L'Imaginarium du Docteur Parnassus

So, I saw the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus last night. Do you love Terry Gilliam? I think I do. I don't even know how many of his movies I've seen. There always seems to be some mess about whatever movie, some illness or death or some just ridiculousness that throws cog upon cog in the machine. If a book comes out about his movies after this one, I'd like to read it. Anyway, this time it was the death of Heath Ledger. There's the thing about how he died before filming finished so Gilliam decided to have three other actors play his parts. The three other actors play him in the weird dream world, so story-wise it works out. I love Christopher Plummer, he plays the doctor, and his daughter and his young side-kick are all really wonderful. I guess the plot isn't all that cohesive. I wasn't totally won over by Tom Waits as the Devil. But I did love the movie. The cheesy special effects and the amazing collapsible stage that is also the doctor and crew's home and vehicle is magical. The whole thing is messy and magical and charming. Gross London, silly flashbacks and flimsy existential stuff. Just wonderful. Like Wes Anderson, Terry Gilliam is really good at creating a world and a mood that I guess encases the film in a membrane of mood. Yuck? But, anyway, definitely see it, it's great.