Perfect Blue - Anime Review
December 31st 2010 17:27
Perfect Blue - Anime Review
Information:
Studio: Madhouse Studios
Length: 1 Movie
Year: 1997
Genre: Horror, Drama, Psychological
Synopsis:
Review:
An excellent movie, the likes of which are uncommon. Perfect Blue is a psychological horror film well-conceived and well-executed.
Admittedly, I had my doubts about the movie when first becoming aware of the premise of an idol-turned-actress going crazy, but I have to admit that Perfect Blue managed to hook me up once it got running. Mima's slow descent into madness is both strange and engaging as her life, her work and the harassment of her stalker slowly start to merge together an it becomes increasingly harder for her (and the viewer) to keep track of which is which. Yes, Perfect Blue is indeed a hard film to follow at times, but it's meant to be that way. Things in it always work in retrospective.
The aesthetic package is solid, even though it's not perfect. The film's does show that Satoshi Kon had a hard time financing it, since the beginning does cut a couple corners here and there. Nothing too big or too noticeable, and one has to take into account some of the limitations of 1997. Still, the animation is managed competently enough, and the creative use of some of the film's stock footage is quite effective in furthering the image of Mima's unbalances. The voice work, sound, and music are pretty good as well, and I don't have any complaints in this regard. In fact, I liked the music and though it was used quite efficiently as well.
While the movie dos not have a single outstanding problem, it does have some small factors that prevent it from being truly perfect. As I mentioned, the visual aspect isn't always as great as it could be, and it is distracting that some characters have a bothersome tendency to go off-spec. Especially "Me-Mania", whose deformity doesn't always look quite the same. Second, and most importantly, it's that for such an elaborate and complex film, its ending wraps things up too neatly. It doesn't really give you much food for thought after you're done with it, effectively killing all the nagging doubts a viewer may have had while watching. And finally, although minor, Perfect Blue is not really a "anytime" movie. It's rather dense and visually explicit, definitely not meant for light watching or just for when killing time. It's probably best to watch with a certain readiness, otherwise one might be simply too creeped out to continue at some point, even though the whole film does indeed make for a rewarding watch.
Overall, I really did enjoy Perfect Blue. I was not sure I would when I started, but now I'm a believer. Truly a great movie for any serious anime fan, someone who is willing to look past what is popular and focus on deeper, more complicated stories that take a look at very human weaknesses, and how people's lives can spiral out of control slowly, but surely.
Grade - A - If you want want to try to follow this psychological thriller it will probably throw you off if you don't pay attention.
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