The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

Starring
Johhny Depp- Tony (1st Transformation)
Heath Ledger- Tony
Colin Farrell- Tony (3rd Transformation)
Christopher Plummer- Dr. Parnassus
Jude Law- Tony (2nd Transformation)
Lily Cole- Valentina
Tom Waits- Mr. Nick
Andrew Garfield- Anton
Verne Troyer- Percy

It's no secret that this was the last film that Heath Ledger worked on before his untimely death. I went into this film thinking that there was going to be an exploitation of Ledger's death, practically using it as a marketing stunt. I'm glad to say that there was no mention of his death, only a message at the very end of the film stating that this film was "Brought to you by Heath Ledger & Friends."

So, how do you get around the fact that one of your stars has died halfway through the making of the film? The solution that "Imaginarium" used was simple, but so effective- have the character portrayed by different actors. And you know what the best bit about this solution is? It worked perfectly.

Heath Ledger plays a character called Tony, a man that's found hanging from a bridge in London by Dr. Parnassus and his travelling theatre company, comsisting of Valentina, Anton and Percy. Tony claims to have lost his memory, but we eventually find out that he founded a children's charity, but was involved with a scandal involving stolen money, and thus killed himself. However, via the use of a brass tube lodged in his windpipe, Tony managed to survive the hanging. He then travelled with the troupe to try and save their business.

So, how do the transformations come in? Doctor Parnassus was once a monk, part of a sect that believed the world existed because of the story of the world the monks told each other. However, this is shattered when Mr. Nick arrives at the monastery and challenges this. After using magic to keep the monks from telling the story, the Doctor realises that Mr. Nick is none other than the devil Himself, and also that there were always stories being told that kept the world spinning. Thus, a wager was made between the Devil and the Doctor- the first person to get five disciples who believed the respective man's point of view would win whatever they wanted. The Doctor was able to win and thus wished for immortality.

Still with me? Good.

The Doctor then fell in love. But at this point he had lived for a thousand years, and was unconvinced that he'd be able to woo her, so the Devil made another agreement- he gave the Doctor his mortality and youth back, under the condition that any child born from the couple would become the Devil's property at the age of sixteen. And thus, a daughter, Valentina, was born from the two.

I know, I've still not got to the transformations part, just stay with me.

Three days before Valentina's sixteenth birthday (and the same day that Tony was found) the Devil made one more agreement- the first person to collect five souls in three days would win Valentina. This was done via a magic mirror that people passed through, and found themselves sent to a world made purely of their imaginations. Here they would be offered a choice- either be reborn (the Doctor's path) or be damned for all eternity (the Devil's path, obviously).

We're told during the film that if two people passed through the mirror, the stronger imagination would overcome the weaker. So when Tony suggests that the image of the show's updated, we finally see how the multiple actors fit into place. Tony passes through the mirror with people who have stronger imaginations, and this transforms him into their image of the perfect man (they're all female, by the way). And thus, the problem of your star player dying partway into the production is solved! And as an added bonus, I've managed to explain the plot at the same time.

So now we know the story, we just need to look at each individual performance. Heath Ledger's performance was very good, with a lot of subtle elements that you may or may not notice- the odd raised eyebrow here, the squint there, the little twitch when he gets angry, it all adds up. Also, rather oddly, Ledger's character wasn't the focus of the entire film, which you could expect following his performances in Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight. He wasn't a bit player, pushed to the side of the stage, but he wasn't always the focus, which allowed other actors to step up and do their thing.

Christopher Plummer and Tom Wait made a great pairing- the two bounced off each other brilliantly, and you really got the impression that these were two people that had known each other for a long time. Plummer played the Doctor perfectly, making him both hopeless and inspiring when needed, and Tom Wait gave off an impression of being able to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, just because he could.

I was personally surprised by Verne Troyer's performance. It was great to see him go from the comedy sidekick of Mini Me in the Austin Powers films to the sober voice of reason here. Troyer's Percy was a character that you could go to if you had a problem, and despite his shortcomings (Sorry, that was terrible) he'd give you the correct advice. Biting, blunt, and straight to the point, Percy is a guy that you don't mess with, but you wouldn't be scared to approach him for help.

Andrew Garfield (Anton) and Lily Cole (Valentina) are relative newcomers to film, but based on their performances here you feel that they're going to have long, successful careers. Anton was a character that you hated, simply because he was so full of jealousy, arrogance and, at times, rage. He irritated you, be it from his immaturity at handling interactions with the other characters, or because he would always try and gain favour from the Doctor, no matter what it took. If the idea of the character was to annoy, then give that man an Oscar! Lily Cole's performance as Valentina was also good, playing a character that just wanted her freedom and independence. Unaware of the deal with the Devil made by her father, Valentina would become annoyed at her father's protectiveness, and even when she learns of the truth she becomes even more annoyed at her father, and this was played off brilliantly. These two young actors are two people to watch for the future.

That just leaves us with our "guest stars", Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Johhny Depp. It's not easy for an actor to play a character that had been fleshed out by another character, but our three stand-ins managed it perfectly, especially Johhny Depp. It's impossible to deny that these three actors helped make this film a success. It's also impossible to deny that without them, this film would never have existed. They managed to do justice to the character Ledger practically created, and I think that we can all appreciate the fact that Heath Ledger's memory has been well and truely respected here.

Visually, the film is awesome. The fantastical images created inside the mirror are unlike anything I, personally, have ever seen, and I've been to Las Vegas for crying out loud! The real world is dark, gloomy, and miserable; the world of the imaginarium is bright, colourful and cheerful. The two contrasting styles help make this film stand out, and are of a standard that in five years time I'll happily wager that they'll be just as good as anything that's being made at the time. If you watch the film carefully you'll notice a few references to cults such as the Illuminati and the Cabalists, which may or may not have been put in as a giant F-bomb to Dan Brown.

Overall, it's a good film. It's not fantastic, as the ending will leave you wondering "What the hell just happened?" and lacking that certain sense of satisfaction that you'd get from other films. But at the same time it's not terrible, it's somewhere in the middle, though it's leaning towards the upper end of the middle ranges.

7/10