The Fisher King

source: The Fisher King

The Fisher King

With "The Fisher King", director, Terry Gilliam juxtaposes into its story the 2 key elements of Arthurian mythology and modern-day decay. One would surely think that these 2 components injected into the story-telling would be perfectly complimentary to one another. But, sadly enough, it's all deception. For, alas, every interesting thought fused into The Fisher King's story is utterly ruined by the gross miscasting of Jeff Bridges, as the Radio Shock Jock, and Robin Williams, as the homeless man suffering from dementia. "The Fisher King" is a lop-sided, rickety, old story that asserts the patently unrealistic stance that says that insanity is truly a wonderful place to be. Its contrived notion that the homeless are all a bunch of mischievous, little "knights-of-adventure" is downright preposterous and ridiculous. Believe me - The Fisher King's story wears unbearably thin, real fast. So, let's face it - It's Three Strikes, and you're OUT!! with "The Fisher King". Yep. This one is a real loser.

Frankly I don't understand all the enthusiasm!? Plot? There is no real plot. OK fine there is one, a very classical arrogant successful guy hits a rock, sinks low, and then discovers generosity and helping others which makes him a better person. Yawn. OK, not yawn per se, but yawn in this film. Acting? - Robin Williams is Robin Williams in a one man show, or close to one; he does his usual part when someone lets him, i.e. if you remove his costume in your imagination you find that you could be in pretty much any other made for Robin Williams (Patch Adams, Mrs Doubtfire, Jumanji, etc.) He overacts so much and so constantly that it kills much of the movie that isn't Robin Williams - Jeff Bridges does his usual slow-moving, quiet, I'm not really sure I understand what is going on here thing. A bit like in K-Pax in many ways. He is at his best when he plays that he's drunk. - Amanda Plummer looks exactly like, hey I am a young actress and I worked hard and watched a lot of people with some mental and behavioural issues and look at how well I can portray such a person, only no, at no time is she even remotely credible. Someone go watch Jodie Foster in Nell, or Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. - Mercedes Ruehl shines among this crowd. She is the only truly credible character, she acts, she has presence, it works. And what helps is that she has a "nice guy" part where she is kind, lovable, generous, you name it. Her award was well deserved. Filming / editing / pace? - something just doesn't work. Some bits are terribly terribly slow and without much if any content, but yet not achieving any particular depth that would justify this slow pace. Some bits are full of agitation and screaming but not sure why. Oh and there is the Red Knight which isn't really that useful and seems lifted directly from Baron Munchausen (where Robin Wiliams had a part btw). Bottom-line? Not a good arrogance meets punishment meets redemption movie. Average to downright terrible acting (or at any rate, overly dominant and very monotonous). Issues with pace. Terry Gilliam has made several films that I really like - but this one just doesn't work for me, sorry. And I really, really don't understand all the super-positive reviews, I just don't. Is no one going to scream, "hey the king is naked!" ?

I'm so disappointed in this movie. I love Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges is an excellent actor, but this movie was bitterly disappointing. The story just didn't cut it for me, it took too long to bring Robin Williams in, it was bitty and patchy and the vital spark of empathy was missing - I just didn't care what happened to them. I gave it 45 minutes and then went to unpack some moving boxes - an indication of how dreary it was.

Director Terry Gilliam's halfhearted return to Earth includes all the ingredients for what could have been a whimsical romantic fantasy, despite all the illogical, contrived plot tissue about how an acerbic, selfish New York City radio host (Jeff Bridges) redeems himself by rescuing a soul in worse peril than his own. The film was written like a small, offbeat character study: loony street-person Robin Williams, who imagines himself to be a medieval knight on a mythical quest, saves Bridges from suicide, and Bridges returns the favor by arranging a date between Williams and the painfully neurotic Amanda Plummer. But Gilliam's absurd, distracting over-direction smothers the already flimsy scenario under an avalanche of inappropriate 'style': fish-eye lenses; whizzing dolly shots; exaggerated camera angles; smoke; steam; and one gratuitous, gory flashback to a bloody mass murder, totally out of place in an otherwise light romantic comedy. Any genuine charm or emotion is lost because the visual scheme is so artificial, and the highly praised, ersatz performance by Robin Williams is little more than undisciplined shtick.

THE FISHER KING (1991) **** Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, Michael Jeter, Tom Waits. Brilliant tragic-farce about a shock jock radio personality (Bridges in top form and criminally overlooked for an Oscar nod!) who goes over the brink into madness when he inadvertently causes a tragedy that he ends up reliving when he comes upon a homeless man (Williams equally brilliant, Best Actor nominee) that has become that way due to his actions. Repercussions and setbacks aside, intriguing character study despite some broad strokes. Daring direction by Terry Gilliam and Ruehl (Oscar winner, Best Supporting Actress) is dead-solid perfect as Bridges' taken for granted lover. Pathos and pathologies aplenty. Astonishing screenplay by Richard La Gravenese (who has a blink-n-miss cameo in the first asylum sequence; he's in a strait-jacket). Look sharp for Kathy Najimi as a video store patron Bridges insults and David Hyde Pierce as Bridges' agent.

I recently saw this movie again. (actually I felt compelled to buy it at a video sale). I have always loved it and I continue to be moved by it. The story has such a romantic and poetic quality. It examines the nature of redemption born, not out of guilt and obligation, but out of a truly selfless act of love for another person. The film rivals "The Shawshank Redemption" in its vision of the triumph of the human spirit, and the elements of fantasy are absolutely breathtaking, especially the scene in Grand Central Station. Definitely one of Robin Williams' most moving performances.

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I kept returning to it over they years and I always found it a great and enriching experience to watch. I especially like the shifting incarnations of the legendary Fisher King in this film (the wounded hero, kind of the wasteland, keeper of the holy grail. The archetype of the knight and of the wounded warrior can be seen as one of the prominent archetypes of masculinity we have. By this view, this movie can be seen as a research into masculinity as such. The performances by Bridges, Williams and Ruehl are exquisite. The eighties' New York is a great setting for this ethereal, symbolic quest, and the surreal theatricalness of some of the scenes (a la "Brazil") only adds to the overall artistic congruence of the film. The visuals are great. The movie works on many levels, so apart from this very abstract layer, we get a funny and intelligent comedy about modern misfits - with a great love story, or two. Also, I especially recommend this movie to anyone who loves New York City.

The movie's plot has been discussed enough, no need to rehash it here. I just wanted to add a few observations. In my opinion this is one of Robin Williams' best performances. I know that at the time he was heavily involved in Comic Releif and this story about mentally ill homeless men and acceptance of all types of people really fits the PC Comic Releif mentality, but he really did a great job here, portraying Parry, a man lost in fantasies of knights and ladies. Jeff Bridges is very Howard Stern-like as Jack Lucas, the insulated, rude talk show host. In 1991 Stern was still a New York thing, but being that his "fame" has since spread, we see who the character was based on with a little more clarity now. Michael Jeter as the homeless, depressed former cabaret singer was a delight in every scene he was featured in. His "singing telegram" scene to Lydia in her office was a classic. Mercedes Ruehl also stood out as sort of living outside this crazy world that Jack Lucas finds himself thrust into. Her home is a haven and scenes shot there are usually scenes of a return to normalcy in the story, a grounding. David Hyde Pierce has pretty much found his niche as the asexual, slightly fey character. This was basically a toned-down Niles Crane in a hat here. Amazing movie. Like other Terry Gilliam movies, they unwind like dreams and have the look of otherworldliness. I am sorry that the homeless people arent giddy and uplifting enough for some viewers, but in reality it is a pretty stark existance. Recommended highly.