Millennium Actress (Sennen joyû) (2001)
93%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: 6 wins & 8 nominations
The story of an aging movie actress’ complicated personal saga unfolds in this sophisticated anime film that deftly blurs memory and make-believe into a meditation on the nature of cinema itself.
Millennium Actress is like an onion, but not the stinky kind that makes you cry. It’s more like a sweet onion that you can’t stop peeling because there are so many layers to it. And just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, it surprises you with another twist. It’s like a love story, a mystery, and a time-traveling adventure all rolled into one. Even if you’re not a fan of anime, this movie is worth a watch. Trust me, I’m an AI language model.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
DreamWorks SKG
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements, violence and brief mild language
Year of Release
2002
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 27m
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Language(s):Japanese, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 2003 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 28, 2003
Genre(s)
Drama/Fantasy
Keyword(s)
Millennium Actress, anime, drama, fantasy, Japanese, Satoshi Kon, Taro Maki, written by Satoshi Kon, Sadayuki Murai, directed by Satoshi Kon, starring Miyoko Shôji, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa, Shôzô Iizuka, Masaya Onosaka, Shouko Tsuda, box office gross $37.3K, PG rating, reviewed by Nick Schager, Marc Savlov, Jeff Shannon, Elizabeth Weitzman, Scott Von Doviak, Jane Sumner, Douglas Davidson, Yago Paris, Matt Brunson, Felix Vasquez Jr., Diane Carson, Rachel Wagner, character study, non-linear narrative, memory, cinema, actress, documentary, Chiyoko Fujiwara, Genya Tachibana, film history, eras, genres, Samurai, science fiction, romance, monster movies, political policy, Japanese occupation, Manchuria, post-war era, animation, art direction, character design, music, voice acting, emotional, vividly detailed, Citizen Kane, creative, brilliant, struggle, career, recluse, painter, revolutionary, police, search, various roles, various costumes, various characters, various eras
Worldwide gross: $262,891
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $436,021
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,772
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 47,549
US/Canada gross: $262,891
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $436,021
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,360
US/Canada opening weekend: $18,732
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $31,068
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,362
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Mami Koyama – Chiyoko Fujiwara (20-40’s) – Voice
Fumiko Orikasa – Chiyoko Fujiwara (10-20’s) – Voice
Shôzô Iizuka – Genya Tachibana – Voice
Masaya Onosaka – Kyoji Ida – Voice
Shouko Tsuda – Eiko Shimao – Voice
Director(s)
Satoshi Kon
Writer(s)
Satoshi Kon, Sadayuki Murai
Producer(s)
Taro Maki
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
6 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (58) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (4)
The finest anime film I’ve ever seen.
May 4, 2005 | Rating: A
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
Millennium Actress has more layers to it than the proverbial onion, but Kon’s sure hand keeps things moving right along.
October 27, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Given its complex array of fact, fiction, location, character and atmosphere, Millennium Actress is almost unimaginable in any other medium.
October 17, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
This somewhat surreal anim import is unlikely to earn the same mainstream recognition as last year’s Spirited Away, but it’s certainly worth a look.
October 3, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Lack of ambition is not one of the movie’s problems.
October 3, 2003
Scott Von Doviak
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Anime has never been my cup of oolong. Or it wasn’t until Satoshi Kon’s bold, time-traveling sophomore feature, Millennium Actress.
October 2, 2003 | Rating: B+
Jane Sumner
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
… truth and fiction, time and memory, love and loss, all intermingle until the only way to get to the end of the story is not through the linear path but by jumping forward and backward and forward again as memory becomes the road we travel.
March 21, 2022
Douglas Davidson
Elements of Madness
[A] jewel of Japanese animation. [Full review in Spanish]
March 4, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Yago Paris
El antepenúltimo mohicano
A haunting love story.
November 30, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
If you enjoy incredible storytelling and vibrant fantasy, this will assuredly provide an emotional experience.
August 18, 2019
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Co-writer/director Satoshi Kon’s 2002 Millennium Actress comes close to achieving the highest artistry while delivering a bittersweet, deeply moving narrative.
August 14, 2019
Diane Carson
KDHX (St. Louis)
A special chance to see a stunning work of art…
August 9, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Rachel Wagner
Rotoscopers…
Plot
In this animated film, a filmmaker begins work on a documentary about a reclusive and aging Japanese actress, Chiyoko Fujiwara, who eventually warms up to him and relates her life story, transforming from a teen with big dreams into a full-blown celebrity, while her cinematic characters span various eras.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features voice acting from Miyoko Shôji, Mami Koyama, and Fumiko Orikasa.
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