THE GRAND RETURN AND ELEGIAC FAREWELL OF TWO DREAMERS: a review of "The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus"

“THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS” Co-Written and Directed by Terry Gilliam
**** (four stars)

Director Terry Gilliam has been one of my favorite filmmakers of all time for much of my life. His legendary history as a member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, where he provided all of the sardonic, bizarre, and sometimes inexplicable animation, fed my sensibilities with brilliant anarchistic humor at an absolutely perfect period in my life. But, it was through his satirical, surrealistic and visionary films where I felt that I had found somewhat of a kindred soul as well as a filmmaker to follow and support to the end. Paying for a ticket to one of his films was akin to taking a trip into the rabbit hole of his endlessly ingenious mind and spirit. Beginning with 1981’s “Time Bandits,” continuing with the Orwellian nightmare of “Brazil” (1985), and concluding with 1989's “The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen” (the fantastical epic which I actually saw eight times in the theater) provided me with supreme wonderment and reverential inspiration as the three films formed a trilogy that depicted the battle between the dreamer and the rational world. His next three films, “The Fisher King” (1991), “Twelve Monkeys” (1995), and “Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas (1998), were no less challenging or bold as they formed a new trilogy set within the American landscapes of the present, past and an especially grim future. Gilliam’s colossal battles with Hollywood studios over the years have reached a near mythical quality as they have all been tales of creativity vs. unadulterated commerce, making the success of his final products profoundly victorious. Unfortunately, his reputation—however truthful or not-- as a difficult, madman genius painfully caught up to him.

This past decade has not been kind to Gilliam, as more than one of his films has befallen some tragic conclusion one of kind or another. “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” ended its filming only after a mere six days, due to all manner of casualties, including no less than the death of his elderly leading actor. Several other projects have all ended up in some level of Hollywood's "Development Hell." Then, seven years after “Fear and Loathing…,” Gilliam returned with 2005’s “The Brothers Grimm,” (starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger). It was sadly a so-so affair, that seemed as if studio heads had Gilliam’s creativity bound and gagged. During a halt in that film’s production, due to more studio battles, Gilliam charged headlong into the nasty and repugnant “Tideland” (also from 2005), and the less said about that film, the better. It seemed as if Gilliam’s fortunes would never turn right again after the tragic death of Heath Ledger, midway through the filming of his latest flight of fancy, “The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus.” Yet, he regrouped, re-wrote the screenplay, called on the assistance of Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law and I am deliriously happy to deliver the news that Terry Gilliam has emerged with his finest work in eons. I hope that Ledger is smiling broadly from the great beyond at the finished work as it further confirms what an enormous talent we have lost in him. Most importantly, it is a celebratory experience as we can bask and appreciate Ledger’s skill as well as enjoy the revival of Gilliam’s creativity with an eternal ode to the power of storytelling and imagination.

The plot is classic Gilliam and highly accessible to fans of his past work. Christopher Plummer gives a rapturous performance of great depth as Dr. Parnassus, the leader of a sideshow troupe, which consists of the virtuous Anton (played by Andrew Garfield), the diminutive and cantankerous Percival (a surprisingly good Verne Troyer) and his daughter Valentina (the feisty, lovely, and moony faced Lily Cole)-who dreams of the simplicity of a stable, non-transient lifestyle. The foursome travel via a dilapidated wagon from town to town with “The Imaginarium,” where paying customers can disappear through a magic mirror and emerge within the contents of the Doctor’s mind, results of which could prove beauteous or threatening based upon any choices the customer makes while inside. Unfortunately, no one is paying and the troupe hungrily carries onwards. Complicating matters is Dr. Parnassus’ dark secret. Many years ago, he made a pact with the devil, known as Mr. Nick (a slithery and sinister Tom Waits), for immortality. Years after the life-changing deal, and upon seeing the woman who would claim his heart, Parnassus made a secondary deal with Mr. Nick; his immortality for youth in exchange for the soul of Parnassus’ daughter when she reaches the age of 16, an age she will reach within a scant three days time, at the start of the movie. Always eager for a new wager, Mr. Nick slightly alters the deal, to which Parnassus compulsively agrees: If Parnassus is able to deliver five souls by the end of the three days, Valentina’s soul will remain safe. If not, all bets are off. With five new souls to obtain, and no interested customers, all hope appears to be lost and Dr. Parnassus loses himself in bottomless drink and regret. Suddenly, the troupe discovers the sight of the enigmatic and shady Tony (Heath Ledger), hanging by a noose from a bridge in the rain. He is rescued, and claims to be an amnesiac upon interrogation. Tony joins the troupe on their journeys, much to Anton’s jealousy, Percival’s suspicions and Valentina’s lusty curiosity and delight. Tony feels that he has the perfect way to increase business for the group, an offer Dr. Parnassus cannot refuse if he wants to save Valentina’s soul, but will he be able to succeed in time?

Trips within the Imaginarium contain the meticulously visual splendor that is Gilliam’s trademark and of which he has few peers. For what I believe may be his largest excursions into CGI technology, Gilliam uses the special effects to vivid delight, with sights sometimes appearing as if Lewis Carroll fell straight into “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.” Yet, Gilliam does not make the same mistake that James Cameron recently made with “Avatar” (I’m sorry to keep beating up on that film, dear readers, but I feel that the comparison is just.) as his screenplay creatively and thematically supports the story and vice-versa. Depp, Farrell and Law appear individually in three of the film’s Imaginarium sequences as various incarnations of Tony—an effect I found to be surprisingly seamless as they all represent versions of Tony’s duplicitous nature.

As praised as Terry Gilliam has consistently been for his visual aesthetics, he has often been criticized for narrative structures described as “ramshackle.” For me, that has never been a source of derision as all of his films are designed to unfold as if being lost in a dream. There is also a child-like energy to his work, as it often recalls the manner in which a small child would detail a story to either you or me. They are, at times, feverishly presented and detailed, posses many challenges to follow, there are leaps in logic as well as faith and their unfiltered arrival is something to treasure. At its core, and among it’s themes of mortality, “The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus,” is a story in love with the power and process of storytelling and how the act of storytelling sustains the overall survival of humanity.

As previously stated, Plummer’s performance is a wonder as he displays a level of perseverance while he also plumbs the depths of longing and hopelessness. Yet, whenever he begins to weave the tale of his misguided past and the consequences now placed upon Valentina, we are instantly captured by the gravity of his storytelling. His scenes with Waits’ Mr. Nick are all terrific as they contain a grim playfulness that never grows ponderous while also not derailing its epic nature.

Then, there is Mr. Ledger and what a talent we have lost in him! As with last year’s iconic performance as The Joker in "The Dark Knight" and before that, with his emotionally resonant role in Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” Ledger impresses again with his ability to completely embody a character, leaving no trace whatsoever of anything that came before. While some may feel that his somewhat manic delivery and herky-jerky mannerisms are nothing but a flail, they are all at the service of a character whose motives are never clear, at times even to himself. Tony is a constantly evolving character and the freedom Gilliam gives Ledger to explore and create manifests an especially fruitful collaboration between Director and Actor. It is a shame that we will not be able to see more such collaborations in the future.

The guest appearances by Depp, Law and Farrell are touching indeed as they are all in the service of paying tribute to a fallen artistic comrade. All three, in their brief sequences, capture Ledger’s mannerisms and vocal inflections, making it appear beautifully as if we are indeed seeing the character of Tony via shifting personalities and motivations, and not three or four different people entirely. An opening scene where a belligerent drunk vanishes inside of the Imaginarium only to discover he has a completely different face and further scenes where characters remark upon Tony’s different visages in the hallucinogenic sections are a testament to Gilliam’s commitment to his material and devotion to ensuring that Ledger's last work on film would not become lost or disgraced.

Most of all, and deeply felt, "The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus" is a highly personal work. Terry Gilliam is Dr. Parnassus, an aging wizard of the cinema whose sense of wondrous abandonment and rollicking storytelling is increasingly out of step with our “Transformers” age. As Parnassus appears at the end of the film in a shining, illustrious section of London clothed in rags with his travelling wagon just ready to burst apart for good, he is emotionally bruised and battered-yet he remains standing--I could not help but to think of Gilliam himself. He too remains standing, after all of his trials and filmmaking tribulations that would have ended many other careers long ago.

Gilliam's gift is his artistry and ability to transfer his dreams to celluloid for our entertainment and consumption. All we have to do is purchase a ticket and I am anxious to purchase a ticket for a return trip to this and future Imaginariums for as long as he chooses to create and share.