The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (Terry Gilliam)

[Grouchy]

[Grouchy]

Well, it's finally here.

Gilliam has obviously incorporated the infamous Don Quixote curse into his own screenplay, turning the protagonist into a playboy-ish film director who once made a student film about Don Quixote and is now making a similarly themed vodka commercial. The device works even if the film director character is predictably a caricature. Driver and Pryce have amazing chemistry and I have a hard time imagining anyone else in the latter role now, to be honest. Gilliam's usual obsessions with chasing dreams and the world of the mind versus reality are at full force here.

I believe a lot of people will be disappointed by this and that's perhaps inevitable given the chimerical status of the story for so many years. I kept my expectations in check and found myself loving it for what it is, which is a Gilliam film that works both as a metatextual commentary and a straight adaptation of a novel that's impossible to adapt.

As a side note, the choice to have most of the characters (who are Spanish villagers) speak perfect English was very jarring. I get why Gilliam did it but it was still awkward, specially when some of the actors such as Rossy De Palma are recognizable from Spanish cinema. Ultimately, the film is about what Gilliam had on his head while reading Cervantes and he naturally read a translation.

[Spinal]

I used to consider Gilliam one of my favorite directors, but now I haven't seen one of his films since Fear and Loathing. I'll probably see this for Pryce though. And out of curiosity.

[Grouchy]

I enjoyed Tideland, Doctor Parnassus and Zero Theroem to varying degrees but this one is better than any of them in my opinion. Brothers Grimm is an awful, awful film, though.

Then again, I could easily be labeled a fanboy when it comes to Gilliam.

EDIT: This one has one of the funniest visual jokes I've ever seen. [

Show Spoiler

It involves a threatening gesture made with a wine bottle.

]

[Skitch]

I really love Parnassus.

I'm really happy that Gilliam finally got to make the damn thing. More so than I am about seeing it lol.