The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Messy and muddled, but in a loose, playful way. It's an enjoyable romp, especially considering the circumstances. It was fortunate for the production that the tragic loss of Heath Ledger could be solved with a gimmicky casting decision that entirely suits the story. It does tamper with the emotional core of the film, but as far as a solution goes, it's pretty clever. It's the other cast members who I was more taken with, anyway. Plummer's character is wildly uneven, but Tom Waits is a delight, Lily Cole is charming (and utterly fetching), Andrew Garfield is... well, he's okay, and it's great to see someone use Verne Troyer as more than a mere prop. Some of the spectacle on display is stunning, but also the most problematic area of the film. Gilliam's predilection for visual overload can be headache-inducing, and far too often the frame is far too busy with dizzying set design and flashy camera moves. Restraint is not his strong suit... sometimes in his favor, but sometimes not. Despite the flaws (and really, Gilliam without flaws wouldn't be Gilliam) I had a fun time with this movie. Rating: Good