The One With Aldacron

I really, really, really wanted to like The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. For one, it was Heath Ledger’s last film. For another, it’s written and directed by Terry Gilliam. Although he has a bad reputation among movie studios for massive delays and running over budget, his films are usually brilliantly whacky and very enjoyable (Time Bandits is one of my all time favorites). Unfortunately, this one just falls flat.

The elements of a good Gilliam story are there, but they aren’t put together properly. The whole film feels disjointed and, I hate to say it, boring. I found myself halfway through wishing it would either get on with something interesting or just end. When it finally did end, the only emotion I felt was relief. I’m sure that’s not what Gilliam was aiming to evoke from any viewers.

I want to say something good about the acting, but there’s not much. Christopher Plummer, who I normally would bet on giving a good performance, seemed to be sleepwalking through his lines. He just wasnt’ very convincing. Heath Ledger was mostly dull. Verne Troyer was robotic. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell all were greatly over the top, missing the mark by a wide margin. To me, Depp’s version of Ledger’s character was too Captain Jack/Willy Wonka-ish. Law and Farrell tried to come across the same way, but failed miserably. The only real bright spot was Lily Cole. Her performance was both convincing and enjoyable, making the scenes without her that much more boring.

If you’re planning to see this one, I would recommend waiting for the DVD release. And don’t get your hopes up beforehand. You’ll just be let down.