Whether or not Christopher Nolan had seen Satoshi Kon's Paprika before he made his brain-bending epic Inception, there's no denying that it bears a lot in common with Kon's animated foray into the subconscious world of dreams. Whereas Inception saw people entering one another's dreams for the purposes of extracting secrets or planting ideas, Paprika's dream machine is ostensibly intended as a tool for psychotherapy, the wearer of the DC Mini device being able to view people's dreams in the form of a sentient alter ego. When a DC Mini is stolen, the ensuing investigation sees reality and fiction becoming increasingly blurred. Kon's final feature (he tragically died of cancer in 2010) is his most ambitious, and untangling the weaving narrative is made all the more fun on account of the surreal, colourful imagery and weirdness familiar from our own dreams.
