Having just finished watching this, and then reading the other reviews I am at a loss for all the fuss about the sub par special effects. They looked a lot better than the 250 million dollar Oz the Great and Powerful, which felt sadly fake in near every scene, and both movies are fantasy, so I saw nothing lacking in the special effects. The dialog in the opening of the movie for about 20 minutes is really just not great, but being a fan of Nightwish I stayed with the movie, and was glad to do so by the halfway mark. The other reviewers pointed out the homages so I will skip them. Coming at this film after seeing Tommy, The Wall, and Harry Potter films, I was not left in the lurch as many were about what was going on. I knew darn well I was seeing symbolism at every turn and was enthralled by it. The scene where the generations overlap in their pain was pure brilliance on the screen. I had never seen optics used in such a way to juxtapose two time periods and create a mood while still piling on the symbolism to even deeper meanings. The skipped words between characters in certain scenes is tasty for those who like being appreciated by the filmmakers to be smart enough to recognize what they were - like with the combination. It may not start out tidy but it gets that way. I was surprised by the idea that it was a movie with music and not a music movie. I was under the impression it would be more like Tommy than The Wall, it's not. The brief appearances by the band did leave me wanting way more, because I am fan of the group, but it didn't hurt the movie a bit. If only the beginning was as good as the rest I would give it all the stars, but it does open so poorly it would not be honest.
51 Reviews
A fair effort by Nightwish
bravesfan3525 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I was highly anticipating this film because I am such a big fan of Nightwish but the movie itself was very difficult to follow. That is, until the very end when old Tom is confronted by the snowman while on the roller-coaster. Then it starts to become clear. I liked that the band performed in a couple of scenes, even though one of them was a song I don't particularly care for (Slow, Love Slow). I do wish the other members of the band had as much of a role in the movie as Tuomas did. They're listed in the cast but only Tuomas appears outside of performances by the band. Overall, an interesting movie. The special effects were very good for being low budget.
Sad and long Music Video, not more...
andrea-gyimothy5 June 2014
Reading all these great reviews with super-ratings, I just had to watch this movie. I love Nightwish, I love visualized trips into the human mind (like The Cell or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and I like the dark touch these movies have. But Imaginaerum was rather disappointing. It's trying to be that very deep movie, with the heavy, meaningful images. But the longer you watch and the more you learn from the plot, the more you realize: it's not. It's just a very long, sad and melancholic Music Video.
Of course you might shed a tear near the ending but that doesn't make up for the rest of the film.
Especially the enforced appearances of the band are very misplaced. They (mostly!) just don't fit in! Those scenes are turning a not so bad movie into a Music Video.
Watch it if you are bored but don't expect too much. It gets five stars for being very average, good special effects, okay story, bad band placements. And no, it's definitely not a movie for kids! Unless you want your child watch a closeup head-shot.
Of course you might shed a tear near the ending but that doesn't make up for the rest of the film.
Especially the enforced appearances of the band are very misplaced. They (mostly!) just don't fit in! Those scenes are turning a not so bad movie into a Music Video.
Watch it if you are bored but don't expect too much. It gets five stars for being very average, good special effects, okay story, bad band placements. And no, it's definitely not a movie for kids! Unless you want your child watch a closeup head-shot.
Reflective of the 2012 album
daflappman26 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a huge Nightwish fan. I heard about them in 2011, and have since listened to almost every song that's been on major release from Oceanborn to Endless Forms most Beautiful. Honestly, it feels like the Imaginaerum movie was built to go along with the music. The track list accurately reflects the entire movie structure.
Though it's an accurate representation of the story of the 2012 album (The death of an artist), it's still kinda... strange. It's an oddity of a movie that one would only really understand if they understood Nightwish beyond their music.
Additionally, the run-time seems kind of short if they want to create a movie with even a bit more information. Also, I'm disappointed that "I Want My Tears Back" was only played in a sliver of the movie early on.
Though it's an accurate representation of the story of the 2012 album (The death of an artist), it's still kinda... strange. It's an oddity of a movie that one would only really understand if they understood Nightwish beyond their music.
Additionally, the run-time seems kind of short if they want to create a movie with even a bit more information. Also, I'm disappointed that "I Want My Tears Back" was only played in a sliver of the movie early on.
Twisting and turning fantasy ride into deepest imagination
Vartiainen4 February 2014
I have been a Nightwish fan for a long time. They're a perfect mix of sweeping epic, magical lyrics and deep, layered music that has the ability to take you on a journey. So when I heard they were going to make a whole movie giving visuals and form to their latest album, Imaginaerum, I was understandably hyped. Sure the limited budget would mean that it wouldn't be visually on par with Hollywood blockbusters, but Tuomas Holopainen is a man with such imagination that I trusted him to deliver a story I wouldn't soon forget.
And I wasn't disappointed. Imaginaerum, the movie, is a unique-looking creation that fits the mood and feel of the album remarkably well, breathing life into the grand story that the album only hints at. It's a story of a songwriter's death, the coldness of loneliness, abandonment and the ability of music to tell stories and to express what we would otherwise hide and be unable to put into words. It's also an homage to many things Holopainen holds dear to his heart. The Snowman, Neil Gaiman, Salvador Dali, magical realism, jazz, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are only a few things given a nod by this film. It's a convoluted mix of reverences, genuine storytelling and something new, but strangely enough at the end it all pulls together and paints a picture.
Yet the film isn't exactly what I imagined it'd be. I thought it would simply be a really long music video, or an actual musical if you will, with the tracks from the album being played in order, telling a story. It's not, though, and I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not. The actual music by Nightwish is used a bit haltingly. A song surges every now and then, only to die away when the scene changes, as it is a very fast-paced film. This is most apparent at the beginning. Later on there are longer music numbers, and those are great. The rest of the screen time is used to tell a story about a dying songwriter, his daughter and their life as seen through found and lost memories. And the story is not half bad. Personally I would have preferred to have a musical instead of it, but... oranges and apples.
Who would enjoy this film? Any fan of Nightwish, naturally, but I'd also recommend it to anyone who appreciates gorgeous music, dark and Gothic visuals, magical realism and stories that delve deep into imagination.
And I wasn't disappointed. Imaginaerum, the movie, is a unique-looking creation that fits the mood and feel of the album remarkably well, breathing life into the grand story that the album only hints at. It's a story of a songwriter's death, the coldness of loneliness, abandonment and the ability of music to tell stories and to express what we would otherwise hide and be unable to put into words. It's also an homage to many things Holopainen holds dear to his heart. The Snowman, Neil Gaiman, Salvador Dali, magical realism, jazz, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are only a few things given a nod by this film. It's a convoluted mix of reverences, genuine storytelling and something new, but strangely enough at the end it all pulls together and paints a picture.
Yet the film isn't exactly what I imagined it'd be. I thought it would simply be a really long music video, or an actual musical if you will, with the tracks from the album being played in order, telling a story. It's not, though, and I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not. The actual music by Nightwish is used a bit haltingly. A song surges every now and then, only to die away when the scene changes, as it is a very fast-paced film. This is most apparent at the beginning. Later on there are longer music numbers, and those are great. The rest of the screen time is used to tell a story about a dying songwriter, his daughter and their life as seen through found and lost memories. And the story is not half bad. Personally I would have preferred to have a musical instead of it, but... oranges and apples.
Who would enjoy this film? Any fan of Nightwish, naturally, but I'd also recommend it to anyone who appreciates gorgeous music, dark and Gothic visuals, magical realism and stories that delve deep into imagination.
Cerebral meta music movie
rosie_jackson8627 July 2020
not very good
abcc-885-2243331 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This is a movie that falls far short of expectations. The premise is intriguing: an old man falls into a coma, during which he explores his own internal space in the persona of a young child. He's guided through this adventure by a character who's kind of a combination of Falcor and Jack Skellington. Danger lurks around every corner, and presumably his goal is to reach some sort of self-realization before he succumbs to his condition.
The movie starts out with everything you'd expect from a psychological thriller, and the first few minutes are very promising. Then the band starts playing, and the movie reveals itself for what it is -- an extended music video promoting a semi-obscure European metal band.
Yes, that's right. It's a music video. Maybe if I was a fan of the band Nightwish I would have been less disappointed. Unfortunately I'm not a fan, and the movie overall was a real letdown.
The movie starts out with everything you'd expect from a psychological thriller, and the first few minutes are very promising. Then the band starts playing, and the movie reveals itself for what it is -- an extended music video promoting a semi-obscure European metal band.
Yes, that's right. It's a music video. Maybe if I was a fan of the band Nightwish I would have been less disappointed. Unfortunately I'm not a fan, and the movie overall was a real letdown.
Imaginaerum: Who put these tears in my eyes?!
Platypuschow5 August 2018
Imaginaerum was a random pick & mix movie I went into knowing nothing and was immediatly struck by how good everything looked. This Finnish made title looks like a AAA Hollywood movie except here the rest of the quality matches.
Otherwise known as the Nightwish movie as it was scored & soundtracked by the Finnish band, this is a dark fairytale that really took me by surprise.
It tells the story of a man in his final hours living a bizzare fantasy in his head while his embittered daughter deals with his condition in her own way.
It is a true visual treat that though very fragmented and not the easiest movie to follow does in fact have an outstanding payoff and all comes together in the end.
Looking great, sounding fantastic and with a story that comes together this beautifully my one criticism was that I wanted it to continue for longer.
A wonderful movie worthy of anyone and everyones attention.
The Good:
Visually stunning
Fantastic soundtrack
Devastatingly well written
The Bad:
Should have perhaps been longer
Couple of weak moments that damage the flow
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I should start listening to more Nightwish
Otherwise known as the Nightwish movie as it was scored & soundtracked by the Finnish band, this is a dark fairytale that really took me by surprise.
It tells the story of a man in his final hours living a bizzare fantasy in his head while his embittered daughter deals with his condition in her own way.
It is a true visual treat that though very fragmented and not the easiest movie to follow does in fact have an outstanding payoff and all comes together in the end.
Looking great, sounding fantastic and with a story that comes together this beautifully my one criticism was that I wanted it to continue for longer.
A wonderful movie worthy of anyone and everyones attention.
The Good:
Visually stunning
Fantastic soundtrack
Devastatingly well written
The Bad:
Should have perhaps been longer
Couple of weak moments that damage the flow
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I should start listening to more Nightwish
An Intriguing Fusion of Fantasy and Reality
DonaldDooD30 October 2014
I'm not a Nightwish fan. I haven't heard a peep about this movie til I watched it. But having come across it, I was pleasantly surprised. Imaginaerum isn't a flimsy band cash-in, but a stand-alone film, enjoyable by metal and non-metal viewers alike.
Imaginaerum is a fantasy film, a world inside a fading musician's mind. These kinds of movies can be annoying sits for me. But Imaginaerum actually has rhyme and reason to its bizarre images. Heck, they probably explain too much! There is a lot of exposition dialog. By the end of the movie, you get a good grasp of this guy's life and torments. The effects are pretty good, considering the film's budget. I've seen films with over 10 times the money look way worse.
I could have enjoyed delving further into the relationships. The music could have been better, although it was far from awful. Regardless, if you loved films like Pan's Labyrinth or The Fountain, I think this one will quench your thirst.
Imaginaerum is a fantasy film, a world inside a fading musician's mind. These kinds of movies can be annoying sits for me. But Imaginaerum actually has rhyme and reason to its bizarre images. Heck, they probably explain too much! There is a lot of exposition dialog. By the end of the movie, you get a good grasp of this guy's life and torments. The effects are pretty good, considering the film's budget. I've seen films with over 10 times the money look way worse.
I could have enjoyed delving further into the relationships. The music could have been better, although it was far from awful. Regardless, if you loved films like Pan's Labyrinth or The Fountain, I think this one will quench your thirst.
Not worth it
booch-paradise22 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The good: I'll disagree with those who have complained about the visuals in the movie. With high definition close ups and the panning flying view's I'd actually call this movie eye candy.
And of course the music was good, which is why were were all watching this movie to begin with.
The bad: All these reviews talk about how hard the story is too follow. This isn't because there are so many moving parts, there's not, it's because the movie is a collection of scenes thrown together that only occasionally have anything to do with the plot. The plot itself is mostly a collection of clichés. Son seeking the approval of his father, who is a brute. Daughter hates her father because he's distant.
The plot really does not come from the scenes themselves. Instead you get what's going on because people tell you whats going on. You understand that his daughter hates him because she says she hates him. Even little things are like this, for example you understand that the former lead singer of his band is feisty because she tells you so, not because you see her acting feisty.
In all the story was very clunky and the characters VERY 1 dimensional.
And of course the music was good, which is why were were all watching this movie to begin with.
The bad: All these reviews talk about how hard the story is too follow. This isn't because there are so many moving parts, there's not, it's because the movie is a collection of scenes thrown together that only occasionally have anything to do with the plot. The plot itself is mostly a collection of clichés. Son seeking the approval of his father, who is a brute. Daughter hates her father because he's distant.
The plot really does not come from the scenes themselves. Instead you get what's going on because people tell you whats going on. You understand that his daughter hates him because she says she hates him. Even little things are like this, for example you understand that the former lead singer of his band is feisty because she tells you so, not because you see her acting feisty.
In all the story was very clunky and the characters VERY 1 dimensional.
A beautiful dark dream
dashannes12 February 2013
In few words Imaginaerum is a dive into a man's surreal dark dreams with superior strengths in terms of powerful images and music and some minor weaknesses in character development and acting. What may appear as another childish adventure at first quickly develops into an emotionally demanding journey dealing with very adult conflicts on a metaphorical and artistic level.
In detail Imaginaerum starts off rather associative. Really strong pictures and music (reminding me of Tim Burton movies) guide the audience from the very first second deep down the rabbit hole. The Scenery is especially impressive considering the budget of the movie. While technically being a convincing and easy show, scene jumps and plot appear rather cryptic at first. The movie succeeds at creating a rough and positively incomplete idea of the plot in your head quickly and developing that idea scene by scene throughout the whole movie without letting anything become too obvious or boring. The basic ideas appear metaphorical, yet decipherable and believable. I might add that Imaginaerum demands much (but not too much) of the viewer rationally as well as emotionally: It requires active thinking to follow the central plot and it is necessary to apply yourself to the emotions of the movie to understand the scenes. Not doing so will greatly decrease the value of the experience (and may result in questionable reviews some might have read so far).
The only downside to me is that there was unutilized potential of even deeper character development. They all started interesting but ended a little abrupt. In addition I was not totally convinced by some character acting. In some moments I got that "There is an actor playing a character"-feel which shouldn't come up. Surprisingly it didn't affect emotion and meaning of the movie too much so I can overlook that weakness easily. Having mentioned weaknesses I also want to mention that there were many great moments in terms of acting as well. For example I really enjoyed the great performance of actor Tuomas Holopainen!
Imaginaerum as a "band-movie": I don't consider myself a Nightwish fan even though I don't dislike their music. I was positively surprised that Imaginaerum, in contrast to other band movies, did not make it a 2 hours narcissistic music video. A few times the band is on screen but only adding positively to the atmosphere.
As being someone who enjoys strong images, demanding plots and artistic implementations I totally recommend this movie to my friends and to you. I advise parents to be cautious showing Imaginaerum to children, as some scenes "can be disturbing" (as other reviewers already mentioned) and the movie as a whole may be hard to understand. I personally recommend this above 12 years of age.
In detail Imaginaerum starts off rather associative. Really strong pictures and music (reminding me of Tim Burton movies) guide the audience from the very first second deep down the rabbit hole. The Scenery is especially impressive considering the budget of the movie. While technically being a convincing and easy show, scene jumps and plot appear rather cryptic at first. The movie succeeds at creating a rough and positively incomplete idea of the plot in your head quickly and developing that idea scene by scene throughout the whole movie without letting anything become too obvious or boring. The basic ideas appear metaphorical, yet decipherable and believable. I might add that Imaginaerum demands much (but not too much) of the viewer rationally as well as emotionally: It requires active thinking to follow the central plot and it is necessary to apply yourself to the emotions of the movie to understand the scenes. Not doing so will greatly decrease the value of the experience (and may result in questionable reviews some might have read so far).
The only downside to me is that there was unutilized potential of even deeper character development. They all started interesting but ended a little abrupt. In addition I was not totally convinced by some character acting. In some moments I got that "There is an actor playing a character"-feel which shouldn't come up. Surprisingly it didn't affect emotion and meaning of the movie too much so I can overlook that weakness easily. Having mentioned weaknesses I also want to mention that there were many great moments in terms of acting as well. For example I really enjoyed the great performance of actor Tuomas Holopainen!
Imaginaerum as a "band-movie": I don't consider myself a Nightwish fan even though I don't dislike their music. I was positively surprised that Imaginaerum, in contrast to other band movies, did not make it a 2 hours narcissistic music video. A few times the band is on screen but only adding positively to the atmosphere.
As being someone who enjoys strong images, demanding plots and artistic implementations I totally recommend this movie to my friends and to you. I advise parents to be cautious showing Imaginaerum to children, as some scenes "can be disturbing" (as other reviewers already mentioned) and the movie as a whole may be hard to understand. I personally recommend this above 12 years of age.
Absolutely beautiful!
paulclaassen23 July 2018
This very imaginary film is the most visionary depiction of dementia you'll ever see. A Tim-Burton-ish fantasy musical adventure, this is very unique and very different. At first glance not everything will make sense, so the film definitely deserves more than one viewing. If you're a Nightwish fan, there's the added bonus of the band members performing in the film as well. Their music was toned down and very effective. The film's visuals is striking and there's some really awesome super slow motion photography. What an absolutely beautiful film!
Nightwish fan, but...
feministmetalhead27 May 2013
Nightwish is one of my favorite bands; however, I was highly disappointed with this film. It was a poor attempt to visualize their music. They might have been better off making it a musical or long music video. This film seemed to try too hard to be "deep" while also trying too hard at fitting in the music. Within the first 10 to 15 minutes of the movie, the audience already knows the entire premise. I kept watching in the hope that at the music would make up for it, but it did not. The music was a bit scattered and not well featured. As a result, Nightwish's valid attempt at cinema lacked on all aspects (There was not much acting to take into consideration.).
Maybe a journey a lot of us are gonna take someday...
KineticSeoul12 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
During my elementary years they showed us this cartoon about a flying snowman and a boy. I always found it kinda sad and haunting for some reason and very dreamlike. Now I wouldn't say this is a haunting movie but it does have it's presence. Not a strong one but it's passable, and imaginative in the "A Christmas Carol". Except it has rock music to get you through it and the music is entertaining and catchy. Most of it is by the band "Nightwish" that also makes appearances. When we get older or life gets difficult in some areas we have the tenacity to reminisce of the young good old days or go into a fantasy world. And that is sort of the theme for this movie. Movies like this doesn't get much backing from the studio and it's kind of a indie film. But the makers have room to do whatever they want with it, despite the limitation when it comes to the budget. It's visceral experience and a journey that a lot of us will take someday. It's not a movie I would see again but despite few areas I thought is lacking, this one still has a bit of heart.
7/10
7/10
A movie for fans of nightwish only
gregvsds29 April 2013
A movie for fans of nightwish only. I was waiting for this one, only to be disappointed... I like nightwish music too but let's keep it that way... I really don't know what to say for this movie if you can even call it a movie of course, boring story, boring plot, uninteresting characters. The acting is OK, the FX are good, but in the end the movie does not make it in the long run... I found myself trying not to fall asleep through the whole movie and the nightwish music parts are just out of place. The music which is a BIG point of this movie just doesn't fit with more of the scenes! The album itself was good but only for a music album not for movie. That's just my humble opinion so...
Artsy and well constructed
gerald-dean99831 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
If you don't know the band Nightwish, you can still enjoy this movie. The one thing that comes across, is that is an apologetic homage to the egocentric megalomaniacs that achieve some success in the music industry.
The story centering about a daughter dealing with her father slipping away from life, has too much of a tone of "Oh poor me, tortured soul, that no one understands me." And the rest of the characters have to go through hell to accept the apologies of the central character. **Spoiler** Daughter spends 1 hour of the movie bitching about how uncommunicative the father was towards her, and then they find some writings about how much he loved her. WHO THE HECK things that some pages a guy wrote in 5 minutes can make up for maybe 30 years of not caring for her? On top of that she has to spend lengthy hours putting the writings together? This guy should never had children in the first place!
Maybe I am biased, because I know too many of these artistic types who get married have kids, but they don't want to sacrifice anything for their children, and at the end they turn up making apologies in movies like these... And most are in the music world and in the movies industry.
Armchair psychology aside, I loved the blending of music and imagery. At times it feels like a over extended MTV video (from back when MTV used to play music videos).
But someone versed in the arts, often I had the feeling while watching this movie that the guys from Nightwish saw Pink Floyd's The Wall for the first time, and said "Heck! We can do this better... Nightwish style!!"
Although I may sound bitter, I enjoyed the imagery and the soundtrack. If you enjoyed this, you should also check out Pink Floyd's The Wall, by Alan Parker, and maybe Jesus Christ Superstar.
The story centering about a daughter dealing with her father slipping away from life, has too much of a tone of "Oh poor me, tortured soul, that no one understands me." And the rest of the characters have to go through hell to accept the apologies of the central character. **Spoiler** Daughter spends 1 hour of the movie bitching about how uncommunicative the father was towards her, and then they find some writings about how much he loved her. WHO THE HECK things that some pages a guy wrote in 5 minutes can make up for maybe 30 years of not caring for her? On top of that she has to spend lengthy hours putting the writings together? This guy should never had children in the first place!
Maybe I am biased, because I know too many of these artistic types who get married have kids, but they don't want to sacrifice anything for their children, and at the end they turn up making apologies in movies like these... And most are in the music world and in the movies industry.
Armchair psychology aside, I loved the blending of music and imagery. At times it feels like a over extended MTV video (from back when MTV used to play music videos).
But someone versed in the arts, often I had the feeling while watching this movie that the guys from Nightwish saw Pink Floyd's The Wall for the first time, and said "Heck! We can do this better... Nightwish style!!"
Although I may sound bitter, I enjoyed the imagery and the soundtrack. If you enjoyed this, you should also check out Pink Floyd's The Wall, by Alan Parker, and maybe Jesus Christ Superstar.
It was okay but very B-Grade.
regan_music2 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I would like to say it was terrible but to be honest there are worse films out there.
I'm a long-time nightwish fan but this film was just cheesy. Even as a children's movie it's just not executed that well. The acting styles and colour grading are both very reminiscent of afternoon soap operas like Days of Our Lives or the Young and the Restless. It really just seems like the band members blowing their money to have fun with a camera and FX team.
The characters were not believable at all. Acting aside, I would like to know why a man suffering extreme dementia / depression / mid-life crisis is still mentally intact enough to do his hair up so nicely, apply all that make-up while also dropping by his favorite local designer fashion store. It never explained this part but I hope he was sulking as he did this, because only then is the character we see in the film at all believable.
The music was 10x louder than the voice-overs and the dialogue hardly hits the mark. It's like it was written by a kid. I know Nightwish are great musicians and this film is meant to go alongside the album, but the songs did not overly fit the theme all that well.
The part where they performed "Scaretale" and "Slow, Love, Slow" was great though.
I'm thinking this was some lazy effort at self-promotion? All in all I guess it was worth the watch just to say I did actually watch it.
I'm a long-time nightwish fan but this film was just cheesy. Even as a children's movie it's just not executed that well. The acting styles and colour grading are both very reminiscent of afternoon soap operas like Days of Our Lives or the Young and the Restless. It really just seems like the band members blowing their money to have fun with a camera and FX team.
The characters were not believable at all. Acting aside, I would like to know why a man suffering extreme dementia / depression / mid-life crisis is still mentally intact enough to do his hair up so nicely, apply all that make-up while also dropping by his favorite local designer fashion store. It never explained this part but I hope he was sulking as he did this, because only then is the character we see in the film at all believable.
The music was 10x louder than the voice-overs and the dialogue hardly hits the mark. It's like it was written by a kid. I know Nightwish are great musicians and this film is meant to go alongside the album, but the songs did not overly fit the theme all that well.
The part where they performed "Scaretale" and "Slow, Love, Slow" was great though.
I'm thinking this was some lazy effort at self-promotion? All in all I guess it was worth the watch just to say I did actually watch it.
Imaginaerum is not an easy movie to wrap your head around, but if you stick with it till the end, I guarantee you will shed a tear or two.
sini-raisanen23 November 2012
Imaginaerum is one of those movies that will leave you confused for the first hour in to the movie. The bits and pieces of the soon fading memories of Thomas Whitman will confuse you and give more questions than answers. The last quarter of the movie will offer some explanations, but some will remain and the gaps in the life of Thomas Whitman are left up to the viewer to imagine.
The special effects are beautiful, but cannot compete with Hollywood movies with multi-million dollar budgets. Actors do their jobs pretty well, but some of them are not as convincing as you would like. Especially the young Gem Whitman leaves something to be desired. Francis X. McCarthy on the other hand is very convincing playing the role of the old demented song writer Thomas Whitman.
If you are a Nightwish fan, you'll get a kick out of this movie. If you have never heard of the band called Nightwish, you might enjoy it anyway if you are one of those people who like the fact that not everything is clear at the very beginning.
Overall, the movie is very touching once you get into it. It's not one of those "leave your brains at the door" movies because you really have to think and try to identify with the characters. With this movie, you can't expect things to be handed to you on a silver platter. Though something else might be...
The special effects are beautiful, but cannot compete with Hollywood movies with multi-million dollar budgets. Actors do their jobs pretty well, but some of them are not as convincing as you would like. Especially the young Gem Whitman leaves something to be desired. Francis X. McCarthy on the other hand is very convincing playing the role of the old demented song writer Thomas Whitman.
If you are a Nightwish fan, you'll get a kick out of this movie. If you have never heard of the band called Nightwish, you might enjoy it anyway if you are one of those people who like the fact that not everything is clear at the very beginning.
Overall, the movie is very touching once you get into it. It's not one of those "leave your brains at the door" movies because you really have to think and try to identify with the characters. With this movie, you can't expect things to be handed to you on a silver platter. Though something else might be...
A jumbled mess - but, that's the intent
kingramze16 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Warning that spoilers may be below:
This is one of those movies you truly need to watch twice to get the full meaning and impact -- not because there is a twist or it's especially hard to get, but because as things are revealed, you can find parallels between the real world and the dream world. It's not until the final scene when all the jumbled pieces come together that one can see and understand all the metaphors hidden throughout the journey of a dying man with dementia (caused at least in part by multiple strokes) and mental illness coming to terms with his life and struggling desperately to hold on to his most precious memories and the ones he loves.
There are, of course, hints everywhere along the way. But, the way the story is presented is disjointed -- memories from random time frames, surreal dreamscapes with metaphors abound and flashes to the present reality all mixed together along the way. Then, there's the musical scenes which often seem forced, but at least they mostly take place in the dreamland -- which I can forgive as a dying musician is likely to have dreams and nightmares including musicals.
The lead character is suffering from a condition that causes confusion about when and where he is -- and suffers from random gaps in memory that come and go. This mirrors the style of the movie, writings within the movie, the construction of a roller coaster within the dreamland, and the journey the lead character makes. Tom is a man with deep regret. He is scared of losing his memory, and especially concerned with his relationship with his estranged daughter whom he distanced himself from to protect her -- from himself. He had a troubled history with his own father who suffered from mental illness like himself -- and must come to terms with that as well.
The visuals and special effects were very well done - some quite impressively stunning. I'm not a Nightwish fan, but I did enjoy some of the music - especially a few piano melodies. Some have complained about the acting, but I find it believable given the strained relationships and mental states of the characters.
The movie is the video equivalent of a surreal painting -- a work of art with beauty and flaws. Not everyone will understand it, and even those that do may not appreciate it. It's not a blockbuster meant to constantly entertain. There aren't any real heroes or villains - or even much of a plot other than the characters' internal struggles. It isn't a true horror or fantasy adventure so much as a heartbreaking story of a troubled, dying man's love for his daughter and her discovery of the depth of that love. I don't expect everyone to get it, but as someone who has lost estranged loved ones that suffered from dementia and Alzheimer's, this one hit home to me.
I have to say there aren't many dramas about the inner struggles of the dying mentally ill with settings in horror/fantasy dreamworlds and musical scores that include piano and metal. Love it or hate it, it's unique and I applaud the effort. I can't say whether others will enjoy it or not, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was touched by its message.
Extreme spoiler:
My favorite part is the realization that Tom, a musician who loved creating music, named his daughter Gem. He plays the piano and talks many times about wanting to hear the chords again -- trying to remember them and specifically mentions E minor a few times. At the end, he describes the most beautiful melody ever created by man - the change from G to E minor. G to Em -- GEM... his daughter. It was sort of a Mr. Holland's Opus moment where you realize she was the music of his life.
This is one of those movies you truly need to watch twice to get the full meaning and impact -- not because there is a twist or it's especially hard to get, but because as things are revealed, you can find parallels between the real world and the dream world. It's not until the final scene when all the jumbled pieces come together that one can see and understand all the metaphors hidden throughout the journey of a dying man with dementia (caused at least in part by multiple strokes) and mental illness coming to terms with his life and struggling desperately to hold on to his most precious memories and the ones he loves.
There are, of course, hints everywhere along the way. But, the way the story is presented is disjointed -- memories from random time frames, surreal dreamscapes with metaphors abound and flashes to the present reality all mixed together along the way. Then, there's the musical scenes which often seem forced, but at least they mostly take place in the dreamland -- which I can forgive as a dying musician is likely to have dreams and nightmares including musicals.
The lead character is suffering from a condition that causes confusion about when and where he is -- and suffers from random gaps in memory that come and go. This mirrors the style of the movie, writings within the movie, the construction of a roller coaster within the dreamland, and the journey the lead character makes. Tom is a man with deep regret. He is scared of losing his memory, and especially concerned with his relationship with his estranged daughter whom he distanced himself from to protect her -- from himself. He had a troubled history with his own father who suffered from mental illness like himself -- and must come to terms with that as well.
The visuals and special effects were very well done - some quite impressively stunning. I'm not a Nightwish fan, but I did enjoy some of the music - especially a few piano melodies. Some have complained about the acting, but I find it believable given the strained relationships and mental states of the characters.
The movie is the video equivalent of a surreal painting -- a work of art with beauty and flaws. Not everyone will understand it, and even those that do may not appreciate it. It's not a blockbuster meant to constantly entertain. There aren't any real heroes or villains - or even much of a plot other than the characters' internal struggles. It isn't a true horror or fantasy adventure so much as a heartbreaking story of a troubled, dying man's love for his daughter and her discovery of the depth of that love. I don't expect everyone to get it, but as someone who has lost estranged loved ones that suffered from dementia and Alzheimer's, this one hit home to me.
I have to say there aren't many dramas about the inner struggles of the dying mentally ill with settings in horror/fantasy dreamworlds and musical scores that include piano and metal. Love it or hate it, it's unique and I applaud the effort. I can't say whether others will enjoy it or not, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was touched by its message.
Extreme spoiler:
My favorite part is the realization that Tom, a musician who loved creating music, named his daughter Gem. He plays the piano and talks many times about wanting to hear the chords again -- trying to remember them and specifically mentions E minor a few times. At the end, he describes the most beautiful melody ever created by man - the change from G to E minor. G to Em -- GEM... his daughter. It was sort of a Mr. Holland's Opus moment where you realize she was the music of his life.
Bad film,Good MV
heysweety21 October 2013
I love Finland, I love Nightwish, and I love their songs. Good story, bad acting, and excellent soundtrack. That's all my point. (Hope you guys find some of their CDs to listen. They are really really amazing.) I'd rather considered it as a very long music video than a film.The film tells a story about a man who lost in his dream,and how he tries to get rid of it.Sounds like a fairy tale but there's another story hidden.It's about father's love,and more,dealing with the suffering of lost his families(Maybe more,i don't know)And that's why I don't think it was a good film.It's true that it tells us a wonderful story and show us plenty of fantastic scenes,but we should not neglect the fact that it was busy of telling stories and show the great scenes which made us forget to find the emotions deep inside.(I don't know how to tell my feelings.)But still,I want to say,I love the band,I love Nightwish.
The Imaginaerum story told in a Nightwish way
heppe-207-83346226 November 2012
I went to Hartwall to see the premiere on 10/11-2012. As a longtime fan of the band it was really exciting too see if they could transform a great celebration to life such as the album Imaginaerum to a full time (almoast) movie. They did! For all nightwish fans this is a must see. For others that don't know much about Nightwish this is a weird movie indeed. A mixture of The classic Snowman (1982) and some Tim Burton mixed with Holopainens (I guess) fear for what will happened after his roller-coaster has stopped with Nightwish. The Imaginaerum album is for me an emotional journey within myself. The movie projects that journey to Whitman thankfully. (My fear was that the movie should touch me as deeply as the album. But thankfully it did not. ) Still its a great Nightwish movie and the score is also beautifully arranged. I believe the movie will have some reference audio class for the home movie enthusiast. Could be wrong, but the sound and volume was impressive in Hartwall! And if you like me also love the moodier instrumental arrangements by Nightwish you must go buy The Score. Animations (lots of them and green screen effects) was also well done if you consider the budget. A great step forward compared to the Nightwish videos you have seen with animations.
Decently made, beautiful, dark and cryptic movie that will satisfy the hardcore fans of the Finnish band Nightwish
BernardGT10 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Imaginaerum is a movie made especially for you if you are either into Gothic-cum-symphonic rock or a hardcore fan of the Finnish band Nightwish. Either way, this musical fantasy directed by Stobe Harju is a complete adventure of fantasy that deals with heavy presence of artsy music, concepts, natures and themes. In Imaginaerum, a coma sends an elderly Thomas Whitman into his childhood's sinister fantasy world – a place so dark and so mystical that it was influenced by his tormented past of losing both his parents and his beloved wife. As he suffers from severe dementia, the disease has regressed him into childhood and he practically remembers nothing about his adult life. Slipping further into coma and nearing death, Thomas must fight his dementia by seeking clues and memories inside the fantasy world while his estranged daughter Gem struggles to recover the bond she once had with her father in the real world, before it is all too late.
This artsy Gothic-fantasy will definitely leave you breathless for sensible story and ultimately many will find it confusing. The movie starts out like something you would have watched from Tim Burton's classics or from the canvass of Salvador Dali. For starter, the first act touches on the boy's issues, which culminating into steady plot- building that allows the audience to start tying up and gaining a clearer picture by the time the movie enters a crucial third act. There are several amazing scenes which are equipped well with strong artistic works and emotional journey attached to it. The scene where Thomas discovers the death of his father and him pushing his daughter away is ingeniously made and filmed. But occasionally, the plot also runs into rabbit holes that stumbles the pacing. Casual moviegoers would be left to ponder about the need for the plot to be cryptic, something that you really need to think and to suck into the movie to really enjoy it. But as Thomas digs more into his pasts, the plot starts to make a whole lot more of senses as it progress thus beginning to ditch away those vague and hazy intentions.
The metaphorical world is built up beautifully thanks to some strong images and sceneries that make use of the limited budget to portray some great but otherwise dodgy effects. Along the great cinematography work, the music and score companion courtesy of the elements from Nightwish's vocal and soothing rock tunes are the greatest rewards for both the audiences and fans, which justify the moods of the story. However, the only thing that holds this movie a few notches backward is the effective character development. Some of the characters are under-served and restricted, while there are also abruptly contrived just for the purpose of they should be there. Even when the characterization is somewhat short in some angles, the problems does not affect the emotion nevertheless.
This artsy Gothic-fantasy will definitely leave you breathless for sensible story and ultimately many will find it confusing. The movie starts out like something you would have watched from Tim Burton's classics or from the canvass of Salvador Dali. For starter, the first act touches on the boy's issues, which culminating into steady plot- building that allows the audience to start tying up and gaining a clearer picture by the time the movie enters a crucial third act. There are several amazing scenes which are equipped well with strong artistic works and emotional journey attached to it. The scene where Thomas discovers the death of his father and him pushing his daughter away is ingeniously made and filmed. But occasionally, the plot also runs into rabbit holes that stumbles the pacing. Casual moviegoers would be left to ponder about the need for the plot to be cryptic, something that you really need to think and to suck into the movie to really enjoy it. But as Thomas digs more into his pasts, the plot starts to make a whole lot more of senses as it progress thus beginning to ditch away those vague and hazy intentions.
The metaphorical world is built up beautifully thanks to some strong images and sceneries that make use of the limited budget to portray some great but otherwise dodgy effects. Along the great cinematography work, the music and score companion courtesy of the elements from Nightwish's vocal and soothing rock tunes are the greatest rewards for both the audiences and fans, which justify the moods of the story. However, the only thing that holds this movie a few notches backward is the effective character development. Some of the characters are under-served and restricted, while there are also abruptly contrived just for the purpose of they should be there. Even when the characterization is somewhat short in some angles, the problems does not affect the emotion nevertheless.
Cliché Stew
dwankan12 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I kept wondering as I watched if this was a musician's movie fantasy, and after I watched the film, I looked it up, to find out it was. It's sad that I can't decide whether the script or the music were worse. The plot combined a less than believable family drama with a childish attempt at surrealist imagery, and since the characters were all utterly unlikeable and the story was laughably illogical, it was impossible to care. Others have defended it by saying it was just intellectually challenging, but the film is simplistic; it's just bad. The music lacked any originality, and the performances in the musical sequences seemed like a parody of pretentious rock stars. I'd never heard of Nightwish, and I won't be exploring their work any further. That said, I could have taken what I see as bad music (no accounting for taste, as the saying goes) if the film had any merit, but it had none. I will give one bit of praise: the acting was decent, which makes me wonder how the players got tricked into this disaster.
complete show
Vincentiu7 December 2014
splendid homage for life. must see for Nightwish band fans. and a splendid show. its root - a music album but the message, the poetry of images, the references to other movies, the delicacy of details, the trip of Tom to himself are good points for enjoy a complete show. a show about the past and about sacrifice, about music and about love. like a fairy tale , it is a way to discover basic values. and for understand in profound manner the world. a film about miracle. and beauty. about revelations and emotions. useful for a part of its public, interesting for others . but fascinating for the precision. a Nightwish film. as message. as show. as a kind of confession. see it !
Visually beautiful, dark themed, good music, but that's about it
siderite30 November 2014
I had expected a drawn out music video - after all, it was a movie created by a music band. Instead, it was a full feature film about a demented old man trying to hold on to the good memories of his life before he dies and an estranged daughter that needs to reconcile with him. The motifs in the film are interesting, psychologically, but other than that, there is not much happening. Also, musically it has the soundtrack from Nightwish and a couple of actual songs with the band playing, but nothing spectacular, either.
In a way it is a Finnish version of What Dreams May Come, but not that good and smaller in scope. The theme is dark and cold (Finland, eh?) and the beautiful visuals are contrasting starkly with the ominous mood. Anette Olzon singing weird songs while clowns are harassing the child version of the old man doesn't help either :)
I find it difficult to find a simple bottom line for this film, indicating that it has an original quality that puts it apart from other films. I can recommend it on that point alone. However it also fails by having not enough of I had expected from it. The music is good, but it could have been more prominent, having a larger role in the film and the plot. The imagination of the man cursed with dementia leads to wonderful visuals, but they are too passive, with the inner child merely a passenger rather than an actor. And removing those two elements leaves you with a skeleton of a film that doesn't shine neither through scripting nor good acting.
So my bottom line has to be that I liked the film, but I felt it missed its point by a small margin. Great potential, barely good implementation.
In a way it is a Finnish version of What Dreams May Come, but not that good and smaller in scope. The theme is dark and cold (Finland, eh?) and the beautiful visuals are contrasting starkly with the ominous mood. Anette Olzon singing weird songs while clowns are harassing the child version of the old man doesn't help either :)
I find it difficult to find a simple bottom line for this film, indicating that it has an original quality that puts it apart from other films. I can recommend it on that point alone. However it also fails by having not enough of I had expected from it. The music is good, but it could have been more prominent, having a larger role in the film and the plot. The imagination of the man cursed with dementia leads to wonderful visuals, but they are too passive, with the inner child merely a passenger rather than an actor. And removing those two elements leaves you with a skeleton of a film that doesn't shine neither through scripting nor good acting.
So my bottom line has to be that I liked the film, but I felt it missed its point by a small margin. Great potential, barely good implementation.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
