[film] The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

[tamaranth]

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Despite negative reviews, I rather liked this. It's beautifully filmed: lots of familiar London locations -- Battersea Power Station, the Albert Embankment, Leadenhall Market, Blackfriars Bridge, Southwark -- as well as surreal Imaginarium locales, each feeling as if it was based on the work of a different artist: Max Parrish, for one, and Edward Hopper maybe? And plenty of Tarot symbolism, not just the obvious one but the Fool and the Tower.

edit to add: also, Lily Cole pretty damn cool -- she is my calendar girl, on account of being Tim Walker's model/muse, and I'm pleased to see she can do more than just sit around looking surreal gorgeous.

The script is occasionally weak, but well-acted in an exaggerated theatrical mode that fit the story. Presumably Tony wasn't originally supposed to look different each time he went into the Imaginarium with somebody, but having him played by different actors worked surprisingly well: Depp for the older woman, Colin Farrell for the ingenue ... I could have done with a bit more backstory for Tony -- were the smears true? and why was he only prepared for a hanging? and what was that about Nick trying to get his hands on him? Also very much liked the juxtaposition of the magical and the mundane -- jeering clubbers, refusing to be drawn in by magic and mystery.

I went expecting bleak and convoluted, and it is bleak. Happy endings not guaranteed, not for everyone.

Could have done without the fire alarm about 40 minutes in.

Comments

[korintomichi]

We really liked it - it marks a return to form for Gilliam. It was a bit rough around the edges (not a bad thing per se), but we felt that he really let his imagination run riot.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Russian porn spam on your LJ - how lovely, and just what you want on a sunday morning.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

I didn't know you read Russian!

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

I don't - but I hovered my cursor over the link, and it had a long URL including the word "pornrollover".

[smtfhw.livejournal.com]

We really enjoyed it too, despite the rather disjointed nature of it, and despite Heath Ledger.