For one last lingering glance of the late Heath Ledger, people will probably flock to see this movie, so you could argue that anything I say in this review is essentially doomed to be an exercise in futility. Good job that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus largely hits the mark then, ain’t it?

The plot is fairly elaborate and complicated but it boils down to this: Doctor Parnassus has the ability to guide the imaginations of others via the titular ‘Imaginarium’, a travelling show where anyone who enters is offered a choice, effectively between good or evil. Parnassus, thousands of years prior, had made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, as a result of which he won immortality. This was not the end of his deals with the devil, however.

When he met his true love, Parnassus was granted youthful appearance (in order to court her) by Mr. Nick, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the devil’s property. Always keen to make a bet, Mr. Nick renegotiates the wager as Parnassus’ daughter Valentina nears the date; now, the winner will be determined by whoever ‘wins’ the first five souls in the Imaginarium. All in all, pretty damn complex, and I’ve left a good bit out for the sake of expediency too.

Due to the fact that Heath Ledger died midway through shooting the film, the screenplay had to be edited somewhat, with Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell coming in to play his character in the ‘imaginarium’ sequences, and to be fair it works pretty seamlessly at first - the adapted storyline is pretty cohesive and the explanation, with the necessary suspension of disbelief, holds water.

Nonetheless, the movie does end rather abruptly, with everything seeming to be wrapped up far too quickly than the intricate storyline merited – when the credits roll, there is an unsatisfactory sense that we were robbed of a more fulfilling denouement. Could it be that Ledger’s death made filming a rounded and complete ending impossible?

The ensemble cast is excellent across-the-board. Christopher Plummer, as the eponymous Doctor, and the late Ledger, who plays drifter-with-a-dark-secret Tony, offer two of the stand-out performances. Of the trio who endeavour to play Tony in the imaginarium, Depp is a class above, while Law and Farrell are acceptable enough while never shining quite as well in the role.

The eye-catchingly beautiful Lily Cole plays Valentina, in her biggest film role to date, and Verne Troyer puts in an amusing performance as the Doctor's lifelong companion and assistant Percy. Easily the most eye-catching and charismatic of all however, is the display of Tom Waits as the devil, Mr. Nick. He is absolutely phenomenal, and puts in an incredibly impressive appearance, worth seeing the movie for all on its own.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a visually striking film, and the special effects are as bizarre, surreal and spectacular as you would expect from a Terry Gilliam production. It’s a fun movie, with a pervasive humour that is dark in places and pure slapstick in others.

The whole thing is certainly immersive, and the story is entertaining enough to keep you engrossed almost all the way through. Granted, it meanders somewhat and certainly becomes a little messy towards the end, but otherwise it’s a delightful little morality tale.

- Sebastian Clare

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