The film's main failure can be attributed to its lack of focus and scope, choosing to jump between several different characters that were related to the life of the protagonist. Whilst each of these characters and their inner conflicts had the potential to be very interesting upon exploration, the film never delves too deeply into any of them, choosing to take more of a touch and go approach, jumping from character to character, and developing none of them fully. It is due to this that it often feels as if there are jumps in characterization - most notably with relation to the crush of the protagonist, who is left forgotten by the film after a chilling and memorable scene, only to be brought back at the very end in what seems to be a very clumsy attempt to tie up loose ends. Much of the film feels that way - Despite it taking 2 hours, it doesn't really feel as if we really got to know the characters.
Beyond that, the film can sometimes come across as preachy - it oftentimes lacks any subtlety at all. The message of the film is simple, about how us humans are often multifaceted and multicolored, how each of us have many different sides, and how each one of us are often suffering under our own burdens under the facades we put up. We are not alone in this world - your depression and sadness is not something that only you feel - but rather something that everyone goes through, and that we must push on and live life to the fullest even through sad times. It's a beautiful message indeed, but I personally don't feel that it is delivered well. Most of it is literally spoken out by the characters to the audience, most notably in the closing scene of the movie. It's a weak way to deliver a message, and it probably would have worked much better if the film found a way to show it more rather than simply preaching it in our faces.
That said, the film does do some things well. For instance, the final twist, as predictable as it might be, works wonderfully for such a film, and would perhaps have been much more effective if the rest of the film had managed to develop a stronger emotional attachment to the protagonist. It's also beautifully animated and wonderfully drawn, making for a great visual experience at times.
Overall, Colorful is a film that is perhaps brought down by the weight of its ambition. It tries to tackle a range of important issues and explore how we humans tick, but it never really delves deep into the characters and at most times only lightly touches on them. Jumps in characterization and relationships are probably the most problematic point within the film, and it simply doesn't make good use of its runtime.
