Perfect Blue

B-

Directed by Satoshi Kon

Probably Satoshi Kon's most complicated and confusing picture (and that's saying alot) perfect Blue gets lost in its own complex, multilayed storyline but since it's a Satoshi Kon joint there is enough good that the bad gets (mostly) drowned out.

Mima, a marginally susccesful pop idol with her own mini-cult following, suddenly decides to leave her group, the boringly named CHAM, in order to try her hand at acting. Her first role, a secondary part in a TV drama, causes Mima some anxiety as she attempts to balance her good girl image with the more adult themed plot of the television show. Mima is also suffering from recurring and vivid delusions that quickly sap her ability to deliver on the set of her show. Things quickly go from bad to flat out dangerous as a crazed stalker from Mima's CHAM days begins picking off Mima's professional acquantainces, one by one.

Once again, my weak synopsis captures maybe 1/100th of the complexity of a Satoshi Kon movie. Needless to say, numerous plots run over and around one another in "Perfect Blue" and nothing is ever as it seems, leading to a dizzying, confusing experience that will no doubt confound all but the most attentive viewer. "Peferct Blue's" plot is like "Paprika" but with no thought given to the intellectual limitations of the audience, an endless maze of head scratching plot twists that culminate in a dumfounding, ludicrous third act that, in my case at least, came as a final sucker punch to an already exhauted viewer. Whereas "Millenium Actress" and "Paprika" had a semblance of coherence even though both films featured challenging and at times convoluted plots, "Perfect Blue" takes off and leaves everyone who can't follow along in the dust. In the end it's frustrating because Satoshi Kon, despite his huge talent not only as an animator but also as a storyteller, obviously didn't know where to rein in his story and the experience is consequently far less enjoyable, and also far less succesful, than if he had kept "Perfect Blue" a bit simpler.
Despite all this, "Perfect Blue" is still beautiful to look at, the animation bursting at the seams with color and detail. Satoshi Kon's films, even his frustratingly complex ones such as "Perfect Blue" are always faultless in their attention to detail and dedication to excellent artwork and "Perfect Blue" is once again a testament to the talent of Satoshi Kon and his team. Also despite its complexities, I must say that it is always an adventuresome and invigorating experience to try to keep pace with Satoshi Kon's films which often move at a merciless speed, almost daring the viewer to keep up. "Perfect Blue" is not one of Satoshi Kon's best works but it does contain much of what makes him such an exciting and essential animator.