In the rare autonomous cinematic event, Ryuya Suzuki, a first-time filmmaker, single-handedly wrote, directed, edited, animated and scored “Jinsei,” an often miraculous and occasionally exasperating Japanese anime film. Racing through the decades, the film follows its protagonist — he goes by many names throughout the story — over ten chapters, from his youth in 2007 through a futuristic period.
We meet the boy (voiced at every age by Ace Cool) after his mother’s sudden death. Unwilling to speak, he nonetheless befriends a transfer student named Kin (Taketo Tanaka), and discovers that they share a dream of joining a J-Pop boy band. In a surreal stroke of luck, the pals soon earn spots as idol trainees, although our central cipher later experiences a change of heart that drives him toward a humbler life.
Surreal is one way to put this movie’s tone; bewildering is another. From its dizzying opening sequence — which tells the story of our hero’s parents through tableaux set in moving vehicles — “Jinsei” all but affirms that it won’t wait for slower-processing viewers to catch up. Hurtling on, the plot is elaborate to the point of convoluted, eschewing causal storytelling in favor of a more protean structure.
Amid the muddle, Suzuki’s captivating animation becomes our anchor. Set in two dimensions with clean lines and a dusty blue-grey hue, his aesthetic has a grace and restraint that feel refreshing alongside the tangled narrative vignettes. Particularly once the story drifts into abstraction — a late scene makes “2001: A Space Odyssey” seem straightforward — the curiously distinctive visuals prove a saving grace.
Jinsei Not rated. In Japanese, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 33 minutes. In theaters.
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