GO AHEAD, MAKE THE ANIME LEAP.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

JAPANESE FEATURE animation continues to explore innovative new possibilities for the medium that our own formulaic cartoons never come close to daring.

As cinematic as it can possibly be, ``Millennium Actress'' tells the story of a once popular film actress, Chiyoko Fujiwara, who mysteriously dropped from public view at the height of her career. Sought out by a besotted documentarian, Genya Tachibana, and his caustic cameraman Kyoji Ida, the now-elderly lady starts telling her story.

And suddenly, she, her interviewers and we are flying through constantly changing history, weaving in and out of Chiyoko's personal experiences and scenes from her films. Sometimes, Genya and Kyoji find themselves ghostlike observers of Edo-period samurai-and-geisha high jinks or of the repression and devastation in the militarized early 20th century. In other instances, Genya finds himself actually playing a (usually unappreciated) hero's role in his idol's adventures.

Through this ever-changing pageant, Chiyoko's own search for idealized love and her purpose in the world is refracted through assorted scenarios. This is all part of director Satoshi Kon's stated intent to imbed truth in an artful accumulation of lies.

And artful ``Millennium Actress'' is. Although a cartoon, this picture is a feast for film buffs, not only those who will recognize the tributes to such classics as Akira Kurosawa's ``Throne of Blood,'' but also the ones who have some familiarity with Japan's popular fascist cinema of the 1930s and '40s. And, of course, Godzilla is not neglected.

Acclaimed artist Takeshi Honda oversaw ``Millennium's'' character designs, and the degree of emotive expression he brings to these 2-D people trumps the best work being done in either America or Japan. Their compellingly conveyed feelings are ultimately what makes ``Millennium Actress'' a triumphant statement on how fantasies can inform a life and give it meaning.

Bob Strauss, [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

MILLENNIUM ACTRESS - Three stars

(PG: violence, language)

Director: Satoshi Kon.

Running time: 1 hr. 27 min.

Playing: Landmark Regent, Westwood.

In a nutshell: Interesting anime in which an actress's life story visually intermingles with elements from the movies she's made and her nation's history.