The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
| Directed by: | Terry Gilliam |
|---|---|
| Written by: | Terry Gilliam, Charles McKeown |
| Cast: | Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer |
| Studio: | Sony Pictures Classics |
| Genre: | Adventure/Fantasy |
| Official Site: | www.sonyclassics.com/theimaginariumofdoctorparnassus/ |
I saw this film last night as part of the AFI's Silver Theater's Euro Showcaese. Many people were curious how Terry Gillim could finish this film after Heath Ledger's passing. I'm happy to say Gilliam, armed with his directorial skills and wild imagination, completed it to make a great film that is that typical wild Gilliam from Brazil and 12 Monkeys. The main conflict of the film revolves around a competition between Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), competing for Dr. Parnassus' daughter Valentina (Lily Cole). Accompanied by Anton (Andrew Garfield) and Percy (Verne Troyer), they discover Tony (Heath Ledger) one night, found in dangerous spot by the traveling troupe and saved.
This movie is incredibly thrilling, funny and imaginative, with Gilliam utilizing CGI to go absolutely wild with his visuals. When someone steps inside Dr. Parnassus' Imaginarium, it's manifestation of that person's ultimate dream and desires. This is where you some some of the most wild and great visual unlike any film seen before. The visuals only become greater and stranger as the film progresses, echoing Gilliam's Brazil, only with CGI as his main tool here.
All the acting is very solid, including Lily Cole, who surprised me considering she comes from a modeling background and only 1 minor acting role to show. Heath Ledger's replacements all do a great job working together to channel certain aspects of Tony's character when their moment comes. My favorite of the 3 ended up being Colin Ferrell, as he becomes the main manifestation of Tony in the film's climax. He did a fantastic job.
I must go back to mention the story a bit. It's a story and presentation that's loaded with Gilliam commentary about today's society and mixed with some political and religious symbolism throughout the film. One such scene involves the discovery of Tony, which I won't reveal here for the sake of review. The main themes of this film include the salvation of the human soul from the restraints of superficial objects and desires.
All in all, it's an incredibly fun film with layer embedded in it. I'm definitely seeing it again when it hits the U.S. on Christmas Day.
8.5/10
