Professor Popinjay's Compendium of Perspicacity

A Non-review by Professor Popinjay

Weird. Just weird. This was as weird as Time Bandits or The Adventures of Baron Munchausen or Brazil. That might be because all these were directed by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame. I mention these particular films because these were part of a trifecta or quadfecta representing the various stages of a person’s life.

I don’t know about all that. All I know is that this film was weird.

I had a hard time following the plot of this film but my takeaway was this: Tom Waits is the devil.

Frankly, I find most of Terry Gilliam’s films difficult to follow. I think Christopher Plummer had a deal with Tom Waits and they were trying to win souls with his traveling Imaginarium which is a tent that people would go into and see visions and they would have to choose between enlightenment or something like that or they could go to a flophouse with Johnny Depp, Colin Farrel, or Jude Law. Not a whole lot of people were choosing enlightenment.

Eventually some kind of chase ensues in the Imaginarium which results in a variety of Terry Gilliam Monty Python hijinks. Finally Christopher Plummer hangs himself as one does after realizing they’ve been in a Terry Gilliam film.

Just kidding. Actors chomp at the bit to get into Terry’s films. That’s why they’re always so peppered with cameos and stories of A List actors who have sacrificed some degree of their paycheck just to be associated with him. It’s really quite amazing and I don’t fully understand the hype. I do however appreciate this one aspect: as this was Heath Ledger’s last film, Depp, Farrel, and Law gave 100% of their pay to Heath’s daughter so as to secure her future. That is stellar.

It’s just a freaking weird movie, that’s all. I fully recommend it.