The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus [DVD]

I thought the Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus was bloody wonderful, but it has many of Terry's interesting problems that he tends to build into his movies.

For a start it is perhaps too complex and rich. There is sometimes things going on in the background and indeed, the foreground which can be confusing and you always suspect that you've missed something. The first 20 minutes are a bit confused, but I suspect that these minutes have been nailed on at the beginning so that some of the other features (such as the changing aspects of Tony) that were introduced by Heath Ledger dying during filming are more easily explained later in the movie. This, I think will turn off some people and they will feel that the whole film is confused, but it isn't really.

Some of the visuals are spectacular. Some look like he has raided a country school theatre cupboard and thrown the results onto his actors. Some scenes have a distinct feel of Brueghel about them, others more eastern and mystical. Some bits are not explained at all and you are left with a "what the hell was that" feeling. For example - who was Percy as a character and why did he seem to know what was going on all the time??

Overall it is just as good as Time Bandits, complete with the a (probably slightly less) ambiguous moral ending that is his trademark. At its core, it is a simple morality play with the message "be careful of your choices as you will have to live with them". Though it does have a definite, satisfying ending for most of it's characters.

Personally, I loved it.

Try as I might I can't find anything I don't like about this film with the exception of one scene, the bronze head and dancing policemen which was just too Pythonesque and out of sorts with the rest of it. Terry Gilliam should be well past his Monty Python days now and this scene for me just jarred with the rest of what is a superbly imagined fantasy. In the deluge of repetitive mundanity that pours from Hollywood nowadays this film is a shining beacon of originality. That said it won't be to everyone's tastes. Gilliam seamlessly overcomes the loss of Heath Ledger by introducing not one but three alternative Tony character's inside the Imaginarium and it is done so well that I had to look twice to realise what had happened. There are no poor performances in this film and Lily Cole especially demonstrates that she is no one trick pony. I look forward to seeing her again in the future but hope her unique looks do not become a hindrance. This is a film I shall defintiely buy on blu-ray as the visual images are so good. It is also presented in full screen which is always a plus for me.

Tony (HEATH LEDGER) is a normal bloke. A normal bloke found dangling by the neck from Westminster bridge with a whistle in his throat. But Tony's rescuers are any but normal. Doctor Parnasuss (CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER) and his traveling circus are touring the back streets of London, barely making ends meat but offering a wonderful experience. A trip inside the Imaginarium of the thousand year old monk. But society does not have time for the travelling circus anymore until Tony offers his help and knowledge. But he is gettin more than he bargained for in helping these strange people; the devil has come to claim his prize, Dr. P's 16 year old daughter Valentina (LILY COLE).
What occurs inside the Imaginarium is a complex array of humour, tesnion and surrealism blended beautifully together by the brilliant Terry Gilliam, who's project looked like failing when Mr. Ledger unfortuantely passed away half way through filiming. What followed was a stroke of genious by the director who brought in three of Hollywood's most succesful actors (JOHNNY DEPP, JUDE LAW, COLLIN FARELL) to fill in the missing parts.
The film is shot in a way that takes your breath away, from the flying jellyfish to the elephant monastry, the film has an air of elegance around it. It truly is a Terry Gilliam triumph that shines in so many ways.
The devil is portrayed as a suite wearing, pipe smoking, gambler called Mr Nick (TOM WAITS) who likes one thing more than winning a bet, and that is remodelling the bet so he can win again. The first to five souls can keep Valentina. And so forms the bases of the story. Inside the Imaginarium, the guest is given a choice which in some way resembles a choice between good or bad. Dr. P asks Tony for help to win the souls and in his charming and flirtatious way, begins the race.
Just be prepared... the story does have a morale to it. It may be cliched. It may have been used before. But it has not been used like this. The story is a rare gem that gives Heath the send off he so very much deserved. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus may not be to everybodies taste, but it will be a visual thrill ride that will be etched into the memory for a while, if not for the story but for Ledger's outstanding performance.

A BRIEF WARNING
Do not see this film, excpecting it to be a 'Johnny Depp' classic. This is not his film. His role is a cameo. But a very good one though.