The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
2009
Directed By Terry Gilliam



SYNOPSIS

A traveling show lead by Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) allows people to literally step into their imaginations through a magic mirror. The troupe has fallen on hard times when they rescue a man (Heath Ledger) hanging from a bridge. With his charisma, charm, and business know-how he starts bringing in money. But the immortal Parnassus faces even bigger problems. He made a deal with the Devil (Tom Waits) years ago. In order to regain his youth, he would give up his daughter (Lily Cole) when she hit 16 years of age. That day is very soon and the Devil shows up to collect, he renegotiates the deal. Now Parnassus and the Devil race to see who can seduce the first five people to the light side or the dark side.



MY THOUGHTS

(Since it's still in theaters I must warn you that this may contain minor spoilers)

Doctor Parnassus is a return to form for director Terry Gilliam and a fitting farewell for Heath Ledger.
Gilliam's last two films Tideland and The Brothers Grimm both had his imaginative visual style that defines his films, but suffered from weak screenplays. Parnassus fits in tonally with Gilliam's films from the 1980's Time Bandits, Brazil, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and has more than a few nods to his Monty Python days. Parnassus doesn't hit the highs of Brazil or Time Bandits but is a strong film in its own right.

The film contains huge surrealist landscapes from Gilliam's rich imagination when the characters enter the mirror, much like Alice (In Wonderland) when she looks into the looking glass.
The real-life scenes are also skewed and show off Gilliam's acid wit with plenty of commentary on today's society (a sign in a store window reads "Only 364 Days Until Christmas!)

I was surprised by how much of the film Heath Ledger appears in... he's in everything but the scenes inside the mirror.
Ledger's character's appearance helps to save the fledgling troupe, yet there's no way he could be called the hero of the story and I'm not sure there really is one. Ledger shines one last time in bringing this murky character to life and once he's on screen the film picks up steam.
The character's true darkness is shown as he enters the mirror.
His mirror identities are played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. The three are all clearly playing playing the same character and the whole thing doesn't come of as distracting or gimmicky. The changes are explained in the film.



Christopher Plummer is always an asset to any movie he's in.
He seemingly hasn't portrayed a 'good guy' since before The Sound Of Music and its great to see. As a counterpoint to the devil and with his special powers, Parnassus is sort of a god-like character but the role isn't a flattering one. He's a serious alcoholic who spends most of the time lamenting the past and wishing he were dead . Plummer's presence adds a lot of gravity to the film.



Like his other films, The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus is not for everyone, but fans of Terry Gilliam and fans of films that are off the beaten path will delight in this unique and entertaining film.