Cannes 2009: As Terry Gilliam goes, so does the festival

Not that long ago, American distributors went to film festivals -- Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Telluride -- looking for reasons to buy a movie. These days, as the business has grown much tougher with higher-than-ever profit expectations, they almost seem more interested in finding reasons not to acquire a film. For proof, consider the status of director Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."

At first glance, the movie would appear to have numerous built-in sales hooks, most notably that it was the last film of actor Heath Ledger, who died of a drug overdose during its filming. Because Ledger was unable to complete the film, a trio of prominent actors stepped in to finish his role: Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law.

Those A-list names -- and the mystique of the last performance of the Oscar-winning "Dark Knight" co-star -- would seem to create enough publicity to drum up some audience interest; there's a fan website tracking the film's history and posting images from the film. Gilliam, who directed the critics' darling "Brazil" but also the flop "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," is not some direct-to-video hack. On top of all that, the film was selected to play out of competition at this year's Cannes festival, where it will be shown Friday night.

But U.S. buyers, who were shown the movie in a screening at the Directors Guild of America theater in Los Angeles a week before the festival started, so far have been quite cool on the movie. Interviews with half a dozen American distributors here revealed a consistent reaction: Whatever publicity Ledger's death may generate for "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," the film itself is too oblique to stand on its own. The buyers said they were both dazzled and puzzled by some of Gilliam's choices, and though they found much to admire, it wasn't enough to tip the scales. 

John Sloss, the lawyer and sales agent who is selling the film in Cannes, said he was confident that the film would find a distributor, and that the potential buyers who are so far passing on the film might not be the right distributors for it in any case. But as the festival and concurrent market enter their fourth full day with no new major sales deals announced, it's starting to look as if the buyers aren't yet ready to start shopping.

-- John Horn

  

Comments

[Jodelle]

What I for one would like to know, is just which potential distributors were foolhardy enough to pass on this film. I’m angry! I refuse to have to wait to see this film on dvd. Whoever these potential distributors are that are deeming this film as esoteric, and/or as “too oblique to stand on its own” are really playing to the lowest common denominator. They are assuming to speak for the tastes of the American film going public. And is often the case, they are wrong.

I suppose the one good thing is that the film has not yet had its screening at Cannes. And I have great hopes that potential buyers who are in attendance at Cannes and will see the film on the 22nd will have greater faith in me as an American film goer to appreciate art over mainstream Hollywood cheesewiz.

[Vincent Cadena]

When I heard about how executives were "cool" on the film it sounded like they're all trying to keep the price down. "I don't want it" "Me neithier" "Doesn't seem marketable" etc etc. But really they all want it because of Heath Ledger, Depp-Ferrell-Law. They just don't want to pay big bucks for it, I would've loved to have heard the conversation between Harvey Weinstein and the executive he sent to view the film.

[Theresa]

I do not appreciate distributors deciding for me what I wish to see. They do not have their finger on the pulse of the audience at all if they think that people do not want to see The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus. It is my sincere hope that the public will take the time to learn more about this movie and take the time to google it and raise their awareness of it as it is my feeling that it is going to be amazing. I am anxiously looking forward to this film along with many many others.

[Keren Barkan]

Who are those distributors, and who are they to decide for us?? I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE AND I WANT TO SEE IT ON THE BIG SCREEN, NOT WAIT FOR THE DVD!!! Terry Gilliam is a brilliant director and this is Heath Ledger's last appearance on screen, no one can take it away from us. WE WANT TO SEE IT!

[lucierose]

By respect for Heath Ledger's work, by respect for all the others actor's work, by respect for Terry Gilliam's work, by respect or CINEMA, the film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus must have distributors and should be seen all over the world.Not to distribute it, it would be to kill the cinema

[Trekfan]

I am hoping this movie will find a distributor. There are so many fans of Heath and Terry that want to see this movie. It would be a horrible tragedy for this movie not to have a spot in the US and world Cinemas.

I am hopeful that it will find a distributor by the end of the Cannes Film Festival

[Upset American]

This is just terrible news. Terrible terrible news. They will regret their decisions when the movie does well everywhere else in the world.

[Birthe.]

I can hardly wait to watch Parnassus.

[Mini]

The best films are those that drag us out of our daily preconceptions; the best directors are risk-takers; the best actors are the ones who defy gravity. If "higher-than-ever profit expectations" are going to stifle the efforts of great creative artists, then we will be much poorer for it. There's more than enough anodyne pap around to satisfy the masses. These US distributors need to forget the bottom line once in a while and take a leap into the unknown. How many record companies passed on the Beatles?

[Snowy0122]

I, for one, have been waiting to see this film for a year and a half now an I am sorely disappointed that no one has yet to pick it up for U.S. distribution. Please let them know, if you can, that we want to see this film here and that it should be shown in as many venues as possible. Terry Gilliam is a brilliant director and I believe this will be his most amazing film to date. What can be created on film has now caught up to what Mr. Gilliam can create in his wonderfully over active imagination and it would be a shame not to see the work he's done. Not only that, but we get to spend just a little more time in a darkened theater with one of the most talented and exceptional actors of our time. Heath is sorely missed by many and to have just a few more moments of time with him would be a gift I would gladly accept. All I can do is hope that a buyer will really see what they have in front of them when the film opens and will make the right deal, so that we here in the U.S. can enjoy this wonderful film.

[M]

So the buyers find this movie "too oblique"? What does this say about them? Were they "dazzled" and "puzzled"? Is that a bad thing? Let's ask ourselves what do we want to feel when we go to watch a movie. What do we want the audience to feel? It seems like most movies with recycled storylines get through, while most of the inventive, risky ones stay behind and do not reach the general public, but I think that this movie will have the power to touch many people, both by itself and when you think of the actors involved. Risks are scary, but challenges are worth it.

[Rachel]

Because a film is imaginative and gets the audience to actually use their minds a little, the audience would not want to see it!? People do have imaginations, films are suppose to be creative, Terry Gilliam far excels in directing such films!
Audiences do not want black and white, plain and unoriginal! The people with the greatest successes are those that take a new direction, take a new step!

[AryDepp]

It's unable to understand, that a film that had recieved so amazing reviews [as best Terry Gilliam's film] can't get distributors, maybe distrut? Distrut to a project with such amazing actors and crew?

Also the distributors should think about the team! Ledger+Depp+Farrel+Law .... all of them acclaimed and profitable actors, ... why not? This is a film to be showed in a big screen, no doubt.

Maybe it's only distrut to Terry and his projects, but the film seems to be so amazing that it has got thousands of fans around the world and it hasn't been realised yet!.

[Jesse Cluster]

I wonder if its just a really unfortunate title (not even a working title!) for a movie? It rings of that similarly named flop, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium starring Dustin Hoffman.

I want to see it badly though; thanks to Ledger and Depp's roles in this film, it may be my only chance of getting my wife to see a Terry Gilliam flick with me on the big screen!

[anonymous in canada]

I had the privilege of working on some post-production for this film, and I can tell you, it would be a Crime Against Art to deprive people of seeing this film on the big screen in all its glory. I saw it on a tiny screen, obscured by editing information, and it still managed to move me deeply, alter my consciousness, and inspire me in ways I didn't think a film could do anymore.

Like no other Gilliam film to date, the Parnassus story harnesses the courageousness of Gilliam's artistic vision, and wields truth and beauty and humour like devastating weapons against the shallow and tedious banality that is modern film-making.

Thank you, thank you, Terry Gilliam, for making me believe in the power of film again.