The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

★★★★✩

Since the sudden passing of Heath Ledger in January 2008, the world has waited with baited breath to see him in his last ever movie roll in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. A roll which, let’s not forget, was later taken over by not one, not two, but three A-list actors—Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. The anticipation and expectations for this film were extremely high from the get-go, and only grew stronger within the wait for opening day—December 25th, 2009. The possibility of Doctor Parnassus actually living up to people’s expectations seemed small, as such hype most often leads to disappointment, but reactions and reviews when the film finally entered theatres were, all in all, quite positive.

The film tells of a traveling theatre led by “Doctor Parnassus”, an aging man who, somewhere along the line, got into gambling with the devil. In one particular deal, the devil agreed to grant Parnassus immortality and youth, in exchange for his daughter when she turned 16—a birthday now fast approaching. Parnassus must now try everything possible to save his unknowing daughter from her fate, but the likelihood of success dwindles more and more rapidly until a mysterious stranger enters their life in a seeming twist of fate.

Although some may argue that the plot has its weak spots, the effects, actors, and incredible imagination of Doctor Parnassus make up for the flaws and insure a thoroughly enjoyable movie experience.