The Tale of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Yesterday, I had my name on a list to see an advance screening of Terry Gilliam’s latest film, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

The screening was at the Sony Screening Room in the Sony Building on Madison. The screening room is quite comfortable. It can seat about 50 people or so. The last row has couches and leg-rests (that’s where I sat).

The Film:

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus tells the tale of Dr. Parnassus (a wizardly Christopher Plummer) trying to save his daughter, Valentina (the sensuous Lily Cole) from the devil, called Mr. Nick (a devilish Tom Waits). This all stems from a wager Mr. Nick made with the Doctor thousands of years ago in exchange for immortality. The wagers with Mr. Nick are made all the more interesting with the arrival of a mysterious stranger, Tony (Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell).

The film’s animation and cinematography are what immediately stick out. It is not tagged as a 3D film, nor do we have to wear 3D glasses, yet the animation is so well done, that at many points, I wondered if I was indeed wearing those weird glasses! These moments in the film occur when people enter the Imaginarium which is basically the mind of Dr. Parnassus – a world which reflects each person’s individual imagination. Once in this world, people are faced with choices, which ultimately are either “good,” in which case Parnassus wins, or “bad,” in which case the devils wins. The dreamworlds created are somewhat similar to things I would imagine would be in Tim Burton’s imagination.

I thought that Tom Waits had the standout performance of the excellent cast. His raspy voice combined with the cigars and the bowler hat made him into an ideal devil! Heath Ledger gives a great performance as the brilliant, sly businessman who helps Parnassus combat Mr. Nick. Since Mr. Ledger passed away before all his scenes were shot, he was brilliantly replaced by Mr. Depp, Mr. Law, and Mr. Farrell. Each play a version of Tony when Tony himself enters the Imaginarium on three different occasions. Of the three, I was partial to Mr. Depp’s portrayal of Tony. Of the three, I felt that his Tony conveyed the most meaning as to what it may mean to be in this Imaginarium. Of course Mr. Plummer gave an outstanding performance as Dr. Parnassus…let’s face it – he just has that wizardly look!