Jason KingThe Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ($7-)
October 28th 2009 08:42
:
Heath's Last Film
Category: No Category
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ($7-)
Sorry I have not written in over a week. I have been the sickest I have been for years with a dreadful chest infection. I have been coughing my guts up and basically not in the mood to sit in front of a computer. I have come up with many story ideas while lying under the dooner but no motivation to get them written with any skill.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present-day. It tells the story of Dr. Parnassus and his extraordinary "Imaginarium", a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Doctor Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this "coming of age" milestone and Dr. Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr. Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr. Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr. Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all!
Visually this film is a knockout and superb extravaganza of the imagination although that's about it. I found the plot a total mess and I cannot stand Terry Gilliam directing something he has written himself. I think he just prefers to have the camera rolling and just record whatever the actors do in front of it and then endeavor to make a film out of it. The films he does not write I think are brilliant onscreen - 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Fisher King and The Brothers Grimm - all awesome. Then there is the stuff he wrote, Brazil (I have to admit to never seeing this), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and most of the Monty Python stuff - hate the majority of them. Funnily enough the only one I did mildly enjoy was Munchausen which most people and critics believe is his worst work. But I was never a fan of anything Monty Python - OK - I like Cleese! But I find Gilliam's work work skitt work and mainly scenes with four or more actors all ad libbing with no direction. It's too messy for me and I have found through speaking to people you either love Monty Python or can't stand it. I think I fall into the latter.
We all know that this is Heath Ledger's last role and that during the filming of this film he tragically died of a messed up drug overdose. I would have liked Ledger to make many more films and if there is one film to remember him for as his greatest work it is definately The Dark Knight. His performance in this one is nothing to get excited about and again I blame this on direction. Not having a clear vision from the start I think seeped into all the actors. What I did find that worked well was using all the other actors, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law once Ledger had passed away. It was lucky that the filming Ledger had done prior to his death filled one part of the storyline and they could fit in to do the rest. I think that Depp by far does the best job as Ledger's stand in.
Christopher Plummer has an ok performance but spends most of his time in meditation or drunk off his brains - no doubt trying to numb the pain making the film
. My standout performer of this film is Andrew Garfield as Anton - I just loved his character and would like to have seen more of him. He is best knwon as a disillusioned uni student in Tom Cruise/ Meryl Streep's Lions for Lambs. He also won the BAFTA award for best actor in Channel Four's "Boy A". He is on the rise and we will next see him opposite Keira Knightley in "Never Let Me Go".
The rest of the cast is filled out by a humorous dark Tom Waits as the devil, Verne Troyer playing mini Verne again and great beautiful and unique new comer Lily Cole.
I think you should see this so you can say you watched Ledger's last piece of work on the big screen and say goodbye but be prepared for some out of control undisciplined mess from Gilliam while saturating it in CGI visual brilliance. Starts tomorrow and sadly only worth $7-. RIP Ledger.
Sorry I have not written in over a week. I have been the sickest I have been for years with a dreadful chest infection. I have been coughing my guts up and basically not in the mood to sit in front of a computer. I have come up with many story ideas while lying under the dooner but no motivation to get them written with any skill.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present-day. It tells the story of Dr. Parnassus and his extraordinary "Imaginarium", a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Doctor Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this "coming of age" milestone and Dr. Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr. Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr. Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr. Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all!
Visually this film is a knockout and superb extravaganza of the imagination although that's about it. I found the plot a total mess and I cannot stand Terry Gilliam directing something he has written himself. I think he just prefers to have the camera rolling and just record whatever the actors do in front of it and then endeavor to make a film out of it. The films he does not write I think are brilliant onscreen - 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Fisher King and The Brothers Grimm - all awesome. Then there is the stuff he wrote, Brazil (I have to admit to never seeing this), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and most of the Monty Python stuff - hate the majority of them. Funnily enough the only one I did mildly enjoy was Munchausen which most people and critics believe is his worst work. But I was never a fan of anything Monty Python - OK - I like Cleese! But I find Gilliam's work work skitt work and mainly scenes with four or more actors all ad libbing with no direction. It's too messy for me and I have found through speaking to people you either love Monty Python or can't stand it. I think I fall into the latter.
We all know that this is Heath Ledger's last role and that during the filming of this film he tragically died of a messed up drug overdose. I would have liked Ledger to make many more films and if there is one film to remember him for as his greatest work it is definately The Dark Knight. His performance in this one is nothing to get excited about and again I blame this on direction. Not having a clear vision from the start I think seeped into all the actors. What I did find that worked well was using all the other actors, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law once Ledger had passed away. It was lucky that the filming Ledger had done prior to his death filled one part of the storyline and they could fit in to do the rest. I think that Depp by far does the best job as Ledger's stand in.
Christopher Plummer has an ok performance but spends most of his time in meditation or drunk off his brains - no doubt trying to numb the pain making the film
. My standout performer of this film is Andrew Garfield as Anton - I just loved his character and would like to have seen more of him. He is best knwon as a disillusioned uni student in Tom Cruise/ Meryl Streep's Lions for Lambs. He also won the BAFTA award for best actor in Channel Four's "Boy A". He is on the rise and we will next see him opposite Keira Knightley in "Never Let Me Go".
The rest of the cast is filled out by a humorous dark Tom Waits as the devil, Verne Troyer playing mini Verne again and great beautiful and unique new comer Lily Cole.
I think you should see this so you can say you watched Ledger's last piece of work on the big screen and say goodbye but be prepared for some out of control undisciplined mess from Gilliam while saturating it in CGI visual brilliance. Starts tomorrow and sadly only worth $7-. RIP Ledger.
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Comment by Mike Cullen
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
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The visuals do look good on the big screen though. It's just a pity he could not pull it together. I think his career is gurgling down a big drain and the film would have gone straight to DVD if not for the impressive cast. One critic's review I read stated "No one but Gilliam could obtain a cast of Ledger, Depp, Law and Farrell and still deliver us rubbish". I thought this was apt.
Thanks for the comment.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
You have to see Brazil in order to put the rest of Gilliam's career in perspective. But who knows, you may hate it, and find it way too dense and cluttered.
I thought the performances, especially those around Ledger, were excellent. Andrew Garfield was also recently in the brilliant first part of the Red Riding Trilogy. And Lily Cole was an eye-opener indeed!
I wouldn't recommend it just to see Heath's last work, but definitely for pure cinema, for Tom Waits, for Garfield, Cole and Plummer, and for that glorious age-old yarn of playing silly buggers with the devil. I think this movie will age well.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
I will be interested to see how I feel about this. One thing I hate, is over cooked CGI that is too obvious.
I loved Monty, probably as I grew up with it and there was nothing like it around. But, admittedly, a lot of their humour is a little too puerile at times.
However, nicely written review!
cheers
fog
Comment by Jason King
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Total Randomness
Yeah I knew you liked it. And I am meaning to see Brazil - just need to hunt down a decent copy. I did read about Garfield in Red Riding Trilogy but know nothing about it. Lily Cole will be getting a few more roles after this one for sure.
For Gilliam's sake I hope you are correct. Big disappointment for me.
Fogster,
It has plenty of CGI in it - I think he has used a lot of his Monty styling but CGI'd it - this may annoy you but bering a fan of Python you may also love it. Let me know what you think.
Thanks for the comments guys - have a good one
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Check out my review of Red Riding Trilogy HERE ...
But of course there's plenty of CGI, how else would he able able to convincing portray the Imaginarium and Parnassus's monk story without the aid of such high tech illusions? I somehow doubt models and matte paintings would quite do the trick these days
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
It worked with coffee and red wine. LOVE THEM
Comment by Helen Randell
Rough Cooking
Do you think the movie would have been improved if Johhny Depp had been chosen to play the character throughout?
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Have a good one!
Comment by Michelle Sweeney
Competition Queen
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
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Total Randomness
Have a good weekend!
Suss out Capitalism - really enjoyed that one. And The Boys are Back is out next week and this looks really well done.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
saw it on Monday last...and did not like it too much at all. I will have to see it again, at home, beofre i give my final opinion, as the sound in the theatre was up so high it hurt and the SFX were way over done, annoyingly so foe me, having worked in the industry for some years.
It failed on logic too; the five souls bet, okay, so why wasn't the bet well and truly over when he delivered four Russian gangsters after he delivered some of the rich women?
Anyhoo, the performances were lacklustre too, in my opinion. I liked Christopher Plummer, but he had little to challenge him and expand upon his performance.
cheers
fog
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
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I did find most of the performances lacklustre, I just thought Plummer was drunk and sleepy through most of it.
Shame the cinema had the sound so high, where did you watch it?
Thanks heaps for your thoughts and have a great weekend!
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
I saw it in George Street, Sydney, in the VMAX thang. Last I was there, it was Hoyts!!!
You have a great weekend too!
cheers
fog
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
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Total Randomness
The VMAX 1 cinema is beautiful with very comfy seats - if it was a Hoyts I would let them know as work for them as a senior projectionist but not the enemy
I watched 2012 in that cinema for a preview the other night - woeful film but sensational imagery.