I will!

The still looks like it was lit by a modern day Caravaggio

I'd thoroughly recommend it if you've any interest at all in Gilliam. Very entertaining and well worth seeing on the big screen!

The trailer looks superb.

See here:
http://doctorparnassus.com/

Unfortunately I'm not sure if our local cinema will have it or not. Lame.

Hi Paul,

It's so great to see this article. We are the Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus Support Site a worldwide movement of fans who organized to support Terry Gilliam, the actors and this wonderful movie. I hope you'll check us out.

This is such an amazing film. I loved it. I hope tons of you will put those bums in that seat! You won't be sorry! It's fantastic!

http://www.imaginariumofdrparnassus.com

Best,

Theresa
Administrator of The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus Support Site

And he was a bit short-changed by the recent piece on him in the mag, I thought. Surely if anyone merits one of those beefy features I was bemoaning the passing of a while ago, it's him.

I love Gilliam, and I was expected to be a bit disappointed by this, given the unfortunate circumstance of its production and the slightly sniffy reviews. Very happy to report that I loved it, and am looking forward to watching it again - it's vivid, funny, unpredictable, beautiful and clearly came out of someone's imagination rather than a focus group. Worth going to see just for Tom Waits' take on the devil.

I am a long time Gilliam fan. I absolutely adore Brazil, The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys even The Time Bandits is fantastic fun. And I am a big fan of the work he did with python.

But this film is all style and absolutely no substance.

It's not a worthless film, it has some wonderful art direction, some entertaining bits and pieces.

But it has no structure and it has nothing to say. It is sadly pretty cliched and kitch. What it lacks is a strong central idea. Gilliam has allowed himself total self indulgence and the result isn't great. By not seeing this film you would force him to have to set himself tighter boundaries in the future, which would, I think make for a better film.

The acting is in general awful with Lily Cole and Colin Farrel both turning in rubbish performances. Also I have some problems with the sexual politics of the film, especially as Cole is playing a teenage girl, and whilst is presented as "spirited" actually remains a pawn in various male games the entire way through without that even being flagged up as problematic. Clearly Gilliam enjoyed looking at her but that is not really enough, especially when she gives an unbelievable performance and there is no real point in the film.

Johnny Depp and Jude Law phone in their easiest performances ever. Health Ledger doesn't get the acting right (its an unfortunate last film for such a promising and fine young actor.)

The plot itself is pretty muddled and I'm not sure that the magic within the film has a consistent interior logic, which is essential for a fantasy film. There was no sense of who the film was about, which character was the main one, and yet it also didn't feel like an ensemble piece.

And even the visual style, which is usually top notch from Gilliam was pretty unimaginative I thought, ironically for a film about imagination.

CGI means people can make anything happen and Gilliam was obviously intoxicated by this fact, but really restrictions and hurdles to overcome make for better film making and CGI should be used as a subtle part of the palette as is is in many great modern films, rather than the central concern of the film. Not that I am suggesting artists and set designers galore weren't involved in this film. I recall there were even sculptures in the credits. But just that the film really suffers from the idea that visual style is in itself enough. Films can of course be about visuals but to truly work they need to have some cohesion... just something to tie it all together and give it a drive.

I am not speaking from some art is everything purist angle here. I enjoy great films whether they are about ideas, or are moving, or funny or even just rip roaringly entertaining. This film, unlike many of Gilliams back catalogue, lacks any of those qualities.

It is worse I thought, that Brothers Grimm, and I wasn't very impressed by that film either.

go watch-great fun plus a marvellous cameo

i always find something good from a terry gilliam film