Today’s quick review: Millennium Actress. Once a famous actress, Chiyoko Fujiwara (Miyoko Shoji) retired from public life to spend the rest of her life in solitude. Now in her seventies, Chiyoko agress to an interview with Genya Tachibana (Shozo Izuka), an ardent fan of hers. As Chiyoko opens up about her personal life and her career, Genya and his cameraman Kyoji Ida (Masaya Onosaka) are drawn into a bittersweet tale of lost love.
Millennium Actress is a Japanese animated romance from director Satoshi Kon. The movie journeys through the memories and filmography of an aging actress as she recounts her life story to an interviewer. Fact and fiction blend together as Chiyoko chases her young love through the decades of her life. Millennium Actress combines beautiful animation, artful direction, and an emotionally potent story into one cohesive whole.
Millennium Actress is a gorgeous movie visually and narratively. The animation is done in the same richly detailed style as Satoshi Kon’s other films, with dynamic movement that doesn’t sacrifice the art’s realistic designs. Kon’s touch is evident in the direction as well: even the basic machinery of the film is a delight to watch. The way the camera moves, the clever transitions, and the sense of momentum all contribute to an immersive experience.
Millennium Actress handles its story just as well. The story weaves between Chiyoko’s biography and her film roles, slipping from one to the other at the drop of a hat. The journey is a whirlwind tour of 20th century Japan and the genres of Japanese cinema, all linked together by Chiyoko’s search for a man she met in her youth. The tone is very well-judged, balancing out the tragic aspects of the story with humor and an infectious optimism.
Millennium Actress is a finely crafted movie that will appeal to a wide audience. Its mixture of romance, drama, comedy, and history may not be what some viewers are looking for, but even skeptical viewers will find that it has a lot to offer. Just how much you get out of it will come down to taste, but Millennium Actress has everything it needs to be a moving and memorable watch.
For a heartwarming comedy from the same director, try Tokyo Godfathers. For a more tragic period piece, try Grave of the Fireflies. For another beautiful tale of young love, try Whisper of the Heart. For a live-action retrospective of a storied life, try Cinema Paradiso or Citizen Kane.
7.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for gorgeous direction and a touching story.