The What of the Who, now? (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (DVD))

Member Name: SWSt

Product:	The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (DVD)
Date:	13/11/09 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Complex, thought-provoking and visually stunning

Disadvantages: Definitely an acquired taste; a shade too long; inspired, but flawed

There are only a handful of Directors whose names can be used as an adjective. State something is "Hitchcock-ian" and we know to expect a dark full tale of intrigue, whilst it is almost compulsory to describe bloody crime thrillers as "Tarantino-esque".

Terry Gilliam is another whose mere name evokes such expectations: the blending of the old with the new, the fantastical with the mundane; sumptuous visuals of the imagination contrasting with the humdrum greys and browns of real life. These are all typically "Gilliam-esque"

The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus might be attracting attention as the film Heath Ledger final film, but in all other regards it is resolutely a Terry Gilliam film. The visual style, showing a director with a vision greater than his budget, the incredible (sometimes baffling) flights of fancy, the identification with the outcasts of society; even the frustrating sense that the film almost touches genius on a number of occasions, but always falls just maddeningly short: it's Gilliam through and through.

All of which is a somewhat long-winded way of saying if you don't like Terry Gilliam films, Dr Parnassus will not change your mind and if you've never seen one, you might find it's not your cup of tea.

The essential plot surrounds an on-going bet between an ancient monk now living in twenty-first century London (Dr Parnassus) and The Devil (affectionately known as Mr Nick). To win the bet, each must win an agreed number of souls. Dr Parnassus harnesses the power of the imagination to entice people, Mr Nick simply tempts them. The prize? Parnassus' 16 year old daughter.

All of which is simply an excuse for Gilliam to once again dive into the power of the mind, considering the reality gap between how we see ourselves and how others see us, the constant moral battle between good and evil and the essentially conflicted nature of man, the fight between the mundane and the spectacular; all very Gilliam-esque themes that will be familiar to his fans.

This is probably all starting to sound rather heavy and metaphysical and there is no doubt that Dr Parnassus is considered, intelligent and thought-provoking (some will say slow). It asks lots of questions and doesn't provide any easy answers: this is both Gilliam's blessing and his curse. He is a highly intelligent director with a fertile imagination and strong vision, who refuses to serve up multiplex friendly fare. If you are ready to be challenged and don't want to just stare slack-jawed at the screen whilst stuffing popcorn in your gob, then Dr Parnassus may well be the film for you.

Married to the intelligent, thought-provoking script are some stunning visuals Modern day London is shown as all greys and browns, mud and rain. Enter the Imaginarium, however, and you are only limited by your imagination. Here the film explodes into day-glo colour with incredible images filling up the screen, bursting with joy whilst, (this being a Gilliam film, remember) always maintaining a slightly sinister edge. It's an explosion of joy, an assault on the senses and one which perfectly captures both the limitless power of the imagination and the on-going fight between good and evil.

Again, this is a double edged sword. The scenes in the Imaginarium allow Gilliam to indulge his sense of theatrics and the visually bizarre. At the same time, these sequences will simply prove too weird for some and reduce the film to a pile of incoherent nonsense. This is very much one of those films that you either get or you don't. Whilst there is a coherent narrative thread running through the film, it often veers off in wild directions that will have some viewers transfixed and leave others cold.

Equally, the film does over-stretch itself (another Gilliam trademark). At times you can see where the budget wasn't big enough to match his imagination. Some of the visuals look a little set-bound; others a little too obviously computer generated, leaving the human actors looking lost. The sheer amount of visual effects can also mean that the film becomes an assault upon the senses and you reach a point where you think your brain might possibly explode with the sheer relentlessness of Gilliam's vision. In this respect, the film is also a little too long.

But what of the cast? The biggest complement you can give is that Heath Ledger is not missed. In the scenes in which he appears, he is as excellent as ever, reminding us of how many great films he might have made had he lived. Yet Gilliam and his cast do a superb job of covering up his absence. His sudden transformation into Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell respectively is highly logical (within the overall context of the film) and you scarcely notice the join where Ledger "becomes" someone else. That's how seamless both the writing and the performances are. Depp brings his usual quirky style to proceedings, yet can turn to his darker side when required; Colin Farrell is superb as the roguish, manipulative side of Ledger's character and his portrayal of the character is arguably the strongest; even Jude Law (an actor I don't particularly rate) is acceptable - although his segment is noticeably the weakest.

Despite this array of talent it's two veterans who really steal the show. Christopher Plummer adds to his already long list of memorable characters as the titular Dr Parnassus. Inscrutable, yet never infuriating, Plummer turns in a beautifully nuanced performance as a man tired of life, who nevertheless cannot help getting drawn into playing games with Mr Nick.

Tom Waits, meanwhile, as Mr Nick aka The Devil is in inspired form. Playing him as a 1920s gangster/spiv, Waits perfectly captures the ingratiating nature, the wheedling ways and the soothing mellow voice you might expect such a character to have. It's easy to see why Parnassus is duped by him time and time again, and Waits even has time to make Mr Nick likeable, not purely manipulative and evil. It's this pair - and the symbiotic link between them - which more than anything provides this film with a strong sense of humanity to counter-balance the visual spectacular.

The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus is clearly not going to be to everyone's tastes. Brilliant, but flawed; thought-provoking but frustrating with a strong visual identity that sometimes threatens to overwhelm with its intensity. Yep, this is a Terry Gilliam film, all right! If you're fed up of watching things explode, cars chase other cars or people do highly implausible things like save the world with just a rubber band and a small carrot, give The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus a go. You might not like it, but at least it offers something different.

Basic Information
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The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
2009
Director: Terry Gilliam
Running time: approx. 123 minutes
Certificate: 12A

© Copyright SWSt 2009

Summary: Once more, Gilliam dares to be different