The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Poor Terry Gilliam. He may be one of the most brilliant and inventive directors of his generation, but his projects seem to be consistently dogged by trouble. Financial problems restricted many of his brilliant early works, while studios remained sceptical of his efforts. His attempt to film the classic “Don Quixote” ended in tremendous failure (although the process was, thankfully, released in the fascinating “Lost in La Mancha”), while 2005’s “The Brothers Grimm” made the cinemas but was ill-received. But in 2008, the worst possible tragedy almost derailed his latest work, with the death of star Heath Ledger. Gilliam was convinced that the film was unfinishable, but thanks to some creative story twists and a number of favours from the director’s very talented friends, the film has finally been released, and after all that, it’s still not getting very good reviews.

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It’s a shame really. Though the film is certainly no “Brazil”, “Twelve Monke’s” or “Fisher King”, it’s considerably more enjoyable, inventive and imaginative than most of the films currently showing. Telling the convoluted tale of a thousand-year old showman with a sideshow exhibit that allows its audience to enter their own imaginations following a deal with the devil, its core is a combination of prettily grungy modern-day carnie chaos and surreal flights of fancy through beautifully stylised CGI dreamscapes. There are some other story elements thrown rather -haphazardly into the mix; the coming-of-age and sexual awakening of the doctor’s daughter, a mixture of strained relationships, and the arrival of Ledger’s character, a mysterious but charming con-man. The story can hardly be said to be the film’s strong point; there are plot holes and some gaps in logic, but messy story-telling can’t get in the way of the sheer joy to be had watching the sumptuous visuals and utterly brilliant cast.

The actors are uniformly wonderful: Christopher Plummer brings quirky gravitas to the role of Doctor Parnassus and Lily Cole is dainty but feisty as his daughter, Valentina, but the true scenery-chewing performances come from the marvellous Tom Waits as a charismatic and devious Devil and the late lamented Ledger as the equally charismatic Tony. Filling in the gaps left by Ledger’s absence, with the neat conceit that the character’s appearance can change in the dream-world of the Imaginarium, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell prove similar enough to Ledger’s performance to be convincing, each sparkling with the same wit and energy that Ledger had already established in the character. As though these performances were not mesmerising enough, we have solid and convincing acting from the rest of the cast and spellbinding visuals, music and design to entertain us too. Whether it’s the glorious use of CGI (in a rare case of the technology being used effectively), the beautiful and evocative costuming, the busy and convincing sets, or the soaring but unobtrusive musical score, there’s plenty to hold the audience slack jawed. Even with the story itself being somewhat awkward, it’s well paced and there are some lovely set pieces: particularly fun is a flashback to the doctor’s youth and first meeting with the Devil in a mystical Eastern monastery, or a hysterical Pythonesque sequence involving singing policemen and a quartet of Russian mafia men.

It may not be equal to Gilliam’s earlier brilliance, but there is undeniably brilliance on display here, not least in Ledger’s performance. This film, like “the Dark Knight”, really highlights the tragedy of his loss. The sense of unrealised potential is overwhelming, but anyone saying that this is simply an epitaph for the young actor is exaggerating. It may not be as great a piece of art as some of Gilliam’s other productions, but it’s an enjoyable, even magical experience.