Pompo the Cinephile

"Bright lights. Big dreams. No experience."

2021 1h 34m JA

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 97

AnimationComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Operating out of the movie capital "Nyallywood," Pompo has been shooting one B-grade entertainment flick after another that anyone would enjoy. One day, Pompo's "movie buff" assistant Gene spots a new script written by Pompo and is moved by its exquisite story. In a fit of passion, he proclaims, "I want to see this as a finished work in theaters as soon as possible!" However, Pompo tells him, "So you shoot this film." Thus, Gene takes on his first directing gig. Meanwhile, Natalie, an ordinary girl who just arrived in town with movie actress dreams, has been discovered by Pompo...

“Bright lights. Big dreams. No experience.”

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Cast

Konomi Kohara
Joel Davidovich 'Pompo' Pomponette (voice)
Hiroya Shimizu
Gene Fini (voice)
Rinka Otani
Natalie Woodward (voice)
Ai Kakuma
Mystia Lyons (voice)
Akio Otsuka
Martin Braddock (voice)
Ryuichi Kijima
Alan Gardner (voice)
Rikiya Koyama
Alan's Boss (voice)
Manabu Sakamaki
Corbett (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Takayuki Hirao
Writers: Takayuki Hirao, Takayuki Hirao, Kenji Imura
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Takayuki Hirao, shot by Masashi Uoyama. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kenta Matsukuma. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tsuyoshi Imai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Konomi Kohara and Hiroya Shimizu and Rinka Otani carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Bright lights. Big dreams. No experience.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt12439248 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 97 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Takayuki Hirao directs. Masashi Uoyama behind the camera. Kenta Matsukuma scores. Tsuyoshi Imai cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 5 years ago.
2Directed by Takayuki Hirao, shot by Masashi Uoyama. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Kenta Matsukuma. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Tsuyoshi Imai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Konomi Kohara and Hiroya Shimizu and Rinka Otani carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Bright lights. Big dreams. No experience.".
7IMDB entry: tt12439248 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 97 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "work", "slice of life", "based on manga", "assistant director".
10Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Masashi Uoyama
Original score: Kenta Matsukuma
Editing: Tsuyoshi Imai
Costume design: Misuzu Kubozono
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $186,542
Original language: JA
IMDB: Pompo the Cinephile (2021)

Also by

Takayuki Hirao

Stills · wallpapers

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Chris Sawin2022-05-13
★ 10/10
There’s something special about Pompo: The Cinephile that just speaks to you. Yes, the animation is stunning and you absolutely adore every character in the film. Martin Braddock’s pickup line about wanting to network socially is hilarious and Mystia is an incredible character; a talented actress that doesn’t let her success go to her head. But the animated film also speaks to both film and art lovers alike. Showing what was discarded in pursuit of your dreams is important to making a life changing film. Pompo’s sweet spot for a fully completed film is 90-minutes and Pompo: The Cinephile ends maybe thirty seconds after that. This makes you feel good and creative at the same time and is exceptional because of it. Full review: https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Pompo-The-Cinephile-2022-Review-Tasting-a-Masterpiece
CalciferWelles2026-02-15
★ 10/10
I can't stress enough of how much I loved this wonderful piece of cinema here, when I first got the Blu-ray copy of this, I have a feeling this film was already gonna be a blast from start to finish. But I started to watch the first five minutes of the film, I instantly fell in love with the film. And by the time it's over, it has already became one of my favorite movies ever made. I still continue to rewatch it to this day, I still quote line for line for this, If I wanted to be inspired to make a film, I put on this film for me to enjoy. I love the characters, I love the humor and messages, I love this film.