The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

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The main talking point surrounding The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the fact that it is the last appearance of the late Heath Ledger, however, there is a lot more to talk about with this film. Ledger's performance is good, as one would expect, but he has done better and more iconic roles. The problem faced by his death occurring before filming completed is overcome easily and one would not necessarily know that Ledger had died just from the evidence of the film. There is a fitting tribute to him in the film, as Johnny Depp's version of Heath Ledger's character comments on how celebrities who died young will live on forever. However, this film deserves to be discussed as a piece of work on its own. Like many of Terry Gilliam's films it is both complex and imaginative. The titular Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) operates a mostly unsuccessful travelling show where he hopes to send members of the public through a magic mirror into the Imaginarium where they will ultimately face a choice between giving their soul to Parnassus or the Devil (Tom Waits). Those two are having a contest for the soul of Valentina (Lily Cole), the Doctor's daughter. Helping the Doctor's show are the lovelorn Anton, the dwarf Percy and Tony a mysterious stranger who can draw punters. Initially all these plot points work well. Doctor Parnassus is a desperate man who has almost given up hope, whilst the Devil is entertaining to watch, yet evidently devious. The heart of the film lies with Valentina who wants a normal life but is it unaware that it is far more complicated than just the raising of money. Unfortunately, the film runs into difficulty in the last third as the plot lines all come together and even more are added, creating a overly complex ending where nothing gets resolved properly. The acting is good, with Lily Cole surprisingly impressive and old hands Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits leading by example. Terry Gilliam direction combines the fantastical and the ordinary in a way that only he can. It is the first time he has participated in the writing process for two decades and this film has an autobiographical feel as Doctor Parnassus tries to entice with stories and the imagination only to be met by cynical crowds. This effort to wow the public may not move them away from CGI and is short of his best, but it is still entertaining and favourable over films which lack charm, imagination and storytelling.

Well today I've seen Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; I would say it's great! Terry Gilliam made another masterful work in his traditional vein of early works. Undoubtedly it could be better, but considering complicated circumstances under which were whole creation of the movie this is not just concocted story, it's elaborately tailored picture with heart and deep sense. Looks a little bit patchy at first view, I suppose it's related with the death of Heath Ledger who didn't end his performance nevertheless Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell imbue the movie with new shapes and different atmosphere. They not worse they just different, somebody may deny such substitution but they need to think at first. What choice Gilliam had? These tree actors are probably the best that cinema industry has for this role. Without them, this film won't even exist. This film is not for everyone, there are lacks of hints to get accurate picture and you'll need to face a lot of puzzles within it. But obviously when you begin to peer into the deepest niceties you start to understand all charming aspects and the main idea. This entire story filled with dozens of perplexing moments due to the abstract reality mood yet it's all looks really stunning and amazing especially perfectly contrived mysterious clouds around Heath Ledger's character Tony. His enigmatic origin has specific magnetism, it takes spectator's mind and don't give him any chance to digress from twists and turns of the plot and constantly keeps him on tenterhooks. No doubt this work deserves the highest mark, Gilliam made a great job and I believe his efforts and efforts of all who were involved in the creation of this masterpiece won't escape from clever viewers. Pity that it is the last movie of Heath Ledger, because in fact it's not a film about his character, it is basically about Doctor Parnassus. But still I'm happy that last film of Ledger was so terrific and magnificent. Ledger left us beautifully like such outstanding actors should. Rest in peace Heath we all know that you were the best. And you still the best, cos like Johny Depp sad in the movie ''Nothing is permanent, not even death''.

It would have been hard not to like this movie, since I had early previews from friends that it is boring and pointless, so my expectations were really down. I did watch it, nonetheless, and I am glad I did. If you ever watched Tideland, you know Terry Gilliam is capable of works of terrible beauty, often concocted from the ugliest bits life can provide; such is this film. This is Heath Ledger's last film, he died during filming it, but his character is not the main one, just the extra ingredient needed to take all the important ones out of their equilibrium state. Because of this tragedic death, other actors came to fill up the role, such as Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. And still, the important character, the Faust that can't keep himself from betting with a mischievous devil that isn't even very unfriendly, is Christopher Plummer's, who played marvelously at his age of 81. I loved the way the devil was toying with him, addicted to playing games that he didn't want to win in the end so that he keeps playing. The visuals were great, the atmosphere both miraculous and brooding, but rarely in the same time. And Lily Cole was cute and sexy as hell. Bottom line: a weird film that you need to think about to get at his many hidden meanings, with beautiful imaginative imagery and great actors. What is not to like?

I'm giving this a 3 out of 10, only because the CG visuals in the fantasy sequences were cool looking. The majority of the movie is a nonsensical mess that goes from "interesting," to "boring" to "annoying" during the course of its very long two hours. If someone had had the sense to cut out all the boring parts, and the screaming and bitching that these cardboard characters did, then we might have had an amazing 60 minute movie. But studios think movies need to be at least 90 minutes, and Gilliam is apparently incapable of coherent storytelling, so we end up with a turd on the screen. We will remember Heath Leger for much better roles, movies where he played actual characters. In this tedious turdburger he shows up about 20 minutes into the movie hanging by his neck, left for dead. As distasteful as this is, it is not by far the worst thing about the movie. I really wonder where Gilliam, or anyone who greenlit this script thought the drama would come from. I'm assuming they looked at this as a drama, because lord knows there's no humor in it. There's no real drama either. The bogus "bets" between an old drunk and a devil are so ill-defined, and of so little interest to the old drunk that they can't generate the slightest dramatic tension. It's really a shame when a lot of talented people put a lot of time and money into something that is such a stinker.

Gilliam's strength, as always, is in having the ability to project the craziest depths of his imagination on to the big screen and this film provides the ideal platform for him to showcase his stunning visual conceptions. The 'Imaginarium' itself is a spectacle of fabulous colours, wonderfully bizarre landscapes and alluring visions; each personal to whoever enters through the magical mirror of Dr. Parnassus' mysterious travelling sideshow. On the face of it, this vague idea along with an unparalleled cast sounds like it could be a winning concept for another masterpiece from acclaimed filmmaker Terry Gilliam (Twelve Monkeys, The Fisher King, Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), but I think it lacks the substance to make it a winner. Having said this, credit should be duly given to Gilliam, as the sudden death of Heath Ledger before filming had finished meant that some of the script had to be rewritten and other actors drafted in to complete Ledger's part (Depp, Law and Farrell). The plot is hazy and with so much going on throughout it is very difficult to summarise. Dr. Parnassus (Plummer) is accompanied on his travels by his 15 year old daughter, Valentina (played very well, actually, by model-turned-actress Lily Cole). They are joined on the road by two more assistants; the somewhat irritating, yet harmless character of Anton (Andrew Garfield) and Parnassus' "number two", Percy (Troyer). Parnassus possesses the extraordinary power to invite people into their own imaginations through the main attraction that is the Imaginarium, which appears to be a completely ordinary two-sided mirror from the outside. Once inside, however, people are enticed one way and another and eventually, required to choose their fate. Heath Ledger effortlessly plays Tony, an ambiguous, enigmatic character who brings charisma and charm to the failing sideshow. It is very much a supporting role and he turns up towards the second half of the film. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law each bring an interesting dynamic to the character, even though they feature only for short spaces of time within the Imaginarium. I would like to watch this film several times more before making my mind up completely as to whether I like it or not; but the main reason that I wouldn't put this amongst Gilliam's best is that it is quite slow-moving in places, where Gilliam seems to have gotten so carried away with his imagination-land that some of the other scenes are lacking focus. It is also difficult to feel any empathy or emotion for the characters, because even with some excellent performances – particularly Plummer as Parnassus himself – there are no distinct personalities to love or hate. In this sense, it is quite possible that this will appeal to cult fans of his niche film-making style. In any case, it is absolutely essential when watching this film that you abandon the desire for a plot in any conventional sense of the word and accept that, in order to appreciate it, your imagination must take over