Review: The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus (2009)

[Tim Voon]

Film Review - The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus 2009
By Tim Voon
3.5 out of 5 stars

If anyone is familiar with director Terri Gilliam's work, you will be
expecting a visual feast and a very difficult to follow story line.
The cult classic 'Brazil 1985' will jump to mind - visually stunning,
emotionally stirring but ummm, but as to the storyline, what
storyline? That movie still baffles me to this day, when someone asks
me about 'Brazil' I will say 'Oh yeah, that's a great visual movie,'
but become stumped as to explain what actually happened.

I am pleased to say that 'Dr Parnassus' is easier to follow. Terri
Gilliam has not lost his touch with presenting us with a Dali'esque
couture of moving imagery which will stun your senses. However, he has
showed better restraint in not letting these images overwhelm the
movie so that the viewer is lost in a pool of floating symbolism. This
does not mean that it is an easy movie to follow, but it did leave me
as the viewer with a better sense of completion - a conclusion to the
story.

Some of the most memorable and enjoyable moments of the movie is of
course exploring the imagination of Terri Gilliam (Dr Parnassus). We
are rewarded with images of enchanting meadows, floating nymphs,
mysterious forests with ladders that reach the clouds. Faraway
monasteries set on unreachable snow covered mountain cliffs are just a
few images that come to mind. This is in stark contrast to the grim
reality of present day London where the travelling stage troupe of Dr
Parnassus, is still horse drawn around town. It sets up stage at small
carnivals, back alleys and abandoned building sites wherever it can
draw an audience.

As for the plot, in a jist, Dr Parnassus made a pact with the Devil
who granted him immortality. He found he was cheated when eternal life
as an old man was not all it was made out to be. In exchange for a
moment of true love and mortality, he promises the Devil that any
living child born would belong to it when the child turned 16. Thus
the dilemma of Parnassus, he has a beautiful daughter Valentina (Lily
Cole) who is about to come of age. So what is 'The Imaginarium of Dr
Paranssus', well, he is able to transport you into an alternate
universe where your soul will either find salvation or damnation.

As many of you may be aware this is Heath Ledgers final film, during
which he passed way before its completion. The ending of this movie is
particularly heartfelt when on the closing curtain (literally), it
states 'performed by Heath Ledger and his friends'. Good friends in
deed. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrel step in as the alternate
version of Heath when he is inside the Imaginarium/fantasy world. I
hear that they gave of their time and their pay was used to set up a
fund for Heath's daughter Matilda. From observation, it appeared that
Heath completed most of the London scenes, but not the ones inside the
Imaginarium. Director Terri Gilliam has seamlessly and believably made
it plausible that these actors could in fact fill in where Heath could
not. In fact, Johnny, Jude and Colin do to some degree look like
different versions of Heath in the movie.

Overall, I was quite pleased with Terri Gilliam's work. There are
moments where 'Monty Python' rears its unmistakable head i.e. a sudden
song and dance scene with London 'Coppers' dressed in skirts, screamed
'Life of Brian'. I just winched. I was particular delighted and
surprised to see Christopher Plummer in the role of Dr Parnassus. This
is by far one of his best acting roles to date. I think many people
will watch this movie uncertain of what to expect and some may even
leave bewildered. But this is 'The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus' a
journey into the mind of uncertainty, where life and death, Heaven and
Hell are the predominant themes. Be prepared to accept or reject the
different possibilities of your existence, now and here after.


Website - filmnet.com
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