The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is classic Terry Gilliam. Visually mind-blowing, but with a solid emotional core, it is also a tribute of sorts to the late, great Heath Ledger, whose untimely departure during its filming shocked fans and cineastes worldwide.
Gilliam ingeniously blends Ledger's work with contributions from Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell in a way that cannot be revealed, but that is guaranteed to surprise.Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) presides over a traveling show called "The Imaginarium", offering the public an opportunity to enter a 3-D universe of their own imaginations.
But Parnassus harbours a dark secret.Thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil (Tom Waits) in which he won immortality.
Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter (Lily Cole) reached her 16th birthday, she would become the devil's property.
Now, unless he can somehow save her, it is time to pay the price.
Terry Gilliam, former Python and director of such cinematic gems as Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Monty Python And The Holy Grail, joins Amanda Palmer, Al Jazeera's head of entertainment, and the FPS audience for a funny and revealing Q&A about this much-anticipated new film.