Johnny Depp Plays Heath Ledger!

It is pretty safe to say that if writer/director Terry Gilliam wanted to cover any unresolved themes from 1988's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, he has now answered them in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Both films are about men who are older than is realistically possible, wander the Earth contemplating their choices and dealing with the repercussions, the apex of which revolves around a young girl. (Not in that way; that is not a healthy kind of squeamish.)

Doctor Parnassus is the movie that Heath Ledger was working on when he died (it wouldn't be a Gilliam feature if there wasn't at least one disaster during the filming process), but a distinct lack of publicity has caused the movie, which could have been gold based on Ledger's (and Johnny Depp's) involvement, to be released quietly, and within a few weeks is gone. It only showed at a few theaters in the Philadelphia area and, two weeks after release, it was given only one showing at my local spot (10 PM), so it seems that there is little chance that it will be around this weekend.

Hopefully, Ledger's swan song will gain some notoriety upon it's DVD release, as it really is a fantastic film. The story goes like this: for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years, Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) has been making wagers with Mr. Nick, better known as Lucifer (Tom Waits). At one point, Parnassus offers his daughter, Valentina, as the prize and the movie picks up several days before the bet expires. Satan has started showing up as he is ready to collect his winnings. Parnassus is desperate to save his child and turns to a charming stranger, Tony (Ledger predominately, but also Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell). Using the Doctor's mirror to the unconscious, the battle for the lovely Valentina, and Gilliam's suspension of reality, ensues.

The film is visually stunning and though the story may have a few plot holes, is a fairly original tale. This is definitely a modern fable, a fairy tale for adults. So be forewarned, this movie is not for everyone, but that is what makes it good. Gilliam takes chances where other directors and writers would opt for the safe choice, i.e. the song, "We Love Violence" sung by a group of cops in drag. Recommended for fans of Pan's Labyrinth, Dark City, and other fantasy movies.