Pompo the Cinephile

 

As is the nature of film, Hollywood studios occasionally release films about the process of making one. While many are entertaining, they typically depict the process as grueling and filled with inevitable backstabbing or, at the very least, major interpersonal issues. Back in 2021, the anime film Pompo the Cinephile, which partially adapts the pixiv Comic manga Pompo: The Cinéphile, challenged this popular depiction as the only valid one. In fact, it also successfully challenges the notion of overt interpersonal drama as the main source of conflict, as well as other ideas about the filmmaking process in general.

Pompo (Brianna Gentilella) is a talented and gutsy producer in “Nyallywood,” the movie-making capital of the world, although she’s known for B-movies. One day, she tells her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene Fini (Christopher Trindade) that he will direct her next script, Meister, a delicate drama about a tormented artistic genius. Not only has she already cast Martin Braddock (Kenneth Cavett), a Marlon Brando-esque actor considered the greatest in the world, she’s also cast Natalie Woodward (Jackie Lastra), a young actress seeking her first big break. As Gene starts his work on Meister, he learns not only the difficulties of film production, but also more about himself as an artist.

Unlike most cynical modern depictions of Hollywood filmmaking, Pompo the Cinephile’s Nyallywood has a refreshingly idealistic take. Here, characters are actually supportive of one another and filmmaking is depicted through the lens of joy and passion. While it doesn’t shy away from issues that can arise during production, the drama while creating Meister, which has a story that interestingly parallels Gene’s at times, comes from realistic setbacks like not having enough animals for a scene or unexpected weather patterns, forcing Gene and the rest of his crew to get more creative. Even with the issues that come up, however, the film still ends on an uplifting and inspiring note. Different aspects of filmmaking are also explained very neatly and succinctly, which helps make the plot easier to follow for someone not familiar with the process.

Gene (Christopher Trindade) has to prove himself in his directorial debut.

Much like the refreshingly idealistic story, Pompo’s cast comes packed with likeable characters. As a creative person, Gene feels pretty relatable, as he’s an outcast who’s passionate about his job but needs the right push to really put his knowledge as a film buff towards creating something he can feel proud of. Even when faced with issues during both production and post-production, he doesn’t give up in seeing his vision through. Similarly, Natalie’s talent as an actress shines through when she’s finally given the opportunity, with Gene proving that he’s the right director for her and Mystia the right actress to learn from. Although I haven’t read the manga, I’m aware that one character, Alan (Jonah Platt), is original to the adaptation. Although he's not directly involved in the making of Meister, his character arc shows how Pompo’s themes apply to more than just creative people through the power of inspiration. Along with his past as a former bully humbled by the difficulties of the real world, he makes a great addition to the cast.

Although she’s not the protagonist here, Pompo herself is still one of the most important characters and a potentially divisive one depending on the viewer. Her philosophies on film, heavily influenced by her famous filmmaking grandfather Peterzen and filtered through her child eyes, in turn influence Gene throughout his directorial debut. One of these ideas, that societal outcasts tend to make better art than those who are satisfied with life, can come off cliché for some, though Gene’s success also comes from tapping into the self-confidence he’s unaware of until he starts filming. Her most important idea is that film should be no longer than 90 minutes, as that’s how long her own attention span lasts, though Gene doesn’t see that as a hard rule, believing that films should be able to go on to two to four hours depending on the material. He only starts worrying about Meister exceeding Pompo’s preferred runtime when he’s in the editing booth and eventually realizes, following Peterzen’s advice, exactly who he’s really making his movie for.

While not the protagonist, Pompo (Briana Gentilella) is no less important.

That said, there’s a hilarious meta detail that the main feature of Pompo the Cinephile, meaning without the distributor logo, end credits or copyright info, runs exactly 90 minutes. Apart from appealing to existing fans of the source material, who would likely care the most about the runtime, this intentional choice can also prove Pompo’s point that you can tell a well-written and moving story without feeling rushed in only 90 minutes. In a landscape where it seems like nearly every modern film forces itself to at least a two-hour runtime, even including mainstream superhero films, this brevity is also a breath of fresh air.

Whatever your feelings about Pompo’s philosophies on filmmaking, there’s no denying that CLAP did an absolutely stellar job with the animation. Inspired transitions and a unique visualization of Gene’s editing process take full advantage of the animated medium, with vibrant colors and a sense of flair that a live-action version couldn’t reproduce. Although Nyallywood is a more semi-fantastical setting compared to the traditional Hollywood, it captures the look and feel of its inspiration very accurately, with some backgrounds even resembling actual Hollywood streets, and some details still ground the story in reality. As an amateur video editor, I liked seeing Gene’s timeline in action, especially in regards to the numerous cuts he makes, and the deliberate decision to show the timecode at the end (proving that the main feature is indeed 90 minutes exactly) is a genius way of tying everything together.

Pompo the Cinephile has spectacular animation.

Since I watched the English dub, I can’t speak to the original Japanese performances, but I thought the voices were well-cast. Though I didn’t recognize any of the names, they all did a fantastic job of bringing out the personalities of their respective characters. Pompo in particular sounds sufficiently “cute” without overdoing it and Gene’s voice does a lot with adding to his character development.

While your mileage may vary on the ideas presented by Pompo the Cinephile regarding the filmmaking process, it’s nonetheless entertaining and, perhaps for some, inspirational. We may not suddenly get more 90-minute Hollywood films anytime soon, but until we do, CLAP has certainly done an excellent job for such a young studio. Considering there’s more of Pompo in its original manga form, I know I wouldn’t mind a potential sequel.