The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) User Reviews

Deep and beautiful movie, requires a special mood and a bit of thinking

[siderite · 8/10 · 29 May 2010]

It would have been hard not to like this movie, since I had early previews from friends that it is boring and pointless, so my expectations were really down. I did watch it, nonetheless, and I am glad I did. If you ever watched Tideland, you know Terry Gilliam is capable of works of terrible beauty, often concocted from the ugliest bits life can provide; such is this film.

This is Heath Ledger's last film, he died during filming it, but his character is not the main one, just the extra ingredient needed to take all the important ones out of their equilibrium state. Because of this tragedic death, other actors came to fill up the role, such as Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell.

And still, the important character, the Faust that can't keep himself from betting with a mischievous devil that isn't even very unfriendly, is Christopher Plummer's, who played marvelously at his age of 81. I loved the way the devil was toying with him, addicted to playing games that he didn't want to win in the end so that he keeps playing. The visuals were great, the atmosphere both miraculous and brooding, but rarely in the same time. And Lily Cole was cute and sexy as hell.

Bottom line: a weird film that you need to think about to get at his many hidden meanings, with beautiful imaginative imagery and great actors. What is not to like?

Imaginative, delightful fantasy is visually astonishing and lots of fun...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 16 June 2010]

HEATH LEDGER's sudden demise during filming of THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS made it necessary to change the script so that his unfinished scenes could be played by other actors within the realm of the crazy world of the Imaginarium. This clever adjustment to the script provides three other actors with fill-in roles for Ledger: JOHNNY DEPP, JUDE LAW and COLIN FARRELL.

Heath is a complete delight in his role as the mysterious stranger who comes upon the traveling sideshow and has the power to change everything. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER is a marvel in the title role as the 1,000 year-old man who has sold his soul to the Devil and must turn over his daughter to Mr. Nick (TOM WAITS) on the occasion of her sixteenth birthday. Newcomers ANDREW GARFIELD and LILY COLE are well cast as performers in the troupe.

All of it is filled with wondrous sets, gorgeous costumes, and an abundant sense of good humor. Everyone in the cast seems to be having fun with their roles, particularly Heath Ledger. I dare say that if he had lived to complete his role, it may well have garnered another nomination for him.

Terry Gilliam has directed with a firm grasp of tongue-in-cheek fantasy and made a vastly entertaining film out of a slim story idea. Whether it appeals to you or not will depend entirely on your taste. It's certainly not a film for everyone but it is bizarre and fascinating.

The whole is not the sum of the parts - at least not on a single viewing

[motta80-2 · 7/10 · 14 October 2009]

Like so many of Terry Gilliam's films The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus is one that is going to need multiple viewings to truly form an opinion on. Like Brazil, Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, Fisher King, Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas and Tideland (even Time Bandits really) there is so much going on here that expectations or reputations get in the way and make it hard to digest and appreciate on a single viewing. No bad thing necessarily.

Of course Parnassus has the particularly insurmountable problem of being the late Heath Ledger's final performance and following on from his superb, Oscar-winning turn in The Dark Knight. It is impossible to see the film through eyes that don't see it as the film he died making. Some parts of the film may perhaps work even better than they may of done had he lived – some of the best films are triumphs over adversity and adverse conditions don't come much greater than your star dying mid-shoot. But whatever works and doesn't in the film it is hard – impossible on a first viewing – to divorce yourself from the knowledge you bring into the theatre.

On first feeling Parnassus seems patchy, and curiously it feels like a film that may not have worked as well as it does had nothing happened to Ledger. Don't get me wrong I'd rather have a Gilliam failure and Ledger still alive to put it behind him and move on than a wonderful film that is largely the result of his tragic death. But we don't have that so I'm just looking at what's there.

The fact is the film is at it's best when galloping around the fantastical worlds of the Imaginarium, with Ledger's character Tony now played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. Depp and Farrell are particularly good and imbue the film with an energy lacking in much of it.

The casting generally is good. Christopher Plummer is steadfast excellence as always. Lily Cole is a surprisingly strong choice. I've never understood the viewpoint of Cole as "sooooooo beautiful" that the gossip sheets and magazines espouse but she has a quirky intrigue that works wonders in a Gilliam world and proves herself as an actress amongst a proved group of impressive performers. Hers is probably the best debut performance I can recall of a model or singer turning to acting. She puts a lot of professional actresses (no Keiras named!) to shame.

Andrew Garfield is that intriguing mix of annoying and brilliant. Like DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? I started out thinking he was terrible and then grew to realise it was just that I hated him, his character. He annoyed the hell out of me. In another words he had inhabited the character so fully, so convincingly that my negative feelings toward him where directed at the fictional character. A superb performance.

Tom Waits steals moments constantly. Waits hasn't been given such a juicy role that fit him better since Renfield in Coppola's Dracula and he revels as Dr Nick (the devil) here.

Oddly the performance that, again I specify on first viewing, leaves you a bit underwhelmed is Ledgers. It is not a bad performance but the expectations as you go in, knowing it was his last performance, means you expect something special. Brokeback Mountain/Dark Knight special. But of course not every role is as powerful as his in Brokeback or as scene-stealing as the Joker. I mean he didn't know it was his last performance for crying out loud. Therefore it cannot possibly live up to expectations and is destined to underwhelm until multiple viewings and some distance allow it to be judged fairly. That there was such a fully formed character there that three other actors could step in to play alternate universe versions of it entirely convincingly is arguably a testament to how strong a performance Ledger did give. It is not a likable character or a flashy character (it doesn't even really seem the main character until the alternate worlds with the alternate Tonys come in) and so Ledger's understated subtleties are easy to miss.

When you watch Fisher King the first time you remember Robin Williams, not Jeff Bridges. In Twelve Monkeys it's Brad Pitt that comes away with you not Bruce Willis. And yet on further viewings Bridges' performance seems superb, Willis' perhaps the best of his career. I suspect on repeated viewings I'm going to see the strength of Ledger's performance better. I hope so.

And of course this is a problem much of the film has. Gilliam doesn't make simple, overly explained films for the masses – thank Gilliam – you have to work with them. The problem here is that with your mind distracted with thoughts of Ledger and expectations built on that promise of Gilliam at his creative best, three step-in performances and Ledger's final performance it's hard to get your mind around the story and enjoy it as a piece of work.

Sometimes Gilliam films work, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they get better and better on repeat viewings (Brazil); sometimes they work instantly (Twelve Monkeys); sometimes they seem to work but the more you see them or think about them they crumble and ultimately don't (Brothers Grimm). Sometimes they just seem to be a mix of great ideas, wonderful performances and ingenious set pieces but hampered by an overabundance of theatricality and almost too much going on for its own good (Baron Munchausen). On a first viewing Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus feels like this latter. Bits work, bits don't. It's enjoyable in places but perplexing ultimately.

I will definitely revisit it though to see if changes on repeat viewings. I feel sure it will, but whether that's a good or bad thing, well, I'll have to wait and see.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

[kie9000 · 7/10 · 10 November 2009]

The main talking point surrounding The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the fact that it is the last appearance of the late Heath Ledger, however, there is a lot more to talk about with this film. Ledger's performance is good, as one would expect, but he has done better and more iconic roles. The problem faced by his death occurring before filming completed is overcome easily and one would not necessarily know that Ledger had died just from the evidence of the film. There is a fitting tribute to him in the film, as Johnny Depp's version of Heath Ledger's character comments on how celebrities who died young will live on forever.

However, this film deserves to be discussed as a piece of work on its own. Like many of Terry Gilliam's films it is both complex and imaginative. The titular Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) operates a mostly unsuccessful travelling show where he hopes to send members of the public through a magic mirror into the Imaginarium where they will ultimately face a choice between giving their soul to Parnassus or the Devil (Tom Waits). Those two are having a contest for the soul of Valentina (Lily Cole), the Doctor's daughter. Helping the Doctor's show are the lovelorn Anton, the dwarf Percy and Tony a mysterious stranger who can draw punters.

Initially all these plot points work well. Doctor Parnassus is a desperate man who has almost given up hope, whilst the Devil is entertaining to watch, yet evidently devious. The heart of the film lies with Valentina who wants a normal life but is it unaware that it is far more complicated than just the raising of money. Unfortunately, the film runs into difficulty in the last third as the plot lines all come together and even more are added, creating a overly complex ending where nothing gets resolved properly.

The acting is good, with Lily Cole surprisingly impressive and old hands Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits leading by example. Terry Gilliam direction combines the fantastical and the ordinary in a way that only he can. It is the first time he has participated in the writing process for two decades and this film has an autobiographical feel as Doctor Parnassus tries to entice with stories and the imagination only to be met by cynical crowds. This effort to wow the public may not move them away from CGI and is short of his best, but it is still entertaining and favourable over films which lack charm, imagination and storytelling.

A Unique and Extraordinary Adventure

[Lepidopterous_ · 6/10 · 10 January 2010]

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a very strange film but it pulls together wonderfully. It was dark but funny at the same time. I really loved the imaginarium sequences. Gilliam uses dream-like imagery and odd behavior to construct a fantastic escape into imagination. Although the CGI was admittedly simplistic, it was fitting for the fantasy realm. Great performances, especially by Heath Ledger and Colin Farrell.

I don't think this movie is for everyone since it has received mixed reactions. I also would advise against having certain expectations going into it, because there's no way to anticipate what you will get out of the film. But for me, it was certainly a real treat and very enjoyable throughout.

6/10

Film's Existence is Admirable

[truemythmedia · 7/10 · 27 June 2019]

It is impossible to write about this entry into Terry Gilliam's oeuvre without acknowledging the tragic death of Heath Ledger. Cast as the film's inciting character, Heath Ledger's untimely death spawned and air of sadness that blankets the film, especially considering the tragic nature of his character.

Of course, as they say, the show must go on, so "The Imaginarium" did as well. in an outpouring of cinematic industry kinship, Johnny Depp ("Fear and Loathing"), Colin Farrell ("In Bruges"), Jude Law ("A.I.") stepped in to play Heath Ledger's character, Tony's, alter ego when he is in the mirror world. What this film would have looked like had Ledger not departed can never be known. How much film had to be scrapped, how many scenes were restructured, what funding fell through as a result, I do not know.

For these reasons, the film, in all of its imperfection, seems to get a pass from me, as I find myself wondering how a film production would recover from such a blow. The only even somewhat similar circumstances I can think of off the top of my head is Brandon Lee's death during the filming of "The Crow," and the massive reshoot efforts undertaken to remove Kevin Spacey from the film "All the Money in the World," coincidentally played by Christopher Plummer ("The New World") who co starred with Ledger ("A Knight's Tale") in "Imaginarium."

So those are my caveats for a film plagued by problems. I watch this film with a wave of sad forgiveness and dream of its original intentions.

It struggles to keep things in order, and often becomes weighed down by tired filler, but Gilliam returns to form nonetheless

[Romarth · 15 December 2009]

Suffering the double whammy of being directed by Terry Gilliam (forever the attracter of on-set misfortune – Don Quixote, anyone?) and the untimely death of its star, Heath Ledger, halfway through shooting, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus has had a troubled upbringing. But with the actor's tragic passing, its unremarkable place on 2009's cinema calendar was upped by being Ledger's second posthumous and final movie, unfairly burdening the film with the anticipation of it being something great.

It's not great. But it is a good movie, and probably Gilliam's best in over a decade. Also, bittersweet though it may be, Ledger's inability to complete his work is remedied in an incredibly inventive manner that arguably improves what would have been; the multiple facets of Ledger's mysterious Tony in the Imaginarium is a great inflection, and Gilliam deserves credit for this creative retooling, and for the fact that the haste in which it was applied is not at all noticeable. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell (who all donated their wages to his daughter, Matilda) honorably step in to play the alternates, paying poignant tribute to their friend. All are good (though Farrell's Irish accent is far too thick to flatten), Depp probably being the best, but its all mimicry; Ledger is the one who does all the work. His Tony, performed with a flawless English accent, is a great part for him, possessing all the characteristics of vintage Ledger – charismatic, droll, physically erratic, etc. It's not on par with his work in Brokeback Mountain or The Dark Knight, but seeing how much fun he must have been having, seeing that wily smile, makes it a none the more fitting goodbye to the man.

The multi-personas also, despite sounding like classically contrived Gilliam, actually turn out to be the most credible part of the movie; they represent the most fascinating of the film's many mediations on reality (Gilliam is always at best when toying with reality, and this is no exception) - different parallels of the human psyche (or at least Tony's) are all challenged, and make for genuinely thought-provoking stuff. The rest of the film, however, is a bit of a patchwork; provocative but hopelessly overwrought. As always with the Brazil director, you can't fault his ambition, but he's always been patently unable to neatly combine all of his ideas into a satisfying whole.

His biggest mistake is going contemporary. Gilliam's sense of humor, being that of a Python affiliate's, has always been well-authenticated by a theatrical and undeniably British zaniness. But here, we get modern social satire in the form of Tony's revamped version of the group's travelling act, and we get conversational verbosity (particularly in the poor improvisation of a pointless Verne Troyer), and it simply doesn't suit. Better are the moments where a group of "violence-loving" coppers dance about in skirts or in the inebriated ramblings of Doctor Parnassus.

Why Gilliam didn't stick to his personal brand of appealing outlandishness is a shame, and a mystery, considering his fine cast of comically-endowed Brits, with glorious thespian Christopher Plummer at its head as the titular Doc. Of all the actors on hand here, Plummer is the one who best excels with the material. Playing a man who has lived over one-thousand years, he manages to convincingly carry himself with the weight of that time, his sallow-skinned and ravaged face, heavy, sad eyes, and world-weary frown scarily naturalistic. He's a heart-breaking character, and Plummer makes him an uncompromising presence.

Also impressive are newcomers Andrew Garfield and Lily Cole, and Tom Waits as Mr Nick, the Devil himself. The notorious singer has never really had any good roles to work with in his career, and, in all fairness, his talents as an actor dictates just as much, but he's simply perfect here, his Machiavelli stealing all the scenes he wonderfully chews with his smarminess. It's not exactly a creation of noteworthy prowess (and neither is the character – the cavalier, smooth-talking, gentleman-like villain, who relishes fomenting, is very overdone), but he's just such a hoot and effortlessly magnetic. He's pretty much the best thing here, and worth the admission price.

Along with the cast, the visuals, a branch you can expect brilliance in with Gilliam, are a real saving grace. The special effects in the Imaginarium aren't extraordinary, but that's the point; it's an accentuated, animated reality – one's greatest dreams (and nightmares) aren't supposed to be realistic. And few images this year are more stirring than of a harrowed Parnassus wandering through a vast snow-plain, giving up his struggle at a crossroad sign that reads "High Road" or "Low Road".

It's a very entertaining movie, and thematically sound (it manages to make existentialism and solipsism accessible), and endearingly whimsical in tone and style. Unfortunately, it frequently degenerates into a muddle, the many ideas it juggles far too incoherently transcended. Thankfully, however, after the monotonous middle act, the movie picks up steam and the great Imaginarium sequences arrive to compel. And, in the end, it's a sheer miracle that the movie got made; the fact that Gilliam didn't give up, that he persevered and single-handedly defeated one of the worst production catastrophes, and that he gave Ledger his swansong, is something truly amazing. And it is for that reason that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus will be remembered.

Got to give Terry Gilliam credit for imaginative visual style

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 16 February 2014]

In London, Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) leads a troupe of traveling entertainers including his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), midget Percy (Verne Troyer), and Anton (Andrew Garfield). Parnassus claims that many centuries ago, he gained immortality from the devil Mr Nick (Tom Waits). However it's a trick that turned everlasting life into everlasting torment. Then one night, they find Tony (Heath Ledger) hanged off a bridge. When he comes to, he can't remember anything.

It's got the wild imaginings of director Terry Gilliam. This is one rambling disjointed crazy confusing mess. And it has nothing to do with replacing the deceased Heath Ledger with 3 other actors Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law. I understand that part. Everything with the devil is just confusing. It is weak storytelling. However I have to give him credit for visual style.

A masterpiece - go see it

[GreenTeaOm · 10/10 · 28 December 2009]

This is Terry Gilliam's dark masterpiece. It's a brilliant film--there are fabulous, fantastic, surrealistic visual effects; gorgeous cinematography; and stunning performances by an amazing cast of consisting of both famous stars and lesser known (but excellent) actors. It's in the vein of the great European surrealistic movies like Fellini's "8 1/2" or "Satyricon". But--if you're not open to a mind bending, almost psychedelic fantasy and a plot with strange twists and turns that can be challenging to follow, this won't be for you. The cast is terrific--I mean, Tom Waits plays "Old Scratch"--how can you lose? Christopher Plummer is excellent in the title role; Heath Ledger's last performance is stellar. Lily Cole, Johnny Depp, Andrew Garfield, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, and Colin Farrell are also very good. The costumes and sets are gorgeous, though often in a dark and grungy way. By the way--it also ends up being a story about ethical choices in life and how some people are very misleading. Probably not material for a box office hit, sadly, as this film is probably too unusual for most Americans.

Imaginarium of Terry Gilliam

[moonbus-982-519398 · 6/10 · 2 January 2013]

I found this film interesting and visually stunning, but flawed. At least one of the flaws cannot be attributed to faulty writing/production, but several others can be. For example, there is nothing new or original in the story: it is a straightforward retelling of Faust, the man who makes a pact with the devil and discovers that the devil is smarter and has all the time in the universe to prove it. The ideas of a man who asks for immortality but neglects to ask for eternal youth, and of a child born with a curse on her because of a prior wager her father has made with divine powers to further his own interests, are taken straight out of Greek mythology. Still, one could do worse than borrow from Goethe and Greek mythology.

The movie weaves in and out of mundane reality (the traveling freak show in modern England) and schizophrenic hallucinogenic scenes inside the Imaginarium, which is the carnival attraction into which Dr. P lures potential sacrificial victims in his attempt to outwit the devil. The scenes inside the Imaginarium show what happens when you give an ex-Python unlimited access to digital effects: quite stunning, but having little to do with the story. They show the fantasy of Gilliam running wild on a huge budget, more than effectively advancing the story of Dr. P and his accursed daughter. I ask myself what a 1930s producer/director, Fritz Lang or Tod Browning for example, might have done with this story and these characters, but without the digital effects- -the story might have benefited from leaving the hallucinogenic details more to the imagination of the viewer than brow-beating us with a pixel- barrage of details. The real horror of what Dr. P is doing is masked by the almost Dr. Seussian silliness of the visual effects (dancing policemen??): Dr. P is luring souls to eternal damnation in an attempt to free his daughter from a wager he made centuries ago. Dr. P is, in essence, trading in human souls. Dr. P himself is immortal, but his daughter is not, and time is running out for her; the horror of her situation, and the evil Dr. P is willing to perpetrate to undo the effects of his own damnable wager, could certainly have been ratcheted up by more subtle means than Gilliam employs here.

The reality scenes sometimes interweave with the fantastical ones in schizophrenic confusion, indicating, so I suppose, Dr. P's own tenuous grasp on reality. The schizophrenic quality of the film is enhanced by the fact that several different actors play the part of one of the main characters, Tony. I ask myself whether any producer/director would have chosen this as his preferred mechanism to unfold this story, and the answer I come up with is, "no". It is a trick which doesn't quite work for this story; though it did work for "I'm Not There" (no one could play Bob Dylan). The film just barely manages to make the trick plausible by implying that the differences in the character's appearance are due to the perspectives of the different people who perceive that character within the Imaginarium. OK, it was made necessary by the death of the actor in the middle of production, otherwise the film would not have gone public; I can see that Gilliam made the best of terribly unfortunate circumstances. But it is still a dubious trick.

The casting is excellent: Plummer is entirely convincing as the world- weary Faustian character, Miss Cole acquits herself well as the girl clueless as to her own impending doom, and Waits is superb as the devil. If I hadn't seen any other film with Heath Ledger in it, I would not have thought him an especially gifted actor based solely on this performance; maybe if he had completed the film, it would have shown his true abilities.

6/10

There's a whole lot of symbolism you have to crack

[neenahhh · 5/10 · 25 March 2011]

This movie was crazy. Don't get me wrong, though. It was crazy in a good way. This movie plays with your imagination. We're transported into different worlds- inside the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. I enjoyed seeing the different places. All the color that was in it and etc. It really reminded me of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' with the delicious candy and the beautiful edible rivers- only obviously, this film was a whole lot crazier.

This movie is about Doctor Parnassus who has to give up his daughter, Valentina, on her 16th birthday to the devil, after losing a bet. But the devil gives Parnassus a chance to stop this by making ANOTHER bet- the first one to get five souls wins and gets to have Valentina.

The 4 stars that I gave in the rating was for the settings and the tinge of magic and fantasy that the movie gave. The last star is for the cast and crew. I admit that I've never heard of this movie before. But after watching one of Ledger's films, I got curious about his career and saw that this was the last film that he made, so I decided to watch it. It's impressive how they managed to make this movie still work even after the main actor passed away. It made me think about the 'Harry Potter' franchise and how they would handle it if one of their main characters died. The whole cast and crew did a terribly wonderful job even after the very unfortunate tragedy that they experienced. The other 3 Tonys did a wonderful job. Especially Johnny Depp. I also thought that it was wonderful and selfless for Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Collin Ferrel to donate their earnings to Heath's daughter. Once again, kudos to the cast and crew!

Now for this movie's big failure. After the film, I asked myself, "What just happened?" There were so many things happening. I couldn't understand everything. And judging from the board and other reviews, I'm not the only one. It was just too confusing. I think it was the symbolism that made viewers kind of confused. Up until now, I still have so many questions. But I won't bother researching on them anymore, since most people's answers are, "It's left up to your imagination." I'm a fan of open ending movies, but this one was just crazy.

Rajo loves it, but knows it won't work... how tragic...

[thesubstream · 7/10 · 4 January 2010]

Just before leaving to go and see The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, the latest offering from the perpetually 'unlucky' yet stubbornly visionary Terry Gilliam (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Time Bandits), I asked a good friend, also a movie buff, if he wanted to come with.

"No way," he proclaimed. "I can't sit through a Terry Gilliam movie." Having sat through the 2 hour + film myself, I'm convinced he made the right decision, as I even had a tough time with it. It's definitely too long, rarely makes sense and feels as though it might unravel at any minute. As usual, Gilliam's imagination takes over the film, running completely wild in every direction, resulting in a rich visual feast that's a delight to look at. As usual, though, this comes at the expense of clarity and accessibility, which is unfortunate, especially so considering the multiple real-world challenges that severely disrupted the film's production and its theoretical comprehensibility anyway. Is Gilliam ever gonna catch a break? And, if he does, will he be relaxed enough to create something that more that a handful of folks might like? This film's script (mostly unchanged, despite production difficulties) will definitely try one's patience; characters make weird choices and important plot elements are left unexplained. As a decision seemingly made to serve the story, most of Gilliam's film operates on a kind of dream logic, which at the best of times put a huge grin on my face and made me feel all gooey inside and at the worst of times pulled me right out of the film, faster than a spilled cold Coke in the lap. As an example of the latter, one would think that Gilliam, having famously made the creative decision to bolster the late Heath Ledger's incomplete performance with the work of Johnny Depp, Colin Farrel and Jude Law, might have installed some sort of interesting yet logical plot device allowing that singular character to appear physically different at times. Sadly, the reasoning is, for some reason, half-baked - the other characters in the film are just as puzzled as the audience is at the changes, even going way too far with their "No, wait... who are you?" line of questions. If one's own characters seem to think it's out of place, then the audience will have no choice but to question it as well. Disbelief: unsuspended and resolute in its anchor-like stolidity (how's that for a sentence?).

Now, despite all that, I absolutely, positively and without question adored The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Because Gilliam is really, really good at what he does best. It's far and away one of my favourite films of the year, and easily the most important film of Gilliam's career, warts and all. With Parnassus, he continues to stylistically explore potent ideas about the power of storytelling and imagination, and what happens when the worlds of fables and make-believe collide with our cynical, sober reality - all concepts I personally go nuts over. When in this mode, he always managed to sub-textually raise questions about imagination and dreams as important sign-posts in our collective unconscious, lighting the way to collective and individual hope, joy and happiness. The difference with Parnassus is that Gilliam has finally made a film that is explicitly and without question about that exact thing, positing at its core that stories and imagination and new ideas are the very things that hold the fabric of the universe together. A beautiful idea, and as relevant as ever considering Hollywood's constant push for the bottom line over creative integrity, and Gilliam's own personal feelings regarding his stifled creativity and the uncertainty of his place in modern cinema. And if you're anything like me (Naive? Simple?), this stuff, when fused with Gilliam's impeccable eye for composition and always fantastic production design will help you forget that the film isn't perfect or logical or accessible.

Despite all of the aforementioned flaws in the story (which, understandably, most movie-goers may have a low tolerance for), The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is actually quite brilliant, and contains some of the single best movie moments and ideas seen all year, and by dint of its stellar cast (besides Heath Ledger and friends, the film stars Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits, both in memorable roles), serves as a showcase for some of the best talent working in film at the time of production. But because of its flaws, it probably won't generate the word of mouth necessary to bring the crowds (and as such, the box office receipts) that Gilliam so desperately needs in order to continue to be able to make films of this scale. Which is too bad, as directors like Gilliam, who so zealously worship at the alter of imagination and visual splendour with a slavish dedication to film-making craft are not so high in abundance. Maybe if he was actually able to, you know, make a film without having outside elements messing up his plans, he might actually live up to his ultimate potential as an original story-teller able to easily reach the masses. As it stands, though, his status as such, as well as the very fabric of the universe it seems, continue to be under threat.

My score? 7/10.

A Future Cult Classic....

[namashi_1 · 7/10 · 23 April 2010]

Terry Gilliam's 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' is what I call, a future Hollywood Cult Classic. An interesting tale of a leader traveling theater troupe who, having made a deal with the Devil, takes audience members through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations.

'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' which received two nominations at the Academy-Awards this year, will ensure a huge fan following in the coming years. As mentioned, a future cult classic for sure! Gillam's direction is simply awe-inspiring. His writing isn't, it has it's share of flaws, but he can be forgiven.

In the acting department, Christopher Plummer is fantastic, he steals the show with a controlled performance. A true legend! Late Heath Ledger is, as always, good. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law's appearance makes you moist eyed, as they did this role of their late friend Ledger. Oh boy, what a emotional moment!

I recommend this film to everyone.... Thumbs Up!

The Surrealistic and Imaginary World of Terry Gilliam

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 14 February 2010]

In London, the sideshow troupe of Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) promises to the audiences a journey to the "Imaginarium", an imaginary world commanded by the mind of Doctor Parnassus where dreams come true. In the stories that Doctor Parnassus tells to his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), to the midget Percy (Verne Troyer), and his assistant Anton (Andrew Garfield), he claims to have more than one thousand years; however, when he felt in love for a mortal, he made a deal with the devil Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) trading his immortality per youth. As part of the bargain, he promised his son or daughter to Mr. Nick on the sixteenth birthday. Valentina now is almost in the doomed age and Doctor Parnassus bets with Mr. Nick that whoever seduces five souls in the Imaginarium will have Valentina as a prize. Meanwhile the troupe rescues Tony (Heath Ledger) that was hanged on a bridge by the Russians that explains why he had been chased and he joins the group. Tony and Valentina fall in love for each other and the jealous Anton discovers that his competitor is a liar.

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is another original movie with the surrealistic and imaginary world of Terry Gilliam and last work of Heath Ledger that had to be replaced by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell in the "Imaginarium" to complete the missing scenes. Further, the trio of actors has donated their income with this film to Heath Ledger's daughter to guarantee her financial situation in the future in magnanimous attitudes. The duel between Doctor Parnassus and Mr. Nick together with the vision of the world of fantasy of Terry Gilliam is awesome. For those that liked this movie, I would like to recommend the also surrealistic "O Homem Que Desafiou o Diabo". My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Imaginário Mundo do Doutor Parnassus" ("The Imaginary World of Doctor Parnassus")

Stories Must Be Told, But The Truth Must Be Told As Well.

[jzappa · 7/10 · 24 May 2010]

The plot in Terry Gilliam's manic eleventh film is typically all-consuming, all across the board but there's a foundation, I think. His far-out creations in character, costumes and CGI effects, all with his charming trademark textural density, are given purpose by a story that necessitates alternating dimensions. Features of this story were required by the death of Heath Ledger halfway into the filming, although the state of the narrative itself I imagine was intact from square one. It concerns an oddball, boilerplate traveling show that unravels out of a shabby old camper in dilapidated corners of London populated largely by lushes and freaks. Comprising the show is the fine and enduring talent that is Christopher Plummer, in the form of the astronomically old Parnassus, squatting mysteriously on a stool while his id, Anton, played by decent new face Andrew Garfield; his daughter and his agitated midget played inevitably by Verne Troyer, perform for a loudmouth posse of beer buddies.

Percy and Anton save the life of a man hanging from a bridge. Why they can do this is safely not described. The man on the rope is Heath Ledger. That's right. He gets in on the traveling wagon performance, is repulsed by its primitive style and recommends making it more state-of-the-art. Why it's so flimsy is because Parnassus is several hundred years old, having made a deal with the devil, played typically by Tom Waits, to live eternally as long as Satan can take Valentina when she turns 16. So you have to concede that Parnassus took his own sweet old time procreating. But naturally he wants out of the deal. I always did feel like Satan must often run into default risks.

Tony, it unravels, can access or summon or manipulate or make up odd dimensions on the other side of a mirror on the crummy footlights. In these dimensions, anything goes, which is invariably what Gilliam favors. CGI lets the filmmaker and his designers to go crazy, which they consciously do with vigorous fervor, and some astonishing imagery appears. I think Ledger was supposed to be the master of all of these worlds. Alas, Gilliam evidently finished filming all the outer-world London scenes, Ledger returned to New York for R&R, and after that came tragedy. True to Gilliam's filmography's most prevalent thread of fantasy as escape from reality but carried by an air of loss, he juxtaposed him by casting Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law as the Tonys of Imaginariums Nos. 1 through 3 and not elaborating further, as in fact with Imaginariums, that's not necessary. Depp looks the most like Ledger, although it's an ironic feeling of mine that Farrell steals the role. In a sense, the finished product is rather serendipitous in its tragedy, as in most of Gilliam's films, fantasy is treated as creative and imaginative escape from reality, but it also carries with it an atmosphere of loss. This often evokes a violent and sudden response, as is the case with the presence of the humongous squashing foot crashing down that appears in the Python credits he animated.

My dilemma with Gilliam's films, which nonetheless inventively combine the Gothic and romantic, is that, while I don't need A-B-C, Act 1-2-3, I do somewhat prefer having some idea of a film's own conditions. You get the feeling that if a creative idea hits Gilliam, he finds himself at liberty to seize and squeeze it for all the juice it can drain, which is good, though often going not just for broke but for overdraft fees. Almost invariably longing to like Gilliam more than I do, I went out of my way to see Doctor Parnassus essentially to be confounded. Gilliam has never been guilty of the crime of being on auto-pilot. But a good deal of his movies are an acquired taste.

Now what I see is a company of seasoned actors sportingly attempting to maintain their sanity while all around are losing theirs. Can it be easy to play one-third of a master of one-third of a capricious fantasy realm? You only have to dive in. Ledger himself---who makes Tony comparatively down-to-earth in the "real" world, which is of course intentional---must have been ready to do the same and would have given the plot more cohesion. Nevertheless, this is without a doubt an Imaginarium. The best angle is to sit there and let it wash over you. Get caught up in the present-tense much in a way like reading a Kurt Vonnegut book, not worrying so much about hearkening back to the beginning or guessing the end, because at any rate you can't.

Ironically, the plot and characters are as elusive as the Imaginarium itself.

[sweet_lady_genevieve · 5/10 · 28 October 2009]

Gilliam's strength, as always, is in having the ability to project the craziest depths of his imagination on to the big screen and this film provides the ideal platform for him to showcase his stunning visual conceptions. The 'Imaginarium' itself is a spectacle of fabulous colours, wonderfully bizarre landscapes and alluring visions; each personal to whoever enters through the magical mirror of Dr. Parnassus' mysterious travelling sideshow.

On the face of it, this vague idea along with an unparalleled cast sounds like it could be a winning concept for another masterpiece from acclaimed filmmaker Terry Gilliam (Twelve Monkeys, The Fisher King, Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), but I think it lacks the substance to make it a winner. Having said this, credit should be duly given to Gilliam, as the sudden death of Heath Ledger before filming had finished meant that some of the script had to be rewritten and other actors drafted in to complete Ledger's part (Depp, Law and Farrell).

The plot is hazy and with so much going on throughout it is very difficult to summarise. Dr. Parnassus (Plummer) is accompanied on his travels by his 15 year old daughter, Valentina (played very well, actually, by model-turned-actress Lily Cole). They are joined on the road by two more assistants; the somewhat irritating, yet harmless character of Anton (Andrew Garfield) and Parnassus' "number two", Percy (Troyer). Parnassus possesses the extraordinary power to invite people into their own imaginations through the main attraction that is the Imaginarium, which appears to be a completely ordinary two-sided mirror from the outside. Once inside, however, people are enticed one way and another and eventually, required to choose their fate. Heath Ledger effortlessly plays Tony, an ambiguous, enigmatic character who brings charisma and charm to the failing sideshow. It is very much a supporting role and he turns up towards the second half of the film. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law each bring an interesting dynamic to the character, even though they feature only for short spaces of time within the Imaginarium.

I would like to watch this film several times more before making my mind up completely as to whether I like it or not; but the main reason that I wouldn't put this amongst Gilliam's best is that it is quite slow-moving in places, where Gilliam seems to have gotten so carried away with his imagination-land that some of the other scenes are lacking focus. It is also difficult to feel any empathy or emotion for the characters, because even with some excellent performances – particularly Plummer as Parnassus himself – there are no distinct personalities to love or hate. In this sense, it is quite possible that this will appeal to cult fans of his niche film-making style. In any case, it is absolutely essential when watching this film that you abandon the desire for a plot in any conventional sense of the word and accept that, in order to appreciate it, your imagination must take over

Mind-blowing adventure with realistic reflection

[vortex007 · 10/10 · 30 January 2010]

Well today I've seen Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; I would say it's great! Terry Gilliam made another masterful work in his traditional vein of early works. Undoubtedly it could be better, but considering complicated circumstances under which were whole creation of the movie this is not just concocted story, it's elaborately tailored picture with heart and deep sense.

Looks a little bit patchy at first view, I suppose it's related with the death of Heath Ledger who didn't end his performance nevertheless Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell imbue the movie with new shapes and different atmosphere. They not worse they just different, somebody may deny such substitution but they need to think at first. What choice Gilliam had? These tree actors are probably the best that cinema industry has for this role. Without them, this film won't even exist.

This film is not for everyone, there are lacks of hints to get accurate picture and you'll need to face a lot of puzzles within it. But obviously when you begin to peer into the deepest niceties you start to understand all charming aspects and the main idea. This entire story filled with dozens of perplexing moments due to the abstract reality mood yet it's all looks really stunning and amazing especially perfectly contrived mysterious clouds around Heath Ledger's character Tony. His enigmatic origin has specific magnetism, it takes spectator's mind and don't give him any chance to digress from twists and turns of the plot and constantly keeps him on tenterhooks. No doubt this work deserves the highest mark, Gilliam made a great job and I believe his efforts and efforts of all who were involved in the creation of this masterpiece won't escape from clever viewers.

Pity that it is the last movie of Heath Ledger, because in fact it's not a film about his character, it is basically about Doctor Parnassus. But still I'm happy that last film of Ledger was so terrific and magnificent. Ledger left us beautifully like such outstanding actors should. Rest in peace Heath we all know that you were the best. And you still the best, cos like Johny Depp sad in the movie ''Nothing is permanent, not even death''.

A Complex Film That Requires Multiple Viewings

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 23 January 2010]

The great Doctor Parnassus, brilliant and immortal, is in a contest with the devil (Tom Waits)... their latest competition? Who can collect five souls first? The problem for Parnassus is that if he loses... he must give up his 16-year old daughter to the devil himself, losing the one thing he really, truly loves. But a new hope has fallen their way: Tony (Heath Ledger).

I had mixed feelings on this film. I had wanted to see it for months, and I didn't really know what it was about. But the prospect of a new Terry Gilliam film had me enthralled, along with the checkerboard patterns the trailer showed. Ultimately, I did not get what I expected at all from this one, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but put me in a strange position. I had to judge a film from a false preconception.

Even after leaving the film, I didn't know if I liked it. My friends were left in a similar condition. One later decided she didn't like it, another decided he did. A third is probably still perplexed. I'm slowly coming to a realization that I liked it, but would not rank it among Gilliam's best. I'm partial to "Twelve Monkeys", for example.

I have to give them credit for the way Heath Ledger's character was used even after the actor died. And Tom Waits gave the performance of his career (outdoing his amazing run as Renfield in "Dracula"). I'm not really clear on why the daughter played such a central role, she was somewhat annoying and not really much of a "prize". And the animation left me feeling "eh"... I'm not big on animation, and I didn't feel it was used in the best way in some scenes.

If you're a Gilliam fan, please check this one out. It's Heath Ledger, Jude Law and Johnny Depp, after all. And it beats the pants off of "Brothers Grimm". But don't forget the Gilliam classics, "Time Bandits" and "Brazil".

Outstanding!

[Dainius8888 · 9/10 · 30 July 2011]

An experience. That is the best description I can think of every time I see a movie by Terry Gilliam. He truly is a visionary, who's work is like non other. It's as if there are no rules in his line of work. Beautiful, imaginative, sick...It actually is quite hard to describe his work logically, because everything about his work is not based on logic. It is as if his imagination bursts out of his mind beyond the comprehension every time he does a movie, yet everyone of them, in my opinion, is genius. And "The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus" is a perfect example of what Gilliam is capable of.

The story is quite original and imaginative. Of course it definitely is not for everyone, since this movie REALLY stands out. But as for me, I loved everything about it. Everyone who loves stories about bargains with the devil will surely at least like it, because not only does it use this old fashioned element, but here it dressed up really well. It ads a sort of a humor to it, as the all the characters, especially the devil, are presented here with a nicely exaggerated charisma. And the story's drama put together with this interesting sense of humor creates an absolutely fantastic and aberrant overall atmosphere, which will make you enjoy practically every minute of the picture with tranquil satisfaction. The cast is just amazing beyond praise. So many A list actors (Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, etc.)put together in one place, make this film even more enjoyable. And the fact that the character Tony was Heath Ledger's final performance, really makes you pay a lot of attention to his role, which is absolutely FLAWLESS! And the rest of the cast give the most decent performance, especially Christopher Plummer, whose acting here is impossible to complain about for any movie admirer. The visual effects are incredible. Probably even imaginative enough to match the imagination of Mr. Gilliam. At moments of watching some of the more visually superior scenes, I actually thought to myself "How high, and 'on' what Gilliam was, to be capable of creating such pictures?" But of course this director isn't 'on' anything, but a true master in the craft of filmmaking.

Definitely recommended. This movie is a must see for any Terry Gilliam fan, any Heath Ledger fan, and anyone who likes imaginative and bizarre stories.

The imagination of Terry Gilliam

[moviemanMA · 7/10 · 25 April 2010]

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is an interesting film. Aside from the peculiar circumstance that Gilliam found himself in, the story is about an ageless man, Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), whose dealings with the devil have left him on an endless journey for love, happiness, and souls. He, along with his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), assistant Percy (Verne Troyer), and actor Anton (Andrew Garfield), tour from place to place looking for an audience to show the wondrous powers of Doctor Parnassus and his Imaginarium.

The Imaginarium is a place where the Doctor can better a person by showing him the goodness that is inside of them. It's not that easy though. Along the way there are temptations by Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), who is in a nutshell the devil. One must choose wisely in order to free themselves and their souls from eternal damnation.

One night while traveling, they come across a man hanging (by his neck) from a bridge. The man (Heath Ledger) does not know his name or what he was doing there. They take him in and with his help try to attract a new audience for the show.

I don't want to give away too much detail about the story because it's really not that important. Basically Doctor Parnassus tries to win a bet with Mr. Nick in order to save Valentina. The man (who is later named Tony) tries to help the Doctor win his bet, while wooing the lovely Valentina, who is the love interesting of Anton. It's a bit complicated but the film explains it more clearly than I can.

I'm not sure if I would have liked the film as much had I not known what Gilliam went through in making the film come to life. The changes he had to make to the story are absolutely brilliant. The way he constructs the rules of the Imaginarium world make the story believable, though highly fantastical.

The look of the film is very much like Gilliam's other works in the past like Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Brazil, and there are a few things that are straight out of his animations from his Monty Python days. I love detailed and over the top landscapes and sets. They are vibrant and full of life. Cartoonish and surreal. This film succeeds where Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones fails. The fantasy world looks like a fantasy world. Jackson made the afterlife look too fantastical. It should have looked more like the world in What Dreams May Come.

The story is a bit loopy and some of the writing is a bit unpolished, but that's okay by me. I think you know that it is going to be a bit off after reading the title. I was completely absorbed into the story. It was weird, exciting, and completely off the wall zany. Gilliam has a way to make the most ludicrous things seem so natural and sort of necessary. I can always expect to be amazed by the look of his films.

This isn't his best work. I would give that title to The Fisher King or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It is a very odd and unique viewing experience that not every one will enjoy, but I think a lot of people can find something to grab hold of. This is the definition of a escapism in cinema.

A visually beautiful mess of a tale

[freelancethinkers · 3/10 · 25 October 2009]

It breaks my heart to have to give a Gilliam film 3 out of ten, but here it is.

I adore the man, and would spawn his children if it were physiologically possible ( and we got on) but I can't defend the complete lack of cohesion and narrative structure in this movie.

Some of the effects are spellbinding, so it's safe to assume that a fair few million has been ploughed into it. Why wasn't some of this diverted into developing the script?

The acting was also terrible, but then you can't make a Prada handbag from a sackcloth. Or something. Even Heath Ledger, God rest his soul, couldn't rescue a script this bad, and it's lamentable that this is his last feature.

The vast majority of the film passes without the introduction of a storyline, and when it does it is almost as an apology. It felt to me like I was watching footage from the cutting room floor, from disc 2 of the DVD, and that somewhere out there is a really good movie from the stuff that actually made it!

Requires an IQ over 80 and at least a 15 second attention span

[harleytoad · 10/10 · 28 April 2010]

Many reviewers wrote they could not sit through the film. Sadly, in today's "I must constantly be entertained with my 1.5 second attention span", moviegoers tend to actually stomach "Gone In Sixty Seconds" yet cannot follow an intelligent, thoughtful film, replete with the fantastic imagination of Terry Gilliam. I had little trouble not only following this film, but following the changes of characters caused by Heath Ledger's death. Actually, the best of the characters was Johnny Depp, as usual. Everyone else who played the part, including Ledger, seemed to be walking through the lines. Overall, I loved the film. It definitely should have won best set decoration, and Christopher Plummer should have been a candidate for best actor. But as I said, short attention spans and focus on mindless drivel like the constant barrage of car theft shows indicates a somewhat less sophisticated audience that may not appreciate an intelligent film.

A huge disappointment

[montela-617-289480 · 2/10 · 25 December 2009]

Im gonna tell the truth immediately: The movie is really, really bad. Yes, it's the last movie of Heath Ledger and he did a great job in 'The Dark Knight', but he can not save the movie. I had high hopes when i saw the cast, almost all my favorite actors star in it (Depp, Law, Farell).. But even they can do very little to make the watching enjoyable.

I saw this film as a pre-premiere during a festival in Amsterdam and right from the beginning i was shocked by the poor quality of effects. They look like they were rendered by a 1990 computer and they didn't have any imagination at all. This might be forgivable for some art-house films, but since this is a big budget movie on which the story depends on the effects (most of half takes place inside the imagination of Dr Parnassus) it makes the movie almost unwatchable.

Also the movie lacks any sort of coherence whatsoever. There is no general style or vision on how to handle the imagination theme, it is simply a random collection of different 3d images. I read some reviews in which people praise the unmatched imagination of the director. If it's so unmatched, how come EVERY dream sequence feels like something we have already seen before. Sometimes the sequences take place inside a supposedly scary forest. A forest not very different from the standard horror movie (dark, steamy.. you know the routine). Sometimes in a looney tunes kinda setting. Yes, literally a looney tunes setting that you see in cartoons such as Roadrunner, only rendered in 3d. Wow, what a groundbreaking imagination this man has..

This randomness even affects the story and dialogue. There are points where the movie tries to teach us serious cliché lessons about love and life/death and then moments later the dialogue and atmosphere is like your watching a children's cartoon. Hell, the part where a bunch of policemen suddenly started doing a musical routine completely killed it for me.

Usually I am a big fan of original movies that are the product of an imaginative director (Pan's Labyrinth, Amelie or the recent Moon), but if you value a gripping story to come with crazy special effects, then steer away from this as far as you can.

Watch The Dark Knight instead again to see Heath Ledger at his best.. This movie does him no justice. R.I.P Heath Ledger

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: What Goes Around, Comes Around

[Ayreesfoxx · 7/10 · 17 January 2010]

Terry Gilliam, The mind behind the erratic and genius Fear and Loathing Las Vegas and Brazil, had his creative work cut out for him, when one of his stars and backbones passes away suddenly and quietly right in the middle of shooting of his latest film, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Though with the passing of Heath Ledger, it gave Gilliam a chance to explore a different approach to explain the fanciful story that he had created, built entirely around a man and a bet.

Like most of Gilliam's stories, to find the complete plot, you must delve deep and find it within yourself. The basic outline is centered on Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), an immortal holy man that has been in conflict with Mr. Nick, the embodiment of Satan (Tom Waits) to both collect and redeem souls throughout the course of life. Where Ledger's character falls, is something of an oddity, for he's found dangling under a bridge by Dr. Parnassus' daughter ----- and their traveling troupe. With the arrival of Tony (Ledger), Mr. Nick Brings up an ancient bet that unless Dr. Parnassus can save five souls in his imaginarium, then his daughter belongs to him.

Spelling out the story is fanciful and tricky enough, yet to watch it unfold is a well-paced and lingering, allowing the viewer to slowly ponder over what is exactly going on and enjoy the overall well written comedy and spectacular sights that are in the imaginarium. But what is this magical place, full of color and CGI majesty? Simply it's the place where ones true self – the things you most covet and treasure but may not need – are shown, and you are given the choice to repent or live with your sin. Thankfully the movie never gets preachy, as easily as it could have gone in that direction.

By all rights, the story itself could have been tightened up, to tie up loose ends and remove unneeded material ("He's upstairs"), yet it's obvious that the cause of most of the hitches due to the demise of Ledger. It was almost as if parts of the movie were left in as a homage to the departed actor, which in most cases wouldn't be a bad thing. However, when you have a movie that is so warped and mystical, plunging you directly into your imagination, those types of errors cannot be left.

The same could be said for the three accompanying actors; Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell. The trio was added into the script later, once changes needed to be made and shooting had to go on. To use them as other embodiments, "mirror-images" of Ledger in the Imaginarium. I have to say that as a whole, all three of them did a fantastic job of mimicking Ledger's mannerisms and patters, trying to truly be him without overshadowing. Though Law feel a little short – being bland and underwritten overall - while Farrell rose a little higher – almost perfectly mimicking Ledger from earlier scenes - all of them worked splendidly as a unit.

Still the movie worked, even with its downfalls. The comedy and delivery in the way it was handled (subtle and indirect undertone) flowed effortlessly, again helping the pacing of the overall story. Which also helps this movie, in the end, give it one of the staples of a "what do you think?" ending. Much like "Donnie Darko" or "Memento," by the credit roll, no two opinions of the message or meaning will be the same, and that's perfect. Because as we all have learned growing up, happy endings are not guaranteed.

Dr. Parnassus A Unique Adventure With Good Performances

[tburke85 · 8/10 · 2 May 2010]

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a unique adventure with good performances from the cast by writer/director Terry Gilliam whose admirable in making this movie thats original and might not be for everyone but I for one thought it was decent. Perhaps not the best movie I've seen but I still enjoyed it for what the film was. I won't get to much into the plot because it's better to see this movie without knowing too much about it. Dr. Parnassus marks the last film you'll see the late Heath Ledger in who sadly passed away while making this in January of 2008. Ledger is great as always as the mysterious and charismatic stranger Tony who joins a traveling theater company that gives it's audiences more than they expected. Ledger's part is more of a supporting one and thats okay because he immerses himself into the role (just like he did with his other roles and as Batman's arch nemesis The Joker in 2008's blockbuster hit "The Dark Knight") and he turns in a very good performance none the less. He's actually in it more than I thought he was going to be. Ledger doesn't appear on screen until about 24 minutes into it and some maybe a bit shocked with his introduction into the story considering the first time we meet him he's hanging by his neck from a bridge. While watching though it you can't help but feel sad at least I did knowing this is the last movie you'll ever see him in because he really was such a chameleon. An extremely talented and gifted young actor who seemed to take his roles seriously, without taking himself too seriously and there's no doubt in my mind that he will sorely be missed. Rest in Peace Ledger. Christopher Plummer is equally impressive as the character of the title who makes a deal with the devil for powers and immortality. Plummer like Ledger becomes the character for the film and he turns in a solid performance as a man who tries to make up for past mistakes by beating the devil at his own game of bets. The rest of the relatively unknown cast including Lilly Cole, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, and Tom Waits as the Devil are effective as the supporting characters who are at least developed to a point where you know a little bit about them. Waits does a good job as the Devil who gives the film some dark humor from time to time and he's clearly having fun playing Satan. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law play alternate versions of Tony when he enters the mirror into an imaginary world and all the three actors do an excellent job of making you believe it's the same character while putting their own little twists to the role. Depp has the smallest part of the three and his appearance is more like a cameo (he's only on screen for 1 maybe 2 minutes) but he still turns a solid performance. Colin Farrell and Jude Law have a little more to do and I feel both actors like Depp have done justice to the character Heath had created for the movie. Well done. This film maybe light on action but what it does offer is character development (Parnassus and Tony), some humor, drama, and solid performances by the cast. The film's pace was a little slow at times, some questions are never answered leaving them ambiguous, and the ending isn't quite what I expected but the exceptional performances by the cast (especially Ledger, Plummer, Depp, Law, Waits and Farrell) make up for it's few flaws. Overall The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus is an original mystery adventure drama thats certainly worth the time to watch. It's different and a little weird but in a good way. So if you're a fan of Gilliam, the late Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, or anyone else in the cast than chances are you'll definitely enjoy this one.