Doctor’s Imaginary Medicine Easy To Swallow

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

More often than not when a great actor passes away their last works tend to be clunkers. The most famous example of this is Raul Julia who died just before Street Fighter was released. Marlon Brando had the misfortune to have his two final releases be the awful The Island of Dr. Moreau and the forgettable, The Score. Fortunately, through Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, one recently deceased actor was lucky enough to avoid this trend.

After making a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) wins the gift of immortality. Several years later Mr. Nick and Dr. Parnassus make another bet that would ultimately save the life of Parnassus’ one true love. Unfortunately for Dr. Parnassus this bet comes at a grave price as he must give up his first born child, Valentina (Lily Cole), to Mr. Nick upon her 16th birthday. Now on the eve of Valentina’s sweet sixteen, Dr. Parnassus and Mr. Nick decide to make one more bet that may either save Valentina or damn her forever. The bet is simple, Dr. Parnassus must convert five souls through his mystical "imaginarium" travelling show before Mr. Nick converts five souls. Dr. Parnassus knows that the devil always has a trick up his sleeve; which is why Parnassus is intrigued when his troupe of performers randomly comes across Tony (Health Ledger). Is Tony a gift from above? Or is Dr. Parnassus about to take his riskiest bet yet?

It has been well documented that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus features Heath Ledger‘s final performance. It is also well known that Colin Farrell, Johnny Depp, and Jude Law were asked to fill in for Health in certain scenes. What may come as a shock is how seamlessly Gilliam injects the three actors into the story. Since most of the non-imaginarium scenes were shot prior to Health’s death, Farrell and crew are only needed for the fantasy sequences. Once you see the film, and understand the limitless possibilities of the imaginarium, the change in actors will make perfect sense.

Director Terry Gilliam does a good job at keeping the film grounded in reality despite all of its fantastical moments. This film is far better than his last two pictures, The Brothers Grimm and Tideland, though not as strong as some of his earlier works. It is apparent that Gilliam really took time to ensure that the acting matched the level of the visuals. The two performances that deserver the most praise are the ones given by Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits. Sure Health is charming as ever, but it is Plummer and Wait who really make this film a treat. Waits in particular does a great job as the devil, you can see how easily a man like Dr. Parnassus could be swayed by his deceitful charm.

The one major flaw with the film is the imaginarium scenes with Farrell in the third act. I found the whole sequence from the children’s benefit gala up to the stairs chase scenes just went on far too long. The film really needed tighter editing towards the end. Still, despite the somber event that ultimately surrounded the filming, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is an enjoyable ride that is a fitting final chapter to Health Ledger’s canon of work.

Wild Thing You Make My Heart Sing

I attended the 1st Annual Autumn Harvest Short Film Festival this past weekend. Orchestrated by Damien Dornford, the festival not only showcased up-and-coming filmmakers but also raised money for The Children’s Aid Foundation charity as well. 15 short films, ranging from almost every genre you can think of, were screened for a very lively audience. Be sure to keep an eye of for future installments of this festival as it should not be missed.

Where the Wild Things Are

By the time the ending credits started to role on Spike Jonze’s latest work, Where the Wild Things Are, I was not sure how to process what I had just witnessed. The film was the complete opposite of what I had expected. After reflecting on the film over the last couple of days, it became very apparent that it has been quiet sometime since a live action children’s film really stuck with me like this did.

Adapted from Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, Where the Wild Things Are follows a young boy on a fantastical journey of self-discovery. Feeling isolated from his older sister, Max (Max Records) only has his mother (Catherine Keener) to cling to. Yet when Max’s mom invites her new boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo) over for dinner, Max fears that even she has giving up on him. After running away from home, Max comes across a small sailboat at a local dock. The boat eventually leads Max to a mysterious island where monstrous Wild Things roam. After tricking the Wild Things, most notably Carol (James Gandolfini), into believing he posses magical powers, Max is crowned king of the group. Max soon realizes that even on a mysterious island you cannot runaway from your problems.

While Sendak’s children’s story is considered to be a classic by many, do not go into this film expecting a standard children’s flick. One of the brilliant aspects to this film is that it defies many of the conventions you are use to seeing in most kid’s films nowadays. Hollywood has pushed so many traditional children’s pictures, especially of the animated and/or talking animal kind, down our throats over the last few years that it actually takes a bit of time to truly adjust to the different tone and rhythm of this film. Which is one reason I think this film will catch many off guard in several sections. Where the Wild Things Are is far darker than you initially think it will be. Even the wonderfully dark film, Coraline, seems downright sunny in comparison. Jonze not only captures the dark tones of the source material but he actually engulfs himself in it. Despite the fun Max seems to have with his new found friends, you always feel that Max is walking a very fine line. There is a constant uneasiness that, at any moment, either Judith or Carol will make good on their threats of eating Max.

Jonze is able to create this world that both horrifying and invigorating for a child, through the use of life size puppets and subtle special effects. Despite the fantastical aspect of the Wild Things mere existence the bulk of their world, and of Max’s imagination, is grounded in reality. In many ways the use of full size puppets and realism reminded me of some of beloved childhood films of my youth (e.g. The Neverending Story, Dark Crystal, etc). In an era where children are mainly marketed animated movies in 3D, it is nice to see a filmmaker not afraid to buck the trend. What makes Jonze’s accomplishment even bolder is the fact that all of the Wild Things have their own identifiable qualities. Although not all get equal screen time, you still get a strong understanding of both their unique personalities; and the overall role each plays in the group. Spike Jonze skillfully shows us how each one is a reflection of the different stages of Max’s current life. Although big and fearsome at times, the Wild Things are struggling with issues of family, loneliness, love, having their voices heard, etc. Max naively thinks that by being in charge he can fix in them everything that he fears in himself. Yet as the Wild Things world seemingly get worse it becomes clear to Max that life in general was never simple to begin with. It is this realization in Max, and the audience, that allows the abrupt ending to make perfect sense. Jonze does care about wrapping things up perfectly because that is not how life works.

There are times when Spike Jonze's unique voice makes the film a little too stylized for its own good. Certain freeze frames and camera tricks take you out of the picture momentarily instead of pulling you in further. Personally I think such techniques will probably play much smoother on repeat viewings. Regardless, I am willing to let these moments slide though as the majority of the film both engaging and visually stunning. Although this is one of the better children’s films released this year, parents should note that the film is too disturbing for really young children. Older kids should not have any problems with the material as Where the Wild Things Are perfectly captures the complexities of childhood without talking down to its audience. Jonze has made yet another good film that, similar to Sendak’s original work, will probably be analyzed for generations to come.




The Full List Of Big Thoughts From A Small Mind's 2009 Reviews.