Friday 23 July 2010

I think we've lost him, Mr Helpmann

Familiar with the eccentricity (or just plain madness) of Terry Gilliam, I was not too surprised at the out of this world experience that is Brazil. Powerfully performed by an amazing cast, the film made quite an impact. Set in a 1984-type world, it is similar in storyline too but from then on, it's an original and unique piece of cinema. Michael Palin, despite his daytime job, is all smiles and good humour. Jonathan Pryce plays a government bureaucrat, Sam Lowry who leads a rather dull and unfulfilling life by day but at night, in his dreams, he is a knight in shinning armour, fighting demons in pursuit of a nameless damsel in distress. He goes on robotically, until a chance meeting finds him face to face with the girl from his dreams. In pursuing her, he encounters a rebellious repairman, bureaucracy at its finest, and the dark underbelly of a very sinister brand of "Happiness".


It seems almost impossible to follow the train of thought of the movie, and it feels almost okay to not bother, and simply enjoy the incredible sights and sounds of a madman's imagination.