The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Reid Denis
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Entertainment
This is another Terry Gilliam film full of imagination. The story takes place in a present day somewhere in the British Isles and is about a group of traveling gypsies. Christopher Plummer plays Dr. Parnassus, a man who can control people's imaginations, and constantly gets in dangerous gambles with Satan (played by Tom Waits). Dr. Parnassus travels around with his daughter Valentina (played by the stunning Lily Cole), Anton, a wandering youth that the doctor found as a child and raised, and Percy (played by Verne Troyer). This strange group travels around in a large horse drawn contraption trying to convince people to enter though a mirror into the Imaginarium. Once in the Imaginarium, the participants physically experience their imagination and Dr. Parnassus tries to convince them to do good while the Devil, known as Mr. Nick in the film, attempts to pull them into sin.
Valentina saves Tony, a man who has lost his memory, played by the late Heath Ledger. Tony joins this motley crew in an attempt to save souls and regain his memory. There is also an interesting love triangle between Tony, Valentina, and Anton.
Terry Gilliam does an amazing job working around losing Heath Ledger part way through filming. Several famous actors take over playing Tony throughout the movie including Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrel. Transitions are almost seamless and make sense in the context of the movie. There were only a few times when I noticed that they had used another actor and shot from behind, or dubbed in Heath Ledgers voice. Gilliam, yet again, uses Johnny Depp to his advantage like he did in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; this movie stems from Gilliam's past with similar animations to his work with Monty Python.
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is an interesting and wonder-filled movie experience. There are definitely spectacular special effects and a thoughtful script, though some of my fellow movie goers felt the plot was too strange. I suggest this movie to anyone who is a follower of Terry Gilliam's movies, a fan of Heath Ledger, or wants to see Lily Cole almost naked.
Valentina saves Tony, a man who has lost his memory, played by the late Heath Ledger. Tony joins this motley crew in an attempt to save souls and regain his memory. There is also an interesting love triangle between Tony, Valentina, and Anton.
Terry Gilliam does an amazing job working around losing Heath Ledger part way through filming. Several famous actors take over playing Tony throughout the movie including Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrel. Transitions are almost seamless and make sense in the context of the movie. There were only a few times when I noticed that they had used another actor and shot from behind, or dubbed in Heath Ledgers voice. Gilliam, yet again, uses Johnny Depp to his advantage like he did in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; this movie stems from Gilliam's past with similar animations to his work with Monty Python.
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is an interesting and wonder-filled movie experience. There are definitely spectacular special effects and a thoughtful script, though some of my fellow movie goers felt the plot was too strange. I suggest this movie to anyone who is a follower of Terry Gilliam's movies, a fan of Heath Ledger, or wants to see Lily Cole almost naked.
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