The directorial career of Terry Gilliam provides a fascinating case study in independent artistry.
Since the ’80s, Gilliam has gone through innumerable clashes with production companies and various other parties to get his vision on the big screen.
This has resulted in alternately strong creative achievements ("Brazil") and unfortunate misfires ("The Brothers Grimm"). In all cases, there’s a great story lurking in the background.
But no previous Gilliam excursion offers quite the same remarkable history as "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," which premieres at Cannes tomorrow.
The movie, about a magical theater company and its immortal showman, halted production in January of last year when its star, Heath Ledger, died.