Too monotonous for a Satoshi Kon film
There was an event at the cinema dedicated to classic anime films. The one I was most interested in seeing was Millennium Actress by Satoshi Kon. After watching Tokyo Godfathers (2003), Paprika (2006), and the anime series Paranoia Agent (2004) - which were all interesting works - I was expecting a great viewing experience from this one too.
The film tries to create a synergy between the present plot and the memories of the elderly actress, who is disillusioned because she never managed to find her great love: a painter who deserted the military during the war.
The soundtracks of Satoshi Kon's films have always inspired me because Susumu Hirasawa's work is consistently interesting and never boring. Sound design is, after all, an equally important component in a cinematic work.
Other important aspects are the drawings - even though there are some 3D elements, and for me, even a single 3D model in a hand-drawn anime is one too many as it clashes with the film's entire aesthetic - and the narrative premise, which is highly intriguing thanks to the synergy mentioned in the previous paragraphs.
The massive flaw of Millennium Actress is its monotony and excessive repetitiveness. It almost seems as if the author forgot about the plot, leading to an excessive repetition of the same scenes. Consequently, the film runs the risk of being all style and no substance.
This time, the author did not produce an interesting piece of work, quite the contrary. He failed to properly develop the characters' introspection. Sometimes, even the greats can make mistakes.