The film that was the toast of Cannes last year, and received plenty of media attention didn't even earn a theatrical release and had a recent straight to dvd release.
Why is a review of this non cbm deservant of space on this site you ask? The primary reasons I can think of are that 1. Ledger essentially redefined the immense prowess of what a cbm role can achieve - even the win of an Academy Award - and, because of this, every post TDK cbm will use his Joker as a barometer, possibly for many decades to come; 2. If we owe nothing else to Ledger, his solitary post Dark Knight performance deserves at least a glance. It is a bit like looking at the reflection from, and through the mirror, at what was and sadly what may have been. Not to mention the fact that there are certain cbm adaptations that might be right up Terry Gilliam's alley, and he should always retain consideration just in case - He doesn't exactly turn out a film every five minutes. Plus, I have no doubt that the majority of the readers of this site have some interest in this movie.
I am highly aware of the sentiment many take toward Ledger's death - it is one of little sympathy, and even often a hefty dose of "he got what he deserved". I reject that notion - I just don't think it's that black and white. Even with his single towering cbm role coming as that of The Joker, he's left the genre a rich legacy and helped to steer it in a higher quality direction. There is a behemoth sense of anticipation about what will occur in the yet tba sequel to TDK; will The Joker be recast? will the Riddler take his place? who will play the Joker if he is recast and who will play the Riddler if he shows up? The main relevance Imaginarium posesses is that 4 (nearly half) of its 9 top billed cast members have already appeared, and will in the future be appearing in highly influential cbms (Ledger of course, Depp in POTC, the less than crowd favorite Colin Farrell as Bullseye in Daredevil, and even Jude law as Dr. Watson). With the Joker/Riddler issue at play, I find it a rare opportunity to compare and contrast Ledger with Depp so directly. From that standpoint alone, it appears highly valid to the future of cbms to me.
With these things in mind let us venture into the ethereally twisted and sometimes disturbing realm that is: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus!
Story: When one finds themselves entering the imagination and/or Imaginarium of Terry Gilliam (aside from the unfortunate mainstream attempt of The
Brothers Grim), one should check any attachment and comfort of the reality they know and hold so dear at the door. And Imaginarium once again lives up to the
bizarre yet wonderfully imagined expectations we've come to hold for Gilliam's original creations. It adheres to the strange distilled world of alternate
dimensions and rich subjective metaphores we've come to expect from this creative genius. The film is a vast exploration of philosophy, literally carrying you back and forth between fantasy and reality. It brings into question and great resolve the complete devastation that lies and deceit can cause. The naievety of youth, young love, and love in all roles are touched upon. The pain and struggle that can come with wisdom and age; the risk of chasing your dreams; and far out speculation on the dangerous complexities immortality might bring us as a species in the future.
Initially we are introduced to an antequated traveling caravan stage show set in modern day London, and the characters of Dr. Parnassus - (who appears to be symbolic for, not necessarily "God", but the good side of humanity and some of Gilliam himself), Valentina, or "Val" - his daughter, "Anton" - their trusty stagehand and youthful traveling companion, and Verne Troyer's "Percy" - maybe the smartest of them all, and the conscience of the group. They travel around luring people into "The Imaginarium". Eventually Tom Waits' "Mr. Nick" (The Devil) makes his entry, and we find out he and Parnassus have an age old bet involving the gathering of souls for good or evil, with the prize being Parnassus' own daughter on her 16th birthday. The days tick down to her birthday, while she has no knowledge of the bet, and they stumble upon "Tony" (Ledger) dangling from a noose under a bridge (which is probably the most disturbing thing about the whole movie). When Tony is brought into the fold, things become complicated as he pretends he has amnesia after his near brush with death. After he chokes up his trusty golden wistle he swallowed prior to his hanging, which seems to have saved his neck from cracking, you discover he's a highly gifted business man, capable of "selling ice to an Eskimo" - saving the group from starvation and destitution, and helping them reinvent the stageshow to achieve moderate financial success. Tony has big plans, and seems capable of bringing them to fruition. And while the group doesn't trust him at first they come to rely on him, because of his talent for salesmanship. Val starts to naievely fall for the older man, which causes Anton to become jealous and a love triangle ensues. Things take a very dark twist as Parnassus and Mr. Nick extend their bet for the first to 5 souls, and when Tony stumbles into the Imaginarium, and realizes it's real, everything goes to pot, and his true nature is eventually revealed - this is when you get to see Depp, Law, and Farell enter the fray, as they play a different and more evil version of "Tony" on each trip through the mirror.
It seems a very personal exploration of the ups and downs of Gilliam's career and own artistic quest. The constant struggle between one's sefish motives and how the artist believes they are inspiring the greater good, and the unavoidability of falling flat on ones face, and muddying of ideals. It examines the starving artist forever traveling the world and the interior of the imagination to fulfill their hunger and that neverending quest for the rarely if ever expressed "perfect idea". The prices paid by dreamers and artists and necessary compromises in the creation of their dreams/art. Selling your soul for your dream, going against your better judgement - ending up broken and miserable if luck is not on your side, and failure wins out. Paying the price and compromise that the business aspect brings to the process of artistic expression. Something tells me Alan Moore will like this film.
There is a warning about the rewards a silver tongue can reap, as well as the dangers and temptations that come along with those given such a gift. As the golden whistle that saves Tony time and again, finally ends up playing a role front and center to his own demise. There is a definite message that there's always a tradeoff, that the universe inherently balances things out, and that luck is not always on your side - something not to be taken for granted.
More and more of Tony's ultimately disturbing and horrifying sinister past is unraveled, and in the end, when his and Val's imaginations get tangled in the Imaginarium - there is a ride down a faux Venecian canal, that results in fornication and innocense lost. As you like this guy less and less, it is finally revealed he's a man who uses the guise of his "children's charity" to sell transplanted organs stolen from the third world children themselves to wealthy Westerners. The ending is kind of hillarious, as Val testing her newfound independence and womanhood tangles with Mr. Nick and ends up completely messing everything up with his and Parnassus' bet, becoming her own victim "lost in the Imaginarium forever". There is even more, and the film ends on a positive beat, but I'll save that incase you see the film.
It is not a simple film, but to try and put it in simple terms: My interpretation is that nobody really knows what their own future will hold. If you reach too far for your dream, and don't know when to quit, it can definitely bring you pain, and misery - you've got to be prepared for that. And if you buy into the snake oil that the fabled salesmanman with the golden whistle and silver tongue (Tony) has to sell, you're probably buying into something and going to a place you don't want to go. There is no easy way out - don't buy into that. Don't lie, don't cheat, and don't steal, because it more than often only leads to horrible consequences. It is often best to leave well enough alone, and sometimes the simple things in life are the best. And you wouldn't want to live forever, it would get REAL OLD real fast lol. It's an allegory for the dreamer, artist, and human being alike - with overtones of Pinnochio, and contemplations on risk, luck, truth, lies, youth, age, ignorance, and wisdom, the consequences of every choice we make, keeping the faith, never giving up even in the face of failure, and the roles that destiny, karma, and synchronicity undoubtedly play in our daily lives. By gambling in any aspect of one's existence*, the house odds are always stacked, and no matter what, time goes on. Things change, and ultimately time goes on with or without you so don't bank on anything.
This is more of what Tim Burton's "new" Alice In Wonderland should have been.
There is the occasional signature Monty Pythonesque cutting witticism and sattire, with references such as the "12x12x12 step program", "The Imaginarium: More exclusive than Eve" scrawled on the caravan at one point, and probably the funniest bit coming as Percy in blackface appearing to be a tiny black child that the gaggle of women surrounding the caravan want to "adopt" lol. And the usual Python bolt from the blue dance number.
Cinematography and set design: It is what you expect from Gilliam. Obviously it's a very low budget picture, so it's not as flashy as what has become the norm. Though this helps to give it a nice earthy texture. It's especially dark and sort of monochrome in the "modern world", and becomes vibrant and colorful
(alot of primary colors) in the imaginarium - an intended contrast I expect. There are the signature Gilliam unorthodox camera angles and movements - you know who made this film. The costumes are especially ornate and bizarre, especially in what has become the signature pinnochio mask. They did alot with what they had to work with. There are flashes of Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and Twelve Monkeys here and there - a scene especially reminiscent of Uma Thurman's introduction in Munchausen with her looking stunning and dancing through the air in a flowing dress; this time it's Lily Cole sublimely gliding through water. 4/5
CG: Many have complained about the cg, and while it is true that the trees are reminiscent of Legend of Zelda. It is obviously not meant to be a showcase of cg, as with Watchmen or Iron Man, etc.. I'm sure if they were given more time and money, it would've been more high quality. But again,
it gets the point across quite well. There are a few GREAT designs: such as the "hand man" who grabs drunkards and pulls them up to dangle on the tendril of a giant cosmic jellyfish for eternity. This scene really caught me by surprise and pulled me in. =P And in the end, with the mirror breaking into a million pieces, and ending up the shattered world where broken dreams collide; is very well done - that scene is not nearly as high budget or beautiful, but somewhat similar to when Silk Spectre II shatters the Mars clock
in Watchmen.
The performances:
"Tony" (Ledger) - His loss remains a tragedy, and this movie only serves to remind us of that. There is no doubt in my mind this actor would have given
us many more incredible performances. There are of course unavoidable shades of The Joker in this character and performance, and it's haunting. But this stands on its own, and it would've been great regardless of his death. I have seen many opinions that the reason this film got any attention at all is because of the "Ledger train"; I fully disagree. He turns in an excellent performance. 4.5/5
"Dr. Parnassus" (Christopher Plummer) - I've always liked Plummer, he's a versatile actor with a long history. In this he plays more of a good guy or at least a guy who wants to be good, but he's equally capable of skin crawling evilness (Minority Report). With Imaginarium, he and Ledger (and Verne Troyer) carry the movie. He deserves to have an eye kept on him for future cbm roles, and might have made/would make a good Guardian in Green Lantern. 4.5/5
"Mr. Nick" (Tom Waits) - Having had such a dramatic impact on contemporary music even influencing such bands as Primus, the gravely voiced songster is an equally great actor. I'm not sure why he doesn't do more of it, but I suppose he's usually busy with music. This is more of a psuedo comic take on the Devil; a smooth talkin', cigar smokin', suit wearin', "gamblin' man" - he even wears a sort of bowler cap, and you know what? If I were to look for some inspiration for The Riddler, I might look right here. 4.5/5
"Valentina" (Lily Cole) - She's new, but I sure do like her. She plays overall an extremely naieve young girl, and seems very childish for how "grown" she appears. But that's part of the character, and she pulls it off well. She's a standout amongst the cast, and deserves to be looked at for possible up and coming cbm roles. Her acting is very natural and she holds up well against the veterans. It is definitely worth mentioning that she's drop dead gorgeous in a classic glamorous style with the face of a porcelain doll, gigantic eyes, and a body to match. "She has bumps in all the right places" as Gilliam puts it. 4/5
"Percy" (Verne Troyer) - He's also a standout. Does a good job at rejecting just being "Mini Me". He's a straight talking, take no guff, tell it like it is "dwarf, not a midget" (a joke in the movie). He's apparently Parnassus' conscience, and a high quality Gemini Cricket knockoff. Happy to see this actor having tremendous success and not just being typecast as the "little guy". He's fantastic. 4.5/5
"Anton" (Andrew Garfield) - Found him to be a bit of an annoying smart ass, but I guess that was partially the character he was playing. He's good for being so
young and being up against such titans. we'll probably be seeing more of him in the near future. 4/5
"Imaginarium Tony 1" (Johnny Depp) - Alright, here's what everyone's a little curious about. It turned out, for as fast as it had to be slapped together, much better than I expected. When you first see Depp, he is wearing the mask, but it's a smooth segue from a previous scene with Ledger. You're not 100% expecting it, and he looks SO MUCH like Ledger - via the mascara and makeup, I wasn't sure it was actually Depp for a second. He does a halfway mimic of Ledger. It is a very short appearance, but of the three "Imaginarium Tony's", as you might expect he's BY FAR the best. It's hard to imagine that they rewrote everything, got a hole in Depp's schedule, and had him come in and do THAT GREAT a job so fast. That's why I'm even more on board for him to play the Riddler than I was before I saw this. He does a fantastic and uncanny job. Considering the circumstances and what little time they had to get this together. 5/5
"Imaginarium Tony 2" (Jude law) - He's decent, nothing special. I like Law, but he's a bit of a pretty boy. With my favorite performances of him thus far coming in A.I. and of course as Dr. Watson. In this, basically he seems just like Jude Law playing Tony lol. 3.5/5
"Imaginarium Tony 3" (Colin farrell) - Never been a big fan of this guy, and as far as the "Imaginarium Tony's" go, he's given the most screentime and the most complicated scenes. He does a decent job, and I bet you he was just happy to get to be in a Gilliam flick lol. He's definitely the most naturally unlikable person out of the Tony's, so Gilliam obviously picked up on this and saved the worst for last. But it works surprisingly well. He didn't do a BAD job, just the usual for him. 3/5
Some esoteric observations I made are:
1. The film has a very heavy Pinnochio influence, as "Tony" puts the mask with the long nose on when he's in salesman mode or lying, and 2. The introduction of Depp's "Imaginarium Tony" is extremely poingnant as he "sells" the older woman on why she should choose the "good" path - there are candlelit miniature boat shrines of actors who died young floating down a river, and Depp states "they won't get old they won't get sick or feeble they are beyond fear because they are forever young they're Gods". This is possibly Gilliam's highly poetic tribute to Ledger. 3. There is a joke in the movie where Tony runs around with all these "black magic" symbols on his forehead, and all throughout Parnassus is playing with tarot cards - Then Parnassus and Mr. Nick have a talk and Mr. Nick questions what are those symbols on his forehead s'posed to mean anyway?" that pays off at the end with Tony dying, and Parnassus states "there are three rules: one, there is no such thing as black magic and I forget the others". Oh and 4. the mirror seems to be a piece of mylar not "tinfoil" which most have speculated. =P
All things considered, it is nearly miraculous that this movie managed to be released at all. It's a tribute to the ingenuity and craftsmanship of everybody involved in the project that Ledger's primary footage was salvaged and other actors came to the rescue of what would have otherwise ended up as a pile of mostly useless stock footage sitting on a shelf gatherthing dust. Truthfully, I think it made the picture more deeply meaningful and multidimensional. It is an on screen phoenix metaphore if ever there was one.
I really tried hard to stay objective and not overanalyze this film, because it's very easy to do with its intellectual and philosophical complexity. If you don't like things very cerebral stay away from this movie. Also, when hearing Gilliam speak on the subject it seems like he's pretty straight forward and very unpretentious. But that's the thing about great art: it can develop its own personal subjective meaning to each viewer. And if there's one thing this film is, it's great art.
If this movie sounds like it might meet your tastes, I encourage to shell out for it, especially since a part of the proceeds go to Ledger's children. That and it will keep Terry Gilliam afloat so maybe at some point we can see him take on a cbm.
Nothing is as it seems when the line is crossed and people's minds blur together in the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.
I highly reccomend seeing it and give it 4.5/5