Like most people here, I saw Mind Game on a festival - in my case, Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2006 and was simply blown away. I am no fan of anime (I wasn't before Mind Game), because the ones I have seen before seemed either too violent (Akira) or difficult to appreciate because of the Japanese cultural peculiarities (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke).
Mind Game seems to be a blend of Japanese and Western cinematography with only a few cultural barriers for westerners. I believe there are influences by Coen brothers (the hilarious episode with milk vs. "Mr. Mussburger is such a nice man, I give him double stitch anyways"), Run Lola Run, even Amelie. Perhaps the plot is inspired by the book of Job? Add to this Japanese imagination and intentionally left space for interpretation.
While the plot is inventive and complex enough, it is not what makes the film, in my opinion. It is the ability to focus on tiniest details and create, well, a detailed consistent absurdist universe.
Hopefully, it will be easier to find future creations of the same authors.
Mind Game seems to be a blend of Japanese and Western cinematography with only a few cultural barriers for westerners. I believe there are influences by Coen brothers (the hilarious episode with milk vs. "Mr. Mussburger is such a nice man, I give him double stitch anyways"), Run Lola Run, even Amelie. Perhaps the plot is inspired by the book of Job? Add to this Japanese imagination and intentionally left space for interpretation.
While the plot is inventive and complex enough, it is not what makes the film, in my opinion. It is the ability to focus on tiniest details and create, well, a detailed consistent absurdist universe.
Hopefully, it will be easier to find future creations of the same authors.