Excellent dark sci-fi

Rating: 10/10 (8 November 2005)

I knew Terry Gilliam's movies were all but predictable, but I had to see Twelve Monkeys in order to truly believe it.This is the only Gilliam movie I've seen so far, but it blew me away so much he's already one of my favorite filmmakers.
The story may seem a little bit classic(a man is sent back in time to stop a disaster), but Gilliam immediately makes it original:convict James Cole(Bruce Willis) ends up a few years before the plague breaks loose, so no one believes him and he's locked up in an asylum.He has to convince Dr.Railly(Madeleine Stowe)he's not crazy, while he spends his time with "fellow" nut-case Jeffrey Goines(Brad Pitt).The Twelve Monkeys have to be stopped...
If you thought you knew what dark sci-fi flicks are like, think again.In terms of atmosphere, this is a perfect mix of Blade Runner and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest(the asylum riot is visually great). The script is incredibly good, and the same is to be said about the performances:Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt are amazing(the latter was Oscar-nominated for this role), playing two guys they wouldn't be associated with under the normal circumstances.But when we're talking about Terry Gilliam, can there actually be any normal circumstances?