Mini-Review
This film has become somewhat famous because Heath Ledger was filming it when he died. Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell took over for Ledger, all of them playing the same role. It actually works in the context of the movie. Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his troupe travel the streets of London putting on street shows, but nobody really cares. We learn that Parnassus is very old, and that he’s made a deal with the devil to hand over his daughter on her rapidly approaching sixteenth birthday, a decision he regrets. But the devil gives him one last deal: if Parnassus can get 5 souls, he’ll let his daughter stay. The troupe finds Tony (Ledger) hanging beneath a bridge, and he proceeds to help them win souls. Yes, it’s all very convoluted. The magic of the film is Terry Gilliam’s fantastical direction. Within the mind of Parnassus (I think) is a fantasy world. It’s a confusing film, but it’s fun to try to figure it all out, and it has some great visuals. Though not on par with Gilliam’s best work (that would be Brazil, The Fisher King, and 12 Monkeys), The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is his most enjoyable in the last ten years.
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