MetaChat - The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (spoilers)

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25 January 2010

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (spoilers) I really wanted to like this, →[More:]but I did not enjoy sitting through it. I had a similar problem with Brazil, but at least in that movie one could follow what was (or was not) going on.

With Dr. Parnassus, it was hard to follow, and I kept thinking, "please let it end so I can not be in this world any more."

The jist of the plot, as far as I could see, was that the devil (Waits was great) and Parnassus are in an eternal contest, and the devil won (Parnassus's daughter) but then it was boring to have won so he lets her go and gets Parnassus on the hook again, and the contest goes on, likely forever. Playing is more important than winning for the Devil.

The Ledger/Depp/Law/Whoeverelse switch did not bother me at all, but most other things did.

Anyone else seen it? If I am missing something that would explain this movie, please tell me (unless it's the point that it's good to sit for several hours being uncomfortable and not knowing what the hell is going on. . .I get that much.)

post by: danf at: 14:33 | 8 comments

I really doubt there's some magic word that can make you like a film, especially if as you say you struggled the whole time. I for one enjoyed the Imaginarium quite a bit, though I'd probably rate it toward the middle-bottom of any sort of list of favorite Gilliam films. Just good to see him working from his own ideas again. FWIW I'd rate Brazil as one of my all time favorite movies.

posted by kodama 25 January | 15:23

Man, I'm pretty much with you. I think this is the first time in a very long time (if ever) that I've questioned how much influence my ADD has had on my movie-watching experience. That first hour was both an eternity and an OH MY GOD WHERE DO I LOOK NOW WHEE WHEEE WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and then I just wanted to go home, okay?

I fell asleep in Brazil. I should probably watch it again.

posted by Madamina 25 January | 15:28

I loved Brazil, and my friend and I named our first apartment Brazil (due to the odd bit of visible duct-work, losing gas because we couldn't pay the bills because we couldn't access the bills because our landlord didn't give us a key to the mailbox, and a few other shining examples of WTF). With this anti-support, I am more excited about the film (and I didn't realize Tom Waits was in it!)

posted by filthy light thief 25 January | 15:47

But I recognize Brazil is not a film/world for everyone. I enjoyed the nonsensical-ness of it, but it's not a commonly enjoyed aspect to storytelling.

posted by filthy light thief 25 January | 15:50

Yours is exactly the effect I experienced, danf. Also, the plot is just as you described it, however murky in its telling. You got the point. The effect is similar to stuffing your mouth full of every flavor of Jelly Bellies.

FWIW, I love Brazil.

posted by Ardiril 25 January | 15:59

I thought Parnassus was a feel-good movie. I liked it a lot because it made me feel good, and it was not hard to follow at all (although I know that yours wasn't the only such experience). And while it wasn't the best thing Gilliam's ever made, I would still say it was definitely one of his better ones.

posted by Daniel Charms 26 January | 02:36

I'm going to reserve judgemenet on the imaginarium . as with any Gilliam movie, its always worth while to wait a while and then watch it again . i find that his movies get better with each viewing. sometimes on your first screening,theres is just so much going on from scene to scene, that you can miss things.

also no one does DVD commentary better than terry does .

posted by rollick 26 January | 12:10

also no one does DVD commentary better than terry does

My friend and I watched Time Bandits on DVD one night, and ended around midnight. We then looked through the extras, and thought we should check the commentary, just for a moment.

The next time we looked at the clock, it was after 1am. There was information on so many details in the movie that you wouldn't notice until watching again (unless you took note of everything in every scene, and noted where it re-appeared later).

posted by filthy light thief 26 January | 13:21

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