Stop monkeying around and go see 12 Monkeys. This movie is insanely good.

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2015)

It's time to revisit this 1995 neo-noir science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam. After all, this film has recently made history once again, when Syfy Channel has chosen to adapted it, into a television show in early 2015. With that said, I have to say, unlike the show, which is a remake of the film; the original movie '12 Monkeys' is more of a reimagining, than a remake of the 1962 French short film, 'La Jetée', written by Chris Marker. While, it's true, that La Jetée and 12 Monkeys have some similarities; such in the case, of the main character, which both has a man redreaming of a childhood tragedy and time travelling to stop it. Still, these films couldn't easily be compared with each other. Marker's La Jetee is about a man trying to escape the aftermath of World War III in post-apocalyptic world, by travelling in the past to find his love; while 12 Monkeys is about, a man, James Cole (Bruce Willis) sent to the past, gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet. Although, La Jetee inject their story with an intimate humanistic quality, juxtaposing romance with an eerie atmosphere of impending disaster. The big different is that 12 Monkeys screenplay written by David and Janet Peoples is much more grandeur with its theme; interlocking dramatic social commentary about the world's environment, the struggles of mental help, and how people view religion. Could psychiatry be seem as a new religion!? Is Faith is a delusion!? Does the march of time, prove that what we deem insane, today; might seem normal, tomorrow? These are the brilliant questions that this movie brings to us. While, yes, this film does perversion the original intent of Marker's film message, but, Gilliam's version gives more to the table then the 1962 nuclear holocaust drama. It's reasons like these, why it feels like Gilliam's version is more like its own standalone masterpiece of contemporary cinema, rather than a remake. Plus the special combination of directorial vision, superb writing, and mood enhancing cinematography delivered an engaging piece of dramatic fiction. One thing, that this Terry Gilliam's film has, over that French short film is a superb cast. Bruce Willis delivers one of his most nuanced performances as Cole, creating a strong yet vulnerable man who must overcome his own fears of madness in order to save humanity. Brad Pitts plays against his pretty boy typecast, here, as the crazy, and paranoid schizophrenic, Jeffrey Goines. Meanwhile, Madeleine Stowe gives alright performance as Dr. Kathryn Reilly, who must call into question all of her long held beliefs, and face the insanity of the world around her. I like her lectures on abnormal psychology and the theoretical "Cassandra complex". It was somewhat brilliance, nevertheless, her falling in love scenes with Cole need some work. It wasn't convincing. Another great thing from the film is the music by Paul Buckmaster. It's so eerily with its creepy circus like theme. However, I do have to say, the movie does have some faults in the eyes of some critics. As with most Terry Gilliam films, this film is often dense in grim darkness to the point, that certain people find them, somewhat depressing to watch. The whole bittersweet ending is a bit hard to take for some. Another problem is all the film references and shout outs such as 1958's Vertigo, 1931's Monkey Business, Blade Runner & 1985's Brazil. It comes across as a cheesy homage. Terry Gilliam's 'Monty Python" cartoony style of realism mixed with sci-fi fantasy is a bit jarring. In my eyes, the pacing is a problem as well. I didn't like the repetitive annoying nature of the childhood flashback dream sequences. It was a bit overwhelming. I also didn't really buy, those dream-like scenes, Gilliam has, as a great example of human thought. La Jetee, somewhat address this matter, better with its slide-show, motionless black & white style. It seem more like a dream in the unconscious mind than Gilliam's version. The still moving images works best when exploring dream, memory and the concept of time with its simplicity. However, as a grand motion picture film, 12 Monkeys is superior in that field. La Jetee can barely be count as a film. Another problem in the film is the complex story. It seem to be missing a lot of things to make it, perfect. There are a lot of unexplained sequences in the film such like the 'Bob" scene that really doesn't add up, logically. The whole 'butterfly effect' is also a bit confusing, when you take in 'You Can't Fight Fate' aspect. So, why, then, do the future scientists give Cole a gun to change history? Did Cole alter history or not? Also, what was 'the insurance' lady, talking about? We might never know. Some viewers found these unanswered questions to be a bit muddled. Despite that, I do like Terry Gilliam's brilliance. The fact that he doesn't dictate his story to the viewers; rather he allows them to discover its subtleties and secrets on their own, and then draw their own conclusions is good. It makes the film even more interesting to watch with a group of friends and everyone's perception of the ending is contrary. It's this idea of open interpretation that makes 12 Monkeys so timeless. Overall: It's worth watching and worth discussing about. A must-watch.