The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

This review abounds with comments about the plot of the film and gives away much more than my own opinions on the film. In simpler terms, SPOILERS ALERT!!! If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want anything given away, take off!

Dr Parnassus was a strong film for the first half, lost some steam and then all but crashed at the end. I am most critical of the lack of cohesion on the strength of the characters. Besides the geeky boy, Andrew Garfield , and Parnassus ‘s confident, Verne Troyer, no character stayed consistent and believable throughout the movie. And I’m not suggesting there was character growth either!

The good doctor was presented as a bit of a lost cause, a sad figure, but at times he would seem as if a  wise elder who really knew what was going on. The next scene he would be the same broken old man. I LIKED how Tom Waits’s as The Devil (a nice fit) was obviously tricking the guy, obvious to everyone but him, and to have The Devil turn coat and become sympathetic at the end wasn’t a good fit. The MOST disappointing was the daughter, played by Lily Cole. The change from normal-likable-teen-who-doesn’t-know-how-beautiful-she-is into this foolish vixen was complete out of the blue, forced and seemed just a chance to show her (a famous model, apparently) in her underwear and lovely gowns. If a character as naïve and kind as the one she played in the first three-fourths of the movie decides to give herself to the devil, I’m going to want to feel some sadness or concern at her choice, not annoyance at the girl’s agent for trying to push for a sexier image (which is how i took it).

The strengths of the film was actually the plot holes. It fits well with the (intended) theme of the movie that walking away from the theater, I filled in those hole, imagining how Dr. Parnassus obtained the imaginarium and why his dwarf partner and that kid were doing working for them. I would not be the first person to say the movie was a bit symbolic for Terry Gillian’s career: a creator of a beautiful, wonderous world is ignored by an indifferent world. Few are going to take Dr. Parnassus’ offer at face value but those who do walk away with their imagination illuminated. I suppose I took his offer and am imagining what my magic world would look like and creating the story of how Dr. Parnassus got to the point in his life he was. The imaginarium’s magic world was fine visually, more like glorified video games images then anything completely astoundingly unique like some of Terry Gillian’s better works. But it was fine.

Perhaps a word on Heath Ledger. He got a LOT of time in. His stand in actors of Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farell (why is this man famous?!?!) were mere cameos. It was pulled off decently, though everyone who saw the movie most likely knew adding them in was a choice about making the movie or NOT making the movie, not a creative one. That shows a little, as they were not excellent choices for his stand in. Only Jude Law seemed to have the same bravado that Heath Ledger had. He, himself, was a good character. As soon as he opens his mouth he seems untrustworthy, but is very good at being charming enough to make you completely ignore that and follow him around.

Over all, I’ll give the film a C. Worth renting.

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