A centuries old monk has been gambling with the devil. As the time to collect nears, the travelling Imaginarium struggles to drum up some trade that provides the only hope of salvation.
As people pass through a magic mirror the imaginarium conjures up the contents of their imagination. Life through the mirror is a series of surreal dreamscapes. Others have bemoaned Gilliams switch from physical sets and cartoons to CG for their realisation but that rather misses the point. Since they are inherently imagined, being obviously unreal isn't a problem. For me they were the best part of the film and I wish more time had been spent there. Little is.
The story meanders and feels overlong but contains a moral core that turns it into a modern day fairy tale.
It is well known Heath Ledger died during filming and it is remarkable how naturallly the required changes, where different actors play his role when in the Imaginarium, fit into the tale. It should be noted though, that while Heath's character is prominent, it isnt his film. Christpher Plummer's Parnassus is the centre of the tale.
Far from Gilliam's best work, this still has a surplus of ideas. I think it's worth seeing on it's own merit but if not, it still dares to stand out in a world of endless sequels and should be commended for that.
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