The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

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

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers:

Terry Gilliam, Charles McKeown

Stars:

Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Heath Ledger

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andrew Garfield	...	Anton
Christopher Plummer	...	Doctor Parnassus
Richard Riddell	...	Martin
Katie Lyons	...	Martin's Girlfriend
Richard Shanks	...	Friend of Martin
Lily Cole	...	Valentina
Verne Troyer	...	Percy
Bruce Crawford	...	Face Changed Martin
Johnny Harris	...	Policeman
Lorraine Cheshire	...	Mum
Mark Benton	...	Dad
Lewis Gott	...	Diego
Sian Scott	...	Linda
Simon Day	...	Uncle Bob (as Simon Daye)
Moya Brady	...	Aunty Flo

Storyline

In London, the sideshow troupe of Doctor Parnassus promises the audience a journey to the "Imaginarium", an imaginary world commanded by the mind of Doctor Parnassus, where dreams come true. In the stories that Doctor Parnassus tells to his daughter Valentina, the midget Percy, and his assistant Anton, he claims to have lived for more than one thousand years; However, when he fell in love with a mortal woman, he made a deal with the devil (Mr. Nick), trading his immortality for youth. As part of the bargain, he promised his son or daughter to Mr. Nick on their sixteenth birthday. Valentina is now almost to the doomed age and Doctor Parnassus makes a new bet with Mr. Nick, whoever seduces five souls in the Imaginarium will have Valentina as a prize. Meanwhile the troupe rescues Tony, a young man that was hanged on a bridge by the Russians. Tony was chased until he finds and joins the group. Tony and Valentina fall in love with each other and the jealous Anton discovers that his ...

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Plot Keywords:

immortality | imaginary world | deal with the devil | lead actor's last film | imagination | 

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Taglines:

The man who tried to cheat the devil.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Sony Pictures Classics [United States]

Country:

UK Canada France

Language:

English Russian French

Release Date:

8 January 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

El imaginario mundo del Doctor Parnassus

Filming Locations:

Battersea Power Station, Battersea, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£905,786 (United Kingdom), 18 October 2009, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$334,183, 27 December 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$7,689,607, 27 May 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Infinity Features Entertainment, Poo Poo Pictures, Parnassus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Tony's cell phone rings, the ring tone is "We Are the Children of the World," a song which is repeated at the end of the film, sung by a children's choir.

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Goofs

After Valentina is lost, Nick lights a cigarette. Between shots, it moves from one side of his mouth to the other.

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Quotes

Tony: Can you put a price on your dreams?

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Crazy Credits

The credits begin with "A Film from Heath Ledger & Friends", which is tribute to Ledger who passed away during filming, and a nod to his real life friends (Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law), who stepped in to finish his uncompleted scenes.

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Connections

References Gunga Din (1939)

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Soundtracks

Swany Whistle
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven (as Ludwig Van Beethoven)
Performed by Graham Sutton

User Reviews

A Unique and Extraordinary Adventure

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a very strange film but it pulls together wonderfully. It was dark but funny at the same time. I really loved the imaginarium sequences. Gilliam uses dream-like imagery and odd behavior to construct a fantastic escape into imagination. Although the CGI was admittedly simplistic, it was fitting for the fantasy realm. Great performances, especially by Heath Ledger and Colin Farrell.

I don't think this movie is for everyone since it has received mixed reactions. I also would advise against having certain expectations going into it, because there's no way to anticipate what you will get out of the film. But for me, it was certainly a real treat and very enjoyable throughout.

8/10