There is a recently coined slang term that best describes this film: "hot mess". Sure the plot is scatterbrained and the narrative confusing, but the images and scenery are just too lavish for anyone to care. That's not to say that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, starring Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Verne Troyer and Heath Ledger in his last completed role, was a horrible movie; it was merely more of a distracting experience than a complete picture. It certainly did have a few memorable moments, but all in all, it felt more like writer/director Terry Gilliam was indulging in a CGI extravaganza (trying to tie all its fantastic images together with a very loose plot) and loving every minute of it.



I'm sure you've heard about the disruption during initial shooting; Ledger shot his scenes set in the modern day, then went home with some prescription meds before filming the rest of the picture, and the rest is history. Thankfully, big-name talents stepped up to the task so that Ledger's final film would be completed and see the light of day. Thus, each dream world (or Imaginarium) features a different actor playing Ledger's part: Johnny Depp, Jude Law, or Colin Farrell. It offers a unique aspect of the film, while also continuing the film's flaws of unexplained plot points and uneven acting skills.

The overall scheme of the film is as follows: old man Parnassus (Plummer) meets the Devil (Waits), Devil says people will always take what comes easiest, old man disagrees and is willing to bet, and bet, and bet some more, thanks to everlasting life. The Devil eventually sets his sights on the man's daughter (Lily Cole), part of his traveling circus showcase with the addition of a dwarf (Troyer, a.k.a. Mini-Me) and a juggler (Andrew Garfield). Only the timely intervention of a supposedly amnesiatic stranger (Ledger) may turn the tide in their favor, but is he on the side of good or evil? Even the director doesn't really care, and takes much more pleasure in exploring the visuals of Parnassus's vision quests than building tension or suspense.

The acting was not sub-par; the cast is far too good for that to happen. At 80 years old, Plummer is still a giant of a character actor, and Waits was entertaining as a very cartoonish version of a live-action Satan. Cole and Garfield, relative newcomers, each impress as refreshing newcomers, and both Ledger and Depp keep their silly persona very grounded. The most fascinating part belongs to Farrell, whose small screen time belies quite a few terrific acting moments (especially a post-coital scene with a marriage-obsessed female where he expresses all of his uneasiness and restlessness with just his eyes and a single "...yeh"). The only disappointments were Troyer, whose initially hilarious one-liners eventually fall flat and reveal a lack of comic timing, and Law, whose attempts at heartache and pathos feel half-baked.

It's clear that Gilliam wants to immerse his audience in a breathtaking, majestic new world. And he did accomplish that, but I still expect a bit more from the man who created Brazil and 12 Monkeys, and the A-list cast he had at his disposal (even after suffering that horrible tragedy). I give The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus two and a half pitchforks; I recommend only to Gilliam, Ledger and CGI enthusiasts.