PAPRIKA

4 stars out of 5

Paprika.

Narratives revolving around dreams consistently prove to be both insanely amusing and perpetually confusing; anyone who's seen Inception can agree to that notion. Paprika, which according to various sources inspired Christopher Nolan during the making of his blockbuster, is no less confusing. Then again, is anything pertaining to dreams ever lucid? We indulge them precisely because they defy logic and entertain while doing so. The makers of Paprika understood that very well.


The story centers on a device called the DC Mini, which allows people to share and participate in each other's dreams (much like Inception's PASIV briefcase device, except much simpler). Someone has stolen three of the DC Mini prototypes, and the chairman of the research group fears they have fallen into the hands of terrorists. It is revealed that the research scientists are most susceptible to dream infiltration because long-term exposure to the DC Minis has made them sensitive to its effects. Sure enough, the mystery thief begins antagonizing the scientists subconsciously. They begin experiencing waking dreams and find themselves unable to differentiate between dream and reality. The scientists use whatever sanity they have left to discover who is abusing the DC Mini devices.

Dr. Chiba, lead scientist for DC Mini research.

Although following a narrative while weaving through the absurdity of dream logic is never easy, Paprika's story is not complicated and in fact almost seems like a kid's movie. I could not help recalling its similarities to other Studio Ghibli films; Paprika is often compared to Spirited Away. That being said, Paprika's scientists work within psychological research and so the DC Mini was meant to help patients with deep subconscious issues, far darker in scope than many Ghibli films.


Paprika is visually one of the best Madhouse productions I have ever seen, probably because it was intended for theatrical release and so had a bigger budget. Aesthetically it's a mix between Ghibli and Production I.G. and the result is beautiful. The opening title sequence to Paprika is one of the more visually striking parts of the film, as it plays like an MTV music video. Our titular character Paprika is seen flying around the city, scrolling on the walls like a film projection and stopping traffic with a snap of her fingers. Its dream logic allows for amazing action sequences that are sure to entertain.

There's always the need to balance reality and fantasy in a movie about dreams so that it avoids complete abstraction, and Paprika successfully does so.  Paprika is a decent film with an easily understood narrative. While I think a lack of narrative ambition is what prevents this from being an amazing film, its presentation is superb. The film's characters are also entertaining both outside and within the dream world, even though keeping track of which world we're watching almost becomes impossible.

- Elijah