Suspend your disbelief and let Hollywood magic make Heath Ledger’s last film worth the dizzying ride.
By Bernice Bautista

Mention Terry Gilliam’s newest film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and the general response is likely be about Heath Ledger’s final performance, or maybe Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell’s noble involvement in the project after his untimely death. Too bad for the filmmaker, whose vision – however much it gives you the spins – is definitely no shallow star vehicle. More than his bankable actors, Gilliam’s fantastic mix of infinite worlds, deals with the Devil, and a father-daughter bond make the trek through Parnassus enjoyable, no matter the enigmatic results.
   
With the motley crew of a traveling magic show, the film introduces the immortal Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), an often drunk, world-weary, and considerably less-wise Dumbledore who frequently falls into wagers with Mr. Nick, also known as the Devil (Tom Waits). Behind the mirror of the troupe’s act is actually the Imaginarium in the film’s title, a limitless space where people can slip into the worlds of their own imagination. Parnassus, whose very name is a shout-out to Greek mythology’s world of the Muses, enables each person to live out their fantasies to the extent that Gilliam can work his CGI magic. This nifty playground also serves as a battleground where Parny and the Devil can play for the souls who make choices between good and evil.
   
Right smack in the middle of the Doctor’s most important bet – one for the soul of his daughter Valentina, played by the radiant Lily Cole – comes Heath Ledger’s Tony Shepard. The character is as confusing as he is confused: The dodgy amnesiac and philanthropist-or-criminal never looks the same inside the Imaginarium (thus the three stars who took up the role after Ledger’s death).
 
Whether we understand him or not, it’s obvious that Tony’s arrival turns the business upside-down, cranking all the whimsy several notches higher. Despite the baffling jumble of events that ensue, the film’s impressive visual effects and stunning imagery – and gorgeous actors, of course – successfully steers the audience into an Imaginarium, just one that’s a long way away from our own minds.