Terry Gilliam's second best film

Rating: Null/10 (14 October 2002)

"Brazil" was the first real movie that director Terry Gilliam made,(his previous film,"Jabberwocky", is not remembered fondly today), and was a flop on initial release, despite being a twisted masterpiece. Fortunately , this equally brilliant study of madness shot to number one in many countries film charts, proving that we DO like "odd" movies, provided that big Hollywood stars are in them. Bruce Willis plays James Cole, a prison inmate in a destroyed future. He has a recurring dream involving an airport, someone dying, and a woman whom he has never met. A virus has decimated virtually all of the Earth's human population, leaving us living in terrible squalor deep below the ground. One day\night, Cole is "volunteered" for an experiment, which involves him being sent back in time, to find information about where the plague came from. Sadly, the scientists send him back too far, and that's where things begin spiraling out of control... This is a poetic, sometimes ironically funny film that, despite the bleak subject matter, emerges as something highly enjoyable. Brad Pitt is an over the top delight as a man who may or may not be responsible for the desolate future, whilst Madeline Stowe and Willis both deliver delightfully subtle performances. It looks great as well, veering between Gothic nightmare and crowded city streets. The music is great, veering as wildly as the plot itself. However, i don't like this as much as "Brazil", for one reason:It's not original enough. We've seen the time travel, horrible future scenario before, it doesn't impact like it should. But that's a minor quibble. As a whole, this is one of the most accomplished, scary and dark films i have yet to see. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for reading.