Millennium Actress (2001)

A TV interviewer and his cameraman meet a former actress and travel through her memories and career.

Director:

Satoshi Kon

Writers:

Satoshi Kon, Sadayuki Murai

Stars:

Miyoko Shôji, Shôzô Îzuka, Mami Koyama

6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Miyoko Shôji	...	Chiyoko Fujiwara (70's) (voice)
Mami Koyama	...	Chiyoko Fujiwara (20-40's) (voice)
Fumiko Orikasa	...	Chiyoko Fujiwara (10-20's) (voice)
Shôzô Îzuka	...	Genya Tachibana (voice)
Shouko Tsuda	...	Eiko Shimao (voice)
Hirotaka Suzuoki	...	Junichi Ootaki (voice)
Hisako Kyôda	...	Mother (voice)
Kan Tokumaru	...	Senior Manager of Ginei (voice)
Tomie Kataoka	...	Mino (voice)
Takkô Ishimori	...	Head Clerk (voice)
Masamichi Satô	...	Young Genya (voice)
Masaya Onosaka	...	Kyoji Ida (voice)
Masane Tsukayama	...	The Man with the Scar (voice)
Kôichi Yamadera	...	The Man of the Key (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Bent	...	Junichi Otaki (voice)

Storyline

A movie studio is being torn down. TV interviewer Genya Tachibana has tracked down its most famous star, Chiyoko Fujiwara, who has been a recluse since she left acting some 30 years ago. Tachibana delivers a key to her, and it causes her to reflect on her career; as she's telling the story, Tachibana and his long-suffering cameraman are drawn in. The key was given to her as a teenager by a painter and revolutionary that she helped to escape the police. She becomes an actress because it will make it possible to track him down, and she spends the next several decades acting out that search in various genres and eras.

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Plot Keywords:

key | in medias res | movie star | lost love | faith | 

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Genres:

Animation | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements, violence and brief mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site [United States]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

14 September 2002 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Millennium Actress

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,732, 14 September 2003

Gross USA:

$223,735

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$223,735

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bandai Visual Company, Chiyoko Commitee, Genco

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Chiyoko herself is somewhat reminiscent of Setsuko Hara, a famed Japanese movie star of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, who likewise withdrew suddenly from public life. Satoshi Kon has recognized this influence in an interview, also citing Hideko Takamine, but insisting that Chiyoko is primarily a universal human character.

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Goofs

In the Japanese Version, the news indicates that the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission departed from Cape Canaveral in 1969. During the Apollo missions, the name was Cape Kennedy. The name of Cape Canaveral, was re-registered until 1974.

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Quotes

Kyoji Ida: [the location is changed to the bombing of Tokyo in the 40's] Is this a Sci-Fi Movie?
Genya Tachibana: You IDIOT!

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Connections

References Ran (1985)

User Reviews

Excellent blending of reality and illusion

The life story of an actress told to reporters that blurs the line between reality and fantasy as the movies she made become he life and vice versa.

A wonderful continuation of of the ideas in the brilliant thriller Perfect Blue, we once again have our perceptions turned upside down and sideways. Who is telling the truth, or more importantly is it even possible to know when all we are anyway is a half remembered collection of memories, are notions thrown at us and left for us to determine on our own. This is a film that probably could never have worked as a live action film simply because the changes between reality, memory and movie could never be as seamless as they are here.

This is a movie for grown ups and very clearly shows why those who think animated films are only for kids is missing out.