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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
2009 123 min Canada, France, United Kingdom PG-13 16+
★7.0
Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery
Director: Terry Gilliam
Trailers
Description
After a carnival troupe saves his life, a man agrees to help its immortal leader collect five souls and win a bet with the devil.
Budget:
$30M
US Gross:
$7.69M
Worldwide:
$64.35M
Starring
Christopher Plummer
Actor
Lily Cole
Actor
Heath Ledger
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 2010
— Best Production Design
Academy Awards 2010
— Best Costume Design
Saturn Awards 2010
— Best Makeup and Hairstyling
BAFTA 2010
— Best Production Design
BAFTA 2010
— Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Saturn Awards 2010
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
Terry Gilliam’s final finished project serves as a surreal, fairy-tale-like exploration of imagination that carries significant emotional weight following Heath Ledger's passing. While many critics praise its visual audacity and conceptual depth, others find the narrative structure disjointed and the production quality uneven.
| Acting | Heath Ledger delivers a compelling and final performance that anchors the film despite his untimely death. | |
| Production | The film acts as a quintessential showcase of Terry Gilliam’s signature visual style, rich with surrealist imagery and elaborate production design. | |
| Acting | The casting of Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell to complete Ledger's role is viewed as a clever, albeit patchwork, solution to a tragedy. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative's tone is highly polarizing; some viewers find it a profound, optimistic fairy tale, while others find it lacking in coherent moral or plot structure. | |
| Production | The visual effects receive conflicting feedback, with some appreciating their raw, hand-crafted charm and others criticizing them as underdeveloped or visually unappealing. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is debated; fans of Gilliam's contemplative style find it engaging, while detractors perceive it as sluggish and lacking excitement. |