Movie review : The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

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You’ll certainly enjoy this movie if you’re a fan of Terry Gilliam’s visual style – which I am. I’m pretty sure this is Gilliam’s first major foray into CGI which is worth seeing regardless of the storyline. Even though there aren’t too many scenes that involve CGI. We do get plenty of Gilliam’s dirty, cluttered environments that are his signature.

The main plot in this movie is what happened during the filming. Heath Ledger passed away during principle filming leaving many scenes unfinished. Fortunately Gilliam found a very creative way to finish telling the story without Ledger by using three substitutes – Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell – who all in many ways play homage to Ledger. It seems that the only scenes left to film were those that took place inside the Imaginarium. Since Ledger’s character enters three different times they use a different substitute in each scene. And it works out fine.

What I don’t know is what scenes are missing from outside the Imaginarium. It certainly seems like there are at least a few missing scenes because the story doesn’t quite make sense. After watching the movie I’m left wondering why Ledger’s character is even in the film. I’m not sure if I’m missing something or if the film is missing something. Probably a combination of the two.

Wired Magazine has an interview with Terry Gilliam that is worth reading if you’re still on the fence about seeing the movie.

What did you think about Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus? Share your thoughts about the movie in the comments below.