Ever since his Monty Python days, Terry Gilliam has been one of the most unique visual directors in the world. From the zany Monty Python and the Holy Grail, to the beautiful sci-fi dark comedy Brazil, Gilliam showed the world that he was a gifted filmmaker. In recent years, however, his relevance has shrunk considerably after releasing several films with ho-hum responses.
Now, after numerous delays, Gilliam has released The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, which is a throwback to earlier films. Sadly, the film doesn’t come close to capturing the magic of his true classics of the past.
The story is set in present-day England and centers on a troupe of poor performers. Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), the immortal leader of the group, controls a magic mirror that allows people to go inside and journey to worlds that their imaginations create. He achieved this power 1,000 years ago when he made a deal with the devil (Tom Waits), but only in exchange for his daughter upon her sixteenth birthday. Now that his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) is approaching that age, it’s up to Parnassus and mysterious stranger Tony (Heath Ledger/Colin Farrell/Jude Law/Johnny Depp) to defeat the devil and save the girl.
The movie is making a statement on the power of one’s creative thoughts, but Gilliam should have kept in mind that a film can only support so many ideas at once. As a result, it has a clunky pace and noticeable plot holes. I was indifferent towards the characters, even when the movie was blatantly trying to be emotional.
Another major flaw within the film is the character of Tony. As many of us know, Ledger died midway through the filming of this movie in early 2008. To compensate for this, Gilliam reworked the script by having Tony change forms when in the Imaginarium. It works better than one would expect, but it still feels like a gimmick, and also doesn’t explain why no other characters change their body shapes in the Imaginarium. Also, it’s disturbing to see Tony strangled to death so many times in this movie. I can’t help but wonder how Tony’s outcome would have differed if Ledger had survived.
It’s not all bad though. The visuals are captivating, and some of the best that Gilliam has worked with in quite some time. The Imaginarium truly gives us some vivid worlds, made of things we’d never expect. One of the more notable worlds is at the beginning when a drunkard steps through the magic mirror.
Tom Waits also elevated the movie from forgettable to mediocre. The throaty singer does a fabulous job as the devil, and holds the screen whenever he appears. If any character demanded a spin off film, it would be him.
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a curious experiment, but one that isn’t very successful. Some people will likely enjoy the first viewing as a visual feast, but it won’t view as well after the initial watch. However, it’s still a miracle this film was made at all with Ledger’s passing, so accolades are acknowledged there. As a piece of storytelling, however, this film needs some more cohesive imagination.
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