Saturday, January 9, 2010

the imaginarium of dr. parnassus (2009)

how could the director of monty python and the holy grail, brazil, twelve monkeys, fear and loathing in las vegas, make such a junk of a film? the initial look of the trailer seemed solid that it was going to be at least decently spectacular! and i know as a huge fan, i expected a lot! yeah yeah yeah, what did i say about expectations last time? yeah fail.

i was hugely disappointed with dr. parnassus. the shots, editing, and story was just not as up to par as it shouldve been. i know the death of heath ledger was probably the primary reason of this combobulated and twisted mess. but it just felt like everyone a part of the project just gave up. the story was very interesting and it really did have a lot of potential. but EVERYTHING was lacking. i usually LOVE every film i come across cause i naturally expect to watch good films (god, i sound like a self-appreciating prude). but god, this was not what i ordered. after watching the trailer again, the highlighted plot lines are all lined up but the way it was executed was too messy to consume. if they had just followed and stayed true to the trailer, everything wouldve been alright! i dont hate the film or anything but sometimes i wish i could just stick a finger in my mouth and just let it all hang out. blaahh...

nonetheless, i wouldnt want to dissuade you from watching this considering the only thing i truly loved about this film was the actors. it is mostly likely labeled as a heath ledger tribute and it shouldnt be discouraged because of it. its a glimpse and reminder of the magnificent talent that he possessed. and it also helps that he can share the screen with upcoming new talent like andrew garfield and model lily cole. while the rest of the world knows her as a high-fashion model, she is taking a stab at acting nowadays and surprisingly, succeeds. she truly shines in this film as she shares the screen with the most prestigious actors--christopher plummer, heath ledger, jude law, and johnny depp.

watch it if you will. just dont be surprised when you stumble across potholes half way through the film. C+