Underplayed Gems

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus poster
Directed by
Terry Gilliam
Genre
fantasy film, adventure film, mystery film
Country
United Kingdom, France, Canada
Runtime
2h 02m
Rated
PG-13
Rating
6.4 of 10 from 2,905 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A traveling theatre troupe is led by an ancient man who made a bet with the Devil. He invites audience members to step through a magical mirror into their own imaginations, where they choose between enlightenment or ignorance. The story follows a mysterious stranger who joins the troupe and gets caught up in the supernatural wager.

whimsicaldreamliketheatricaldarkly comicmelancholicsurrealfast-pacedvisually lush

What happens

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a 2009 fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Charles McKeown. The film follows a travelling theatre troupe whose leader, having made a bet with the Devil, takes audience members through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations and present them with a choice between self-fulfilling enlightenment or gratifying ignorance. The film stars Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield, Lily Cole, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law, though Ledger's death one-third of the way through filming caused production to be temporarily suspended. Ledger completed most of the movie's runtime, and then his role was recast with Depp, Law, and Farrell portraying transformations of his character as he travels through a dream world. The film is Ledger's final performance; it was dedicated to him and co-producer William Vince. Its world premiere was during the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, out of competition. The film, which cost $30 million to make, grossed more than $60 million in its worldwide theatrical release. It received mostly positive reviews from critics. It was nominated for two Academy Awards. The first was Best Art Direction with art directed by Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro, and set decorated by Caroline Smith; it lost to Avatar. The second was Best Costume Design with costumes designed by Monique Prudhomme; it lost to The Young Victoria. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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