The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers:

Terry Gilliam (written by)
Charles McKeown (written by)

Release Date:

16 October 2009 (Bulgaria)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Mystery

Plot:

A traveling theater company gives its audience much more than they were expecting. |

Plot Keywords:

Parallel World | Death Of Cast Member | Old Man | Magical | Cult Favorite

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Tony (1st transformation)
Heath Ledger	...	Tony
Jude Law	...	Tony (2nd transformation)
Colin Farrell	...	Tony (3rd transformation)
Christopher Plummer	...	Dr. Parnassus
Lily Cole	...	Valentina
Tom Waits	...	Mr. Nick
Andrew Garfield	...	Anton
Quinn Lord	...	9 Year Old Son
Verne Troyer	...	Percy
Paloma Faith	...	Sally
Cassandra Sawtell	...	Olga (unconfirmed)
Carrie Genzel	...	Journalist
Michael Eklund	...	Tony's Aid
Brad Dryborough	...	Repulsed Diner
Ryan Grantham	...	Little Anton
Johnny Harris	...	Policeman
Mark Benton	...	Dad
Michael Jonsson	...	Paramedic #2
Mackenzie Gray	...	Substitute Monk
Simon Day	...	Inspector
Ian A. Wallace	...	Fourth Monk
Richard Riddell	...	Martin
Fraser Aitcheson	...	Dancing Policeman
Peter New	...	Paramedic #1
Joseph Cintron	...	Monk
Vitaly Kravchenko	...	Piotr
John Snowden	...	Chauffer
Erika Conway	...	Mother at Puppet Show
Richard Shanks	...	Martin's Friend
David Smallbone	...	Sally's friend #2
Igor Ingelsman	...	Gregor

Also Known As:

L'Imaginarium du Docteur Parnassus (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent images, some sensuality, language and smoking.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

France | Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Norway:11 | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | New Zealand:PG | Australia:PG | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Battersea Power Station, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

Davis-Films

Trivia:

Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law gave all the income they received for this movie to Heath Ledger's daughter Matilda so that her economic future would be secure.

Quotes:

Tony: [from trailer] Nothing is permanent, not even death.

Movie Connections:

References "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (1990)

Visually stunning, but nothing more

If you're impressed with Gillam's colourful imagination, and his ability to splash it across a two hour movie, then you'll love this. If you regard it as a poor substitute for a compelling story, as I did, then by the half way stage you'll be looking at your watch. This film has everything in it except a decent story. It is indulgent nonsense. I have sympathy with the director, and admire him for completing the film regardless, but for pete's sake, where is the story ? It starts off interestingly, and then meanders off at a tangent, never to return. I haven't a clue what happens to the main characters. Nor do I care. It is hard to fault the set design, effects, costumes and overall production values, and the acting on show is of a high quality, but as I write this review I just wonder what the point of it all was, except to showcase, for the umpteenth time, what a vivid, wild, unrestrained imagination Terry Gilliam has. Much has been made of the mid-production casting of Jude Law, Jonny Depp and Colin Farrell, but such was my boredom, I found myself appreciating some smaller cameos; in one scene Mark Benton appears briefly, reminding me that there is more entertainment in his building society adds, than there is in this film. Next to Benton was Simon Day, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance – the legendary Fast Show comic. What I wouldn't have given for Day's inspired creation, Dave Angel, to make an appearance in this dreary film. I would only give this film a four out of ten. I have no desire to see it again, and I'm afraid I can't recommend it.