The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Terry Gilliam's latest, has been hotly anticipated. Not because of Terry Gilliam; nor because of the interesting nature of the story, involving as it does the fight between good and evil, the devil, immortality etc; but because it is the film that Heath Ledger was making when he died. Those that go to see this film hoping to see a spectacular swansong will be disappointed. Ledger is his usual charismatic self but he is not by any means the main event in the film, being rather more by way of a catalyst. The ensemble cast also includes Christopher Plummer as the mysterious Dr Parnassus, Lily Cole as his gorgeous but frustrated daughter Valentina, Andrew "Cute As a Button" Garfield as fellow actor Anton, Verne Troyer as the ever-wise Percy, and Tom Waits in the best portrayal of Old Nick I've seen this year.
The story is hard to sum up. In basic terms we accompany a travelling show 'The Imaginarium' itself; drawn by four horses through the streets of London looking like a gypsy encampment, it transforms into a make-shift theatre where Dr Parnassus, Valentina, Anton, and Percy perform curious and surreal shows for drunks, in the hope of tempting them into the mysterious mirror at the back of the stage. Once inside the mirror they are in Dr Parnassus's mind but the world they find themselves in is also heavily influenced by their own imagination. Hiding somewhere in the landscape is Satan, who will give them a choice and hope that they are tempted into his grasp. Dr Parnassus (a god-like figure we presume) made a deal with the devil many years before, which resulted in the birth of his daughter, who will become the payment in the deal upon her 16th birthday. Parnassus strikes another deal with Old Nick - whichever of them can win 5 souls first keeps Valentina. Things are complicated by the mysterious arrival of Tony (Ledger); found hanging from a noose under a bridge, he is rescued by the troupe and in gratitude he revamps the show and persuades them to seek out a wealthier class of audience. Along the way, of course, Valentina falls for him; but is he really all he seems?
Parnassus really is a return to form for Terry Gilliam and, for whatever reason, I think it's great that so many people are going to see this film. It's certainly not what you'd call mainstream. In typical Gilliam fashion it is weird, wacky and wonderful, with a screwy sense of humour and a nonsensical plot. In general I've not heard great reviews and was a little apprehensive about going to see it, but I actually genuinely enjoyed it. Both sections of the film - those in London, and those in the imaginarium, are totally absorbing. You really feel like part of the idiosyncratic little travelling troupe and the cosy filming style and excellent set and costume design makes their life seem oddly attractive. The scenes in the parallel world of the imaginarium (where Tony is played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell) are surreal, hilarious, and obviously a chance for Gilliam to play around with the cartoony style that he first developed in Monty Python. The sequence with the singing policemen in skirts and tights is particularly Pythonesque and there are further delights to behold.
I suspect that had I been in a less indulgent mood the off-beat and scrappy nature of this film might have frustrated me a little but as it was I was more than happy to suspend my disbelief and just be sucked into the weird world of Dr Parnassus. Considering the tragedy of Ledger's death during production I think it's pretty impressive how Gilliam has managed to work around the loss of one of his main cast members and produce a film that is entertaining, intriguing, and absolutely different to everything else showing in the multiplexes this year.


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