Here’s what I know about Japanese Anime: Almost nothing.
Basically, I just know Speed Racer and Sailor Moon- the former from my childhood days in front of the TV, and the latter because of my kids doing the same when they were kids. I mean, yes, I have seen some Miyazaki classics, but the genre just always seemed a little weird for me.
The new feature length film from GKIDS is a bit more interesting to me, it’s not some ethereal, spiritual, or cute animal story – it’s about making Hollywood films. Sort of.
The title character, Pompo, is a successful movie producer (I mean, she seems like a 3 foot tall kid to my eyes, but, whatever) in “Nyallywood,” the movie-making capital of the world.
Like so many real life movie makers, she’s made a name and a lot of money cranking out B-movies, but would really like to have some respect and acclaim.
Her assistant, Gene, is a genuine movie nerd with his heart in the right place, so Pompo enlists him to direct what will be his debut: an artsy drama about a tormented artistic genius, starring the legendary and Brando-esque actor Martin Braddock, and a young actress seeking her first break.
Again, in the real world of movie-making, it seems that no great film ever comes easily. There are always crises and catastrophes and poor Gene’s production is also the host of every kind of chaos in its making.
My favorite part is when he’s all finished shooting and has something like 72 hours of film that must be edited down to 90 minutes. Exactly 90 minutes. Why? Because Pompo has stated early on that there is no need for a film to be longer (and, frankly, I mostly agree with that philosophy). As a video editor for more than 35 years, the sense of tension-filled, no sleep, gut-wrenching days and nights spent whittling was more relatable than anything I’ve ever seen in an Anime.
Directed by veteran animator Takayuki Hirao and produced by brand-new animation studio CLAP, Pompo the Cinephile is an interesting, if odd, look at the creative process in Tinsel town. The candy-colored backgrounds and characters are engaging enough to keep you awake.
And, you what? It’s about 90 minutes long.
‘Pompo the Cinephile’ is in theaters now. Ticket and location info can be found here: https://gkids.com/films/pompo-the-cinephile/ and here https://www.pompomovie.com/
