Millennium Actress, which is directed by Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Paprika, Paranoia Agent), is without a doubt his defining masterpiece in my opinion. This movie is a complete directorial tour de force and Kon literally blew my mind away with the editing, style and art that he displays in almost every scene. This is ultimately a biographical story about a young girl chasing after her first true love while becoming a popular Japanese movie actress but it morphs into something much more. Millennium Actress probably had one of the most unique forms of story telling that I've ever seen in a movie. I loved how Chiyoko's story had a dualistic perspective as Kon seamlessly melds together images and scenes from the story of Chiyoko's own real life and from her famous films (which vary wildly from taking place in the Sengoku period to post-WW2 Japan to outer space). These transitions really add to the feeling and intensity of Chiyoko desperately chasing after and searching for her lost love. And you can't help but fall in love with the passion shown by both the main characters, Chiyoko and Genya. Just as Chiyoko says at the end, it was the "chase" that she truly loved and, by god, this film was one hell of a thrilling chase. This is an absolute must-watch for fans of Kon's other works.

'after all, it was the chasing that i really loved.'

An emotional roller coaster, even though Satoshi Kon doesn't use the big guns for this show (usually that means pointing out the most disturbing aspects of the human psyche and nature) it still manages to create a memorable movie, a trip in Japan's pre and post World War 2, and history of cinema.

Yet another masterpiece from the amazing Satoshi Kon. I loved how the story of Chiyoko's real-life events and her actress roles constantly intertwined with each other, how the story of love and the story of being an actress bled into one another to tell two separate parts of her life in one single action. You can also really tell how much fun Satoshi Kon had with this film by making little gags out of Chiyoko's film roles and the ridiculous twists and events that typically happened in those types of films. Just a blast to watch from the start to the end, you can't go wrong with a Satoshi Kon movie!

It really feels like Kon found the silliest concept he could still make a serious love story with and went for it. It definitely worked, as the movie is entertaining, but it is certainly different. The story is unique and is certainly worth a watch for the gimmick (if you want to call it that) alone, but the story is also quite moving. Overall, like I said, the concept seems silly on paper, but it really does work and does add some emotional heaviness throughout.