the unconscious mind. Another piece of technology vital to the project, called a "DC-Mini", which can record the patient’s dreams. Doctors can these watch recording, analyze, diagnose, and prescribe.
A prototype of the "DC Mini" gets stolen and the "dream terrorist" (perpetrator) starts using the device to plant delusional psychotic dreams into peoples head. Dr. Atsuko Chiba realizes how dangerous a turn of events this could be, and to ensure that things don’t spiral out of control, she embark on a mad quest to track down the missing prototype. Dr. Atsuko Chiba teams up with the food-loving Dr. Tokita to find his assistant, Himuro, who has disappeared. Dr. Tokita calls in an old friend, Detective Konakawa, to help the team find an answer to the rapidly devolving problem. As the characters use their dream world alter-egos to enter the dreams of troubled patients, the line between reality and unreality begins to blur, until no one knows for sure what is real and what isn’t.
The image of Dr. Chiba is portrayed as that of an attractive and efficient psychotherapist, often a bit harsh at times. She's balanced by her alter-ego. The stunning and fearless, 18 year old "dream detective," code named Paprika, who can enter into people's dreams and synchronize with their unconscious to help uncover the source of their anxiety or neurosis.
The movie is filled with surreal imagery, and like most dreams, incomprehensible at times and disturbing as well.
Satoshi Kon's work is known for exploring the subconscious mind and this one is no exception.
The video version which I checked was not up to the mark in quality (700+ MB yet a very shabbily encoded video) so I wouldn't remark on visual part. Music by
Susumu Hirasawa is good, including Paprika’s theme,
The girl in Byakkoya.
Paparika is way above your average sci-fi flick, so take a look. Recommended!
