Movie Review: Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus"

Let me jump right into this by saying that this movie is a fantastic piece of work, but contrary to what some people have assumed, this is not a children's movie. The title doesn't give much away, and I won't give spoilers, but as I said, this is not a children's movie.

Not many people realize that this was Heath Ledger's true final movie--he passed away half way through production. Terry halted production for a time, but Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell signed on, and with a few re-writes, this masterpiece was born.

Heath plays "real life" Tony: a fast talking, honey-tongued shyster who, over the course of the movie, is revealed to have many faces. Each time he enters the imaginarium, he is played by a different actor and his personality progressively gets more shady and questionable. By the final foray into the imaginarium, Colin Farrell has taken over as Tony and he's downright vicious. Colin really impresses in this role, and this maybe the only time I've ever said that about Colin Farrell.

The movie is really another telling of the classic "good versus evil" story--Doctor Parnassus has the ability to help others who enter the imaginarium choose between light and laughter and joy, or darkness and gloom. Things go awry when the Doctor wins immortality in a wager, then falls in love with a mortal, and continues to make bets with the Devil himself.

The movie itself is visually amazing. Terry was incredibly hands-on during the making of the movie; he directed, produced, and helped create the original designs for the art department. The script is amusing, but the tone is very dark overall. Don't expect the typical happy ending, either.

All in all, I love this movie. It's quickly become a favorite of mine and the re-watch value is incredibly high. I give it a thumbs up, and I am pleased that Terry found a way to finish the movie without Heath without taking away from the incredible acting that Heath did in the parts of the movie that he finished. Rest in peace, Mr. Ledger.