Millennium Actress
Seen it?2002 | 87 min | Animation, Drama, Romance
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences rate it highly (7.9 out of 10), despite soft box office. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics and animation lovers.
- The mood
- Warm and romantic, feel-good.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 27 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG: peril. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Documentary filmmaker Genya Tachibana has tracked down the legendary actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, who mysteriously vanished at the height of her career. When he presents her with a key she had lost and thought was gone forever, the filmmaker could not have imagined that it would not only unlock the long-held secrets of Chiyoko’s life... but also his own.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 70 on Metacritic
- AudiencesStrong
7.9 out of 10
- AwardsBelow par
1 win and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$263K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 182K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Satoshi Kon
- Miyoko ShojiChiyoko Fujiwara (70's) (voice)
- Mami KoyamaChiyoko Fujiwara (20-40's) (voice)
- Fumiko OrikasaChiyoko Fujiwara (10-20's) (voice)
- Showko TsudaEiko Shimao (voice)
- Shozo IizukaGenya Tachibana (voice)
- Masaya OnosakaKyouji Ida (voice)
- Masane TsukayamaThe Man with the Scar (voice)
- Koichi YamaderaThe Man of the Key (voice)
- Hisako KyodaChiyoko's Mother (voice)
- Tomie KataokaMino (voice)