Paprika (2006)
"Papurika" (original title)

When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patient's dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist can stop it: Paprika.

Director:

Satoshi Kon

Writers:

Yasutaka Tsutsui (novel), Seishi Minakami (screenplay),

Stars:

Megumi Hayashibara, Tôru Furuya, Katsunosuke Hori

5 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Megumi Hayashibara	...	Paprika / Chiba Atsuko (voice)
Tôru Furuya	...	Tokita Kohsaku (voice)
Kôichi Yamadera	...	Osanai Morio (voice)
Katsunosuke Hori	...	Shima Tora-taroh (voice)
Tôru Emori	...	Inui Sei-jiroh (voice)
Akio Ôtsuka	...	Detective Kogawa Toshimi (voice)
Hideyuki Tanaka	...	Guy (voice)
Satomi Koorogi	...	A doll (voice)
Daisuke Sakaguchi	...	Himuro Kei (voice)
Mitsuo Iwata	...	Tsumura Yasushi (voice)
Rikako Aikawa	...	Kakimoto Nobue (voice)
Shin'ichirô Ôta	...	Reporter (voice)
Satoshi Kon	...	Jin-nai (voice)
Yasutaka Tsutsui	...	Kuga (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brian Beacock	...	Hajime Himuro / Kuga (voice)

Storyline

Three scientists at the Foundation for Psychiatric Research fail to secure a device they've invented, the D.C. Mini, which allows people to record and watch their dreams. A thief uses the device to enter people's minds, when awake, and distract them with their own dreams and those of others. Chaos ensues. The trio - Chiba, Tokita, and Shima - assisted by a police inspector and by a sprite named Paprika must try to identify the thief as they ward off the thief's attacks on their own psyches. Dreams, reality, and the movies merge, while characters question the limits of science and the wisdom of Big Brother.

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Plot Keywords:

police | arboretum | banner | betrayal | video telephone | 

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Taglines:

This is your brain on anime.

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Genres:

Animation | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent and sexual images

Details

Official Sites:

DVD site -- Sony Home Entertainment [us] Official site [us]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

25 November 2006 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Paprika

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$45,429 (USA) (25 May 2007)

Gross:

$881,302 (USA) (19 October 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Madhouse, Paprika Film Partners, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The tall and short bartenders in Paprika's website are voiced by director Satoshi Kon, and the original author of the Paprika novel, Yasutaka Tsutsui, respectively.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Paprika: Time for the greatest show on earth!

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Connections

References The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

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Soundtracks

"Escapee"
Composed and Performed by Susumu Hirasawa

User Reviews

Brief review

Trippy Japanese animé that mixes dreams with reality. You never really know what's going to come next in this picture. It's very entertaining, but only up to a point. It never establishes its own reality, so the constant surrealism does grow tiring after a while. And the characters are thin. A movie with such fantastic imagery shouldn't be as easily forgotten as this one is, and if I cared more about the story and the characters, that wouldn't be the case. I love the drawings themselves, but the animation is choppy, certainly much more so than a Ghibli film. My only other experience with Satoshi Kon is Tokyo Godfathers, and I do prefer Paprika to that for sure. It is quite fun. Certainly worth renting, if not going to the theater.