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SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, British Independent Film Awards, European Film Awards, ...Lost In La Mancha
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Shattered dreams...,
By
This review is from: Lost In La Mancha [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
A documentary about the making of a film that never got past the shooting of a couple of scenes doesn't seem to promise much, but the story of what was to turn out to be a real-life "disaster movie" is riveting stuff.
Terry Gilliam's obsession with "Don Quixote" is infectious and his enthusiasm for the task he faces coupled with glimpses of what it could have been really make you wish that things had turned out better. The insights into how a film is planned and the hugely complex logistics of a "live shoot" are fascinating, while the build-up to the almost inevitable collapse of the project, compounded by unbelievably bad weather and the illness of the central actor, coupled with the impacts of it all on those involved, is about as far removed from the typical self-congratulatory "making of the movie" add-on as you can get. Finally, the whole sorry affair - in particular Gilliam's persistent & unbridled optimism in the face of virtually insurmountable odds as he pursues the chance to realise a long-standing dream - becomes a quite bizarre, tragi-comic parallel to "Don Quixote" itself. You may only watch this once, and renting is therefore probably the best option, but you won't be disappointed.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The windmill wins one,
By
This review is from: Lost In La Mancha [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
For a film maker, as with any other working bloke, it sometimes just doesn't pay to get out of bed in the morning.LOST IN LA MANCHA is a cautionary tale about the making of a feature film, or rather the un-making of it. For years, Director Terry Gilliam dreamed of making a screen adaptation of the Don Quixote story - you know, that old and senile Spanish knight who tilts at windmills. In 2000, with a budget of $32 million, Terry set about to do just that. His film, entitled "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote", stars Jean Rochefort as Quixote and Johnny Depp as Sancho Panza. After several months of pre-production, Rochefort and Depp arrive on location, and shooting begins in the Spanish desert. During the first week, the crew copes with continual overflights of screeching F-16 jets, a thunderstorm that generates a flash flood that destroys equipment, and an injury to the 70-year old Rochefort that'll apparently keep him off his faithful steed unless cured. (Don Quixote on foot? Hmm, doesn't call-up quite the same image, does it?) In the second week of shooting, a visit by the investors is followed by one from the insurance adjuster, who begins to mumble about "acts of God" precluding payment. Meanwhile, Rochefort is back in Paris to see his physician, and things don't look promising for a timely return. Then, the First Assistant Director, Phil Patterson, delivers the final blow. Viewing LOST IN LA MANCHA, there's a certain terrible fascination watching the director's dream crumble before his (and your) eyes because of appallingly bad luck. One can't help but feel sorry for the poor devil. The film will, perhaps, only appeal to one that loves the movies and appreciates, at least to a minor degree, the organization, preparation, and coordination necessary to mount and complete a major production. A postscript in the end credits informs the audience that Gilliam has since re-acquired the rights to "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote", which defaulted to the insurance company, and plans to give it another go. If it's ever released, I'll pay to see it just out of sympathy.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A terrible waste!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Lost In La Mancha [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
My friend and I watched this DVD when it arrived, eagre to see the film-making process of Terry Gilliam, of whom we are both fans. It didn't bode well from early on in pre-production, but Gilliam's enthusiasm and faith in his project was infectious and people involved in the film all did their best to try and make it work. However, it does seem as though the project was jinxed from the start, even though, if the film DOES get made, I am sure it will be fabulous, as the scenes they DID manage to shoot looked great, especially the "Giants"! We both really hope that Terry Gilliam has another shot at this as we are sure it will be marvellous if he finally succeeds. There was also a very good point made in the film that Terry has been penalised for Baron Munchausen in Hollywood and there is little commercial faith in him there after that movie, which seems very unfair considering that Twelve Monkeys was successful as was The Fisher King. Give the man the money to make what will be a marvellous film!
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