If you ignore the time I'm posting this and go off the fact I haven't slept yet then I am in fact posting this on what I am considering a Friday and therefore sticking to my schedule. And if you don't buy that, then I'll argue that time is a social construct and I refuse to adhere to the concept of it, therefore sticking to my schedule once again. Is it obvious it has been a long week at work? Anyway, let's just crack on with the film for today, Perfect Blue (1997). When Pop Idol, Mima (Junko Iwao), quits her group to try to build her career as an actress, an obsessed fan feels betrayed and begins a vendetta against Mima.
I am going to keep this review quite short because I feel going into too much detail about this film will spoil some of its impact. But just so you know, it is superb. It wasn't an instant hit with me, however. It took a little while for me to buy into it, but by the end, I was completely enthralled and it turned out to be one of the best films I have seen this year. It is a film that builds and builds into what feels like a frenzy and then keeps pushing at you, and I loved it. The way the film uses the frame and the direction to create this sense of madness, paranoia, and anxiety is superb and puts you directly in the place of the protagonist, allowing you to completely buy-in on an emotional level. Add to this a soundtrack that underpins each scene superbly and you have an utterly gripping film. It can be difficult to watch at times, but my word does it grab you by the balls and keep you there.
So, you might be thinking why the film took a while to grip me? This would usually be a narrative gripe, but on this occasion, it is much more of a visual issue. And it is totally on me, but I initially felt like the animation felt janky and awkward. After all, this film was released the same year as Princess Monoke (1997) in which the animation is so clean and slick. That is not the case here, and it threw me initially. But as the film rolls on, and the more engrossed I became, the more I began to appreciate the animation and visual style of the film. And by the film's conclusion, I had come to love it. I am not sure I have had such a U-turn on a films visual style in my life, and I feel almost silly in not liking it from the start because I actually think the film is visually exquisite and often quite beautiful. It is also so detailed. Every frame is packed full of extra bits and bobs to fill out the world and feel of the film. Yes, it feels gritty and not entirely polished, but it matches the film's tone perfectly, and it was in the visuals that my love of this film lies.
I feel like I have said this before, but I never rate a film 5 out of 5 on the first watch, as I feel like a film needs some sort of rewatch value to be seen as perfect. And with that rule in mind, this film sits easily at a 4.5, I love it that much. Like I say it is hard to talk about without spoiling it too much, but I have already recommended it to friends which is a usually sign from me that I love a film. It isn't for everyone and it is a difficult watch at times, but I adored it. Up there with one of the best films I have seen in a while.
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