Film Reviews: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

This is a film I love for many reasons.   Firstly because it's so unusual.   It's like nothing I've ever seen before.  It's about a man (Doctor Parnassus) who is a thousand years old and immortal.   He travels around with a rag-tag bunch of companions in their caravan/travelling show.   He's made a bet with the devil.   He needs to win souls by his daughter's 16th birthday, or she'll belong to the devil.   He has to get people to step through a magic mirror powered by his trance.   Once inside people are brought face to face with their own imaginations.   They then have to make a choice.   The problem is poeple always seem to make the wrong choice and give their souls to the devil instead.   Until they rescue a mysterious stranger who they find hanging under a bridge.  He turns their fortunes around and helps them to win the bet.  

The second reason I love it is the casting.   It's got so many of my heros in it!   As well as the wonderful Heath Ledger and ever-fabulous Johnny Depp, it also features Paloma Faith and the great Tom Waits.   Who knew they could act??   Tom Waits is a fabulous devil.   Lily Cole puts in a great performance as the doctor's daughter,Verne Troyer (of the Mini Me fame) is excellent, as is Christopher Plummer as Parnassus himself.   As Heath Ledger's last film I also feel a big emotional connection with it.   He died half way through filming.   Instead of giving up, Terry Gilliam (the director) got in three other actors to replace him.   Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell.   All three of them were great pals of Heath's and wanted to help.   They came up with the genius idea of giving Heath a different face every time he entered the Imaginarium.   The rejigged the story so that they didn't need to get many more shots, and for those they still needed they put an actor in a mask so you couldn't tell it wasn't Heath.   The whole thing is very neatly done and if you didn't know the story you'd never think one of the leads had died half way through filming.   I think it's a beautiful tribute to him.   He was wonderful.  

Finally I love it because of the director.   Even if Terry Gilliam wasn't a brilliant director he'd still be one of my heros because of his Monty Python connection.   I always loved his hilarious, wacky animations in the show, as well as his performances.   They were so imaginative!   Well, that amazing Gilliam imagination is well and truly on show in this, both inside the imaginarium and out.   Look at this!   Look at it!   Look!

I just love it.   It's such a refreshing break from all the comic book films, sci-fi prequels and remakes.   I'd love to know what it looks like inside his head.   Well worth a watch if you want something strange and beautiful.