Cannes 2009: The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
Heath's final curtain call reviewed...
BY May 22nd 2009 21:21PMFILED UNDER: Movie news
User Comments (4)
Heath Ledger’s final film has screened at Cannes – and sad to say, it’s not the strongest swansong you could hope for.
Showing out of competition, Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus casts the late actor in a shady, slippery role that gives him only intermittent chance to shine.
But then this isn’t so much an actors’ movie, the biggest success being art direction that conjures memorable flights of fancy in the face of a clearly limited FX budget.
Such as it is, the story starts in present-day London, where Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) roams with his travelling sideshow, The Imaginarium.
Punters are given the chance to pass through the looking glass and luxuriate in their own unfettered imaginations.
This mobile gateway to adventure adds another member to its troupe when it comes across shifty outsider Tony (Ledger) in dire circumstances.
Meanwhile, we discover Parnassus is locked in a deadly bet with the Devil (Tom Waits); if he doesn’t entice five souls before daughter Valentina’s (Lily Cole) 16th birthday, she’ll become Satan’s property.
Let the set-pieces commence… Gilliam stays close to his Python roots with images of giant heads and shoes and a musical number that goes ‘Join the fuzz – we like violence!’
Solving the problem of Ledger’s mid-production demise, each trip to the Imaginarium sees his character (based, reportedly, on ex-PM Blair) played by a different actor – Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp, the latter most at ease amid the melee.
Thankfully, the conceit doesn’t jar in this anything-goes universe; what does jolt, though, is our macabre introduction to Ledger – a sight that briefly jerks you out of wonderland and into the real world.
But for the most part Gilliam has toned down the aggressive darkness of his last film, Tideland, pitching at the broader audience he reached for with Baron Munchausen and Brothers Grimm.
Print Comments (4)
1: magicwings says
Well... that was the vaguest review I've ever seen :/ is it any good or isn't it?
Posted: May 22nd 2009 // 3:27PMAlert a moderator
2: DeFantom says
I concur. Don't say 'review' if you really mean 'first impression'. Reviews require stars!
But, dammit, it looks like a suggested 3-er which is a shame as I was really looking forward to this.
Posted: May 22nd 2009 // 4:44PMAlert a moderator
3: MadMatt says
Bit lukewarm there, but even Terry's best films often get average reviews from critics, so it's probably one of those movies you need to see for yourself. That said, the Screen International review is far more encouraging than TF's impressions: http://bit.ly/19sgZI
Posted: May 22nd 2009 // 4:48PMAlert a moderator
4: Mattsimus says
Not the most gripping review ive ever read, but then again a gripping review would reflect a gripping film? i shall asume the film is poor whilst still remaining sensitive to the memory of the late Heath Ledger!
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