The animated movie that Satoshi Kon called “outstanding”
It would be unjust and quite frankly unfair to discuss the field of contemporary animation without also mentioning the contributions of the late Japanese filmmaker Satoshi Kon. Known as one of the greatest modern directors of his kind, rubbing shoulders with other such pioneering animators as Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter and Nick Park, Kon has gifted the world with some of the industry’s most eccentric releases.
Despite only helming four feature films over the course of his 13 years at the height of the industry, Kon made a significant mark, being revered by other filmmakers and animators throughout cinema. His first, 1997’s Perfect Blue, may indeed be the director’s masterpiece, telling a pertinent tale about a pop singer who pursues a life on the silver screen only to be stalked by an obsessive fan.
Considerably influential on the landscape of cinema, American director Darren Aronofsky borrowed several elements of Perfect Blue for both 2000s Requiem for a Dream and 2010s Oscar-winner Black Swan, in some cases directly copying the shots in what he called a “homage” to the original animation. Frustrated by this flagrant forgery, Kon stated back in 2000, “It’s a pitiful tale when the person being paid homage to has less name recognition, less social credibility and less budget to spend”.
Still, this annoyance didn’t stop Kon from thriving, following Perfect Blue up with a trio of back-to-back successes, including 2001’s complex drama Millennium Actress, 2003’s touching Christmas tale Tokyo Godfathers and his insane 2006 flick Paprika, that would go on to inspire Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film Inception.
As such a pioneer of animation himself, it’s no surprise that many revered Kon, holding his opinion on the wider industry of cinema, dear.
Shortly before the release of his TV series Paranoia Agent in 2004, the animator sat down for an interview where he discussed some of his favourite recent movies. “I’ve not seen many movies lately,” Kon started, “But Masaaki Yuasa’s theatrical animation, Mind Game, was outstanding. The images were full of pictorial allure. I’m looking forward to its overseas release”.
A wild and psychedelic animation, 2004’s Mind Game was conjured from the cranium of the great Masaaki Yuasa, with the film incorporating several different art styles to tell one eccentric tale. Telling the story of a young man desperately trying to attract the attention of his childhood sweetheart, the film takes a turn when the man is killed and is sent on a metaphysical journey of self-discovery.
Take a look at the trailer for Mind Game below, with the film coming with a glowing endorsement from the great Satoshi Kon.
