Millennium Actress [Blu-ray/DVD]

Overview

Following up on his highly acclaimed animated psychological thriller Perfect Blue, Satoshi Kon spins this mystery about a documentary filmmaker and a legendary actress. In honor of Gin Ei studios 70th anniversary, a small production house run by Genya Tachibana is selected to make a commemorative documentary. Genya decides to focus his film on actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, a massive star who at the height of her popularity retreated from public life. Accompanied an eager young cameraman, Genya doggedly tracks her down to discover her living a hermit-like life of charmed isolation. He also learns that in spite of her advanced age, she has lost little of her famed charm or elegance. As he interviews her, Genya learns of Chiyoko's troubled past and eventually the reasons for her sudden retirement.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/10/2019
UPC:	0826663199192
Original Release:	2001
Rating:	PG
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:27:00
Sales rank:	2,142

Special Features

Interviews with the producers and voice talent; 1080p High-Definition; English SDH Subtitles

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Miyoko Shoji	Chiyoko Fujiwara (in her 70s)
Mami Koyama	Chiyoko Fujiwara (in her 20s-40s)
Fumiko Orikasa	Chiyoko Fujiwara (in her teens-20s)
Shouzou Iizuka	Genya Tachibana
Masaya Onosaka	Kyoji Ida
Shouko Tsuda	Eiko Shimao
Masatane Tsukayama	The Man with the Scar
Koichi Yamadera	The Man of the Key,Man of the Key
Hirotaka Suzuoki	Junichi Ootaki
Hisako Kyoda	Mother
Abby Trott	Voices
Erin Yvette	Voices
Cindy Robinson	Voices
Christopher Swindle	Voices
Laura Post	Voices
Barbara Goodson	Voices
Keith Silverstein	Voices
Greg Chun	Voices
JP Karliak	Voices
Susumu Hirasawa	Composer

Technical Credits

Satoshi Kon

Satoshi Kon	Director,Screenwriter
Taro Maki	Producer

Editorial Reviews

A remarkably textured journey (both visually and emotionally) into the rich and varied past of an aging former actress, Satoshi Kon's follow-up to Perfect Blue successfully retains that film's sense of fantastic reality while eschewing its more suspenseful elements in favor of a more reflective approach. It's interesting to see anime being used for drama rather than for science fiction or fantasy, and this is where Kon truly sets himself apart from most filmmakers working today. By using animation for dramatic purposes, Kon's creativity in terms of story structure is virtually boundless. While this might an intimidating factor for some directors, Kon has an uncanny knack of making it work in his favor by truly getting to know his characters. By using dramatic means to drive the more fantastic elements of the story and by rooting the characters in a familiar reality, Kon allows viewers to relate to those characters while gradually getting absorbed into the tale of lost love and remarkable adventure. Though the film, at times, borders on melodramatic, Kon and crew have enough sense to pull back from time to time and let the story tell itself when necessary. If at first the film doesn't seem as visually dynamic as viewers might expect, the gradual progression from simple to complex images, as well as the creative use of textures to express emotion, slowly envelopes the viewer until the film's heartfelt and visually elegant climax. With Millennium Actress, Kon has not only proven that Perfect Blue was no fluke, but has truly set himself apart from the pack by being a remarkably creative visual storyteller and a true innovator in the realm of mature and dramatic anime.