GILLIAM HAS AN IMAGINARIUM

Watch out. Gilliam is about. Yes, Mr Fantastical, Terry Gilliam, is back behind the camera, shooting his latest opus on the mean streets of London.

Is this going to be just an old fashioned, formula movie aimed at killing a couple of cinema going hours ?

Written by Gilliam with his Adventures of Baron Munchausen co-scribe Charles McKeown, that's not bloody likely.

And the films producers modestly suggest: "Terry stands out as one of the great film directors of our time. What is amazing and very exciting about this story is that he has conceived a large scale fantasy adventure with tremendous humor, originality and dramatic flair. In a time when so many films follow set formulas, Terry’s imagination and visual gifts are priceless."

One of the producers is Gilliam’s own daughter, Amy who generously concedes: "This fun and humorous story about the consequences of our personal choices in life will resonate worldwide. I am excited by the opportunity to collaborate with my father – whose unique vision will transform this timeless story into a creative spectacle."

Glibely named The Imaginarium (no, that is NOT a mis-spelling) of Doctor Parnassus, it is billed as a modern-day fantasy in which said Dr. Parnassus’, played by stalwart Christopher Plummer (pictured above, on a bench, in his forthcoming film The Man In The Chair), has the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others and, travelling around with a theater troupe, he offers audiences the chance to transcend mundane reality by passing through a magical mirror into a fantastic universe of limitless imagination.

Nice trick if you can pull it off. However, Parnassus’ magic comes at a price. For centuries he’s been gambling with the devil, who is coming to collect his prize -- Parnassus’ precious 16 year old daughter, daughter, Valentina, played by newcomer Lily Cole (main photo, towering over her St Trinian school chums).

Oblivious to the approaching danger, Valentina falls for Tony (played by Heath Ledger, one half of Gilliam’s Brothers Grimm, main photo), a charming outsider with motives of his own.

In order to save his daughter and redeem himself, Parnassus makes one final bet with Mr. Nick which sends Tony, Valentina and the entire theater troupe on a ride of twists and turns, in and out of London and the Imaginarium’s spectacular landscape.

So maybe the producers are telling the truth. Definitely does NOT sound like conventional formula fare.

Anyway, the troupe is spending December in London and will move to Vancouver in the New Year. Presumably travelling by plane rather than mirrors.

Filed December 19, 2007.