The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Review

Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 12.26.2009

Heath Ledger's final movie role is here.
















Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Written By: Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown
Runtime: 122 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for violent images, some sensuality, language and smoking.
Official Site: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Official Website

Dr. Parnassus - Christopher Plummer
Valentina - Lily Cole
Anton - Andrew Garfield
Percy - Verne Troyer
Tony - Heath Ledger
Mr. Nick - Tom Waits
Imaginarium Tony #1 - Johnny Depp
Imaginarium Tony #2 - Jude Law
Imaginarium Tony #3 - Colin Farrell

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is the final movie role of the late, great actor, Heath Ledger, now finally here just upon the two year anniversary of the actor's tragic passing. This was the movie Ledger was working on before his untimely passing. Famed auteur director, Terry Gilliam, was then forced to deal with the uneviable decision of not only whether or not to finish the movie without one of it's leading stars but also how to finish the movie without Heath Ledger. Gilliam's prayers were answered in the form of three of Ledger's peers and close friends: Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell who helped finish the movie in order to honor Heath. Gilliam then had to figure out a device to explain why different actors would be playing the same character in the same movie. As the story unfortunately goes throughout much of Gilliam's career, the post production process did not go smoothly, but he did finish the movie with the help, determination, and support of his daughter and producer, Amy Gilliam.

So how does the final product stack up? Well, it's a mixed bag. This is most definitely a Terry Gilliam movie. So you can definitely expect some rather fantastic, abstract, and amazing imagery. If Gilliam brings anything to film it's his penchant for wondrous imagination. This story features a destitute magician of sorts, the nigh-immortal and former monk, Dr. Parnassus (Plummer). Parnassus travels around London with his young 15 year old daughter, Valentina (Rose), in their Gilliam-esque caravan truck with Dr. Parnassus' apprentice, Anton (Garfield), and the Doctor's diminutive and also possibly immortal companion, Percy (Troyer). Parnassus is trying to gain followers because of a deal made with the Devil, or as he's called in this movie, Mr. Nick (Waits). Parnassus has only a few days to gain a certain number of followers to go through his magic mirror and enter his Imaginarium. After going through the mirror, the bystander must gain enlightenment of sorts from Dr. Parnassus or be seduced by the darkside of Mr. Nick . . . which they shouldn't do. If Parnassus does not do this, he has to turn over Valentina to Mr. Nick when she turns 16, which is in like 3 days (16 is the age of consent in England).

The free spirited and fiercely independent Valentina is of course not aware of this nor does she really believe her father's tall tales and stories of the Devil and being an ancient monk that became immortal. Valentina is ready to leave the nest and see the world, despite Anton finding her quite "scrumptious." Things are not going well in Dr. Parnassus' quest to keep Valentina from Mr. Nick until they meet an amnesiac drifter named Tony (Ledger). Tony is found passed out and hanging from a bridge by the neck. Valentina, Anton, and Percy rescue Tony who does not remember anything. But Tony unwittingly joins the group and ends up helping Dr. Parnassus gain followers to go through the mirror realm. Tony however has quite a few skeletons in his closet of his own.

First the good. Gilliam's direction as usual is amazing, and the movie is definitely a site to behold. The scenes inside the mirror realm look amazing. Gilliam also throws in some clever homages and touches reminiscent of his Monty Python days and his attraction to paper dolls, animation, and puppetry. The performances are very strong all across the board. Tom Waits is delightful as Satan himself. Props to Gilliam for finally figuring out to cast Tom Waits as the Devil.

Now the unfortunate parts that don't work as much. The device Gilliam creates to explain why Tony's character appears as different people in the Imaginarium realm is convoluted and forced. There's a sequence stuck in the movie's rather confusing opening that foreshadows why this will happen. And when the shift to the different actors for Tony starts, you get it, but it's still a hard pill to swallow. The staging and presentation of many ideas in the movie such as this and how the Imaginarium itself works is also incredibly befuddling at times. And by befuddling I don't mean in a good, intriguing way like say the end of 12 Monkeys.

The other issue is that the dialogue for the movie is constantly muffled and hard to understand. This could be related to some ADR and post-production issues with Ledger. But it's a struggle to listen and understand what the characters in the movie are saying at times.

The presentation of the Valentina character also comes off as almost disturbingly incestuous at times. This is not some hippocritical Bible thumping Christian speaking either. Much is made of Valentina becoming a woman of 16 and ripening into womanhood. But the interpretation becomes even more blatant when we meet Valentina's mother via flashback played by the same actress as you see Christopher Plummer essentially romancing his daughter.

The scenes with Plummer and Waits are great, and the ending as well as the third act are strong. But overall, this comes nowhere close to the heights of Gilliam's previous work. The Holy Grail this is not. But if you are looking for a fun, little fairy tale, Dr. Parnassus definitely works.

The 411: As far as Terry Gilliam goes, this is far from his finest work and comes nowhere close to the awesomeness of Time Bandits or Baron Manchausen. But overall, this is a visually pleasing and fun, little romp of a movie. Ledger's final performance will not win any posthumous awards as the Joker did, but it's still his last performance on film and it's notable for that alone.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]