THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS
LAURIE COKER'S REVIEW
RATING: B+
While some may think ?Dark Knight? was the late Heath Ledger?s final film, it was not. No, the star?s last film, on which he was working at the time of his death, is Terry Gilliam?s wildly visual ?The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,? also starring Christopher Plummer with cameos by Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Collin Farrell, who all stand in for Ledger. With relatively few changes, Gilliam and co-writer Charles McKeown refashioned the script so that Ledger's part could be finished with the three above actors filling in.
The scene is set in modern-day London along the shadows of the River Thames, and the Imaginarium is a rolling boat/coach of some sorts which acts as home, dressing room, stage, and portal to an amazing world trapped in the imagination of whomever dares step through the mysterious mirror. The rag-tag team of the Imaginarium include: Anton (Andrew Garfield), Valentina (Lily Cole), Percy (Verne Troyer), and, of course, Dr. Parnassus (Plummer). It appears that a demonic person of sorts, called Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), plagues Parnassus, who made some sort of wager for immortality with the man from hell in his youth (some thousand years earlier) and the payoff is Parnassus's lovely daughter Valentina, when she reaches the ages of 16.
They are a tatty lot of apparently faded splendor, clad in tattered Victorian-esque attire and covered in grimy makeup. They offer the gift of story and imagination for anyone who they can drag to the show. As the other members entertain their scant audiences, Parnassus goes into a trance of sorts and a volunteer goes through a mirror, where on the other side lurks a incredible world of imagination. While Parnassus attempts to engulf each person?s heart in his or her imagination, Mr. Nick seeks to lead the person astray ? each man fighting for the highest number of souls and ultimately young Valentina.
Gilliam?s story is farcical and fantastic, although limited in scope. He never fleshes out the time or place and while the modern world plays out around his main characters, they are living in a surreal world of fantasy and vivid imagery. They live gypsy lives and, one day, while crossing a bridge, they see a man hanging and decide against their better judgment to pull him up, only to discover that he is alive and has amnesia. This is our first eerie, tormenting glance of Ledger. The white suited Tony (Ledger, et al), although suspect to most of the crew, draws Valentina?s attention and Anton?s disdain. On one hand, Tony brings in more audience members, but on the other, his sordid past haunts him and the crew, causing trouble and ultimately leading to the story?s climax inside the Imaginarium.
Ledger is in true form, proving again how great our loss is. I cannot see him on screen without feeling a great sense of loss and sadness. But still, I found pleasure in watching him perform - and perform he does. I relish his animation, charisma and flare. Tony is wily and charming and brings in audiences, lifting spirits, but it is also apparent that he hides secrets, making him jittery and nervous. Regardless of how well Gilliam (as plausibly as possible in a farce) weaves in Depp, Law, and Farrell, I missed Ledger in the final scenes of the film. It almost makes sense that Tony sees different faces at different times during his ventures into the Imaginarium, but I still found it a bit unnerving nonetheless, and I can?t help but think Ledger?s more interesting portrayal would have been inside the imaginary world.
Plummer, too, is wonderful, his character a bit creepy, but intriguing over all. It is spindly mustached Wait as Mr. Nick who really provides some entertaining moments, in his interaction with Parnassus ? he is a fun loving baddie with a wicked sense of humor ? an improbably likable scalawag. Arriving days before their deadline, he strikes another bargain with Dr. Parnassus, saying the Parnassus can keep his daughter if he can win five souls before Mr. Nick does and the game is on, Tony?s participation making the wager all the more interesting.
Garfield and Cole, especially Garfield, bring substance to their characters, as does Troyer. The Imaginarium allows for the inclusion of different Tonys given that it is not a ?real? world, and Farrell offers the most dynamic performance of the three stand-ins. I can?t say that I liked every aspect of the movie. The story is plain weird, as are its characters and Gilliam?s indecisive ambiguity with the setting served to muddle an already thin tale. Bringing me to the CGI and imagery of the Imaginarium ? mind-blowingly cool. With his incredible imagery, Gilliam captures my interest.
?The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,? rated PG-13 for violent images, some sensuality, language and smoking, is simply an extremely watchable movie. It tells, however feebly, the story of men caught up in misdeeds of their pasts and offers eye-candy extraordinaire. I am placing B+ in my grade book. I wish my own imagination could be so vivid!
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