Without Ledger, Stars Step In To Finish ‘Imaginarium’

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After much dispute and seemingly-impossible U.S. distribution, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” has finally hit the big screen in select cities throughout the country. Distribution companies in the U.S. were oddly skeptical about taking on actor Heath Ledger’s final project. According to an August 2009 article on Variety.com, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group picked up the film “with plans for it to go out theatrically, likely this year, via Sony Pictures Classics.” Months after the film’s U.S. inception at the Hamptons Film Festival in mid-October, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” was opened for limited release on Christmas Day.

Despite its overly-fantastical trailer, the majority of “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is actually set on the cold, overcast streets of modern-day London. The film tells the story of the mystical Doctor Parnassus, a man who is storied to have lived for centuries.

In his youth, the esoteric doctor makes a bet with the devil. The devil, who is portrayed in the form of a slick, shady gambling man named Mr. Nick, tricks Doctor Parnassus into making many wagers with him over the course of the story. However, the pivotal bet made between the two puts the doctor’s only daughter on the line. If the doctor doesn’t collect five souls before the devil, his only daughter’s soul belongs to Mr. Nick. The film is set in motion as the traveling show of “Doctor Parnassus’ Imaginarium” takes the streets of London in an attempt to gather souls to beat Mr. Nick’s bet. With the help of a mysterious stranger named Tony, the cast and crew of the Imaginarium set off on the quest to save the young daughter of Doctor Parnassus.

Walking into the theater, one may wonder how the movie progresses with four different actors playing the main role. Tony (portrayed by the late Heath Ledger) was expertly taken over by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. Through the film, itself, the transitions between the actors are absolutely seamless.

Not only do Depp, Law and Farrell perfectly take on the subtle mannerisms of Ledger’s “Tony,” clever re-writing within the film helped to deliver the presence of different actors with minimal explanation.“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” featured stellar performances. Ledger worked to set up an incredibly complex individual through his “Tony,” while Depp, Law and Farrell continue his phenomenal work throughout the Imaginarium. Relative up-and-comer Lily Cole is a strikingly beautiful image of Parnassus’ young daughter, Valentina. Not only is Cole uncommonly lovely, she keeps the audience involved in and intrigued by the happenings of her life in the traveling show. Alongside Valentina, Andrew Garfield plays Anton, the only other teenager working in Parnassus’ traveling show and an avid admirer of the Doctor‘s young daughter.

As expected, Valentina does not return Anton’s sentiments and instead takes interest in Tony, the mysterious stranger. Tom Waits gives an excellent portrayal of the gambling devil. Waits’ iconic voice, crafted through years of bad habits, adds a seedy, nasty element to the already-sneaky character of Mr. Nick.

Certainly, the fact that “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is Ledger’s final project will add a timeless element to the film. However, this writer believes that the charming fantasy world around which the film revolves allows the movie to stand on its own as a sterling testament to the creativity of Terry Gilliam. The undeniable prowess of each actor involved, not just the untimely demise of Ledger, will cause “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” to live on forever as a classic.

Photo courtesy of Urbanchristiannews.com

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