Brilliant work

Rating: 9/10 (17 August 2001)

I'm ashamed of my shallowness, but the only reason I could come up with for not giving this movie a 10 (instead of a 9.5) was the fact that I simply don't like Terry Gillam's costume design. All the plastic and wires and chaotic metallurgy leaves me irritated, and try as I might to view it objectively, I can't. This movie deserves a 10, but what's with these useless mechanical devices? The absurd pseudo-techno-insanity? Yuck.
Aesthetic concerns aside, 12 Monkeys is a fantastic tale, told fantastically. A vicious plague has decimated the world's population and sent the survivors underground (literally). Cole, a futuristic time traveller played by Willis, must go back in time to unravel the events surrounding the rise of the plague so that scientists in the future can attempt to set things right (put human beings back on top, so to speak). The plot sets up a wonderful mystery to figure out, as well as creates an interesting morality play regarding the place of human beings on the planet. Are we destroying the Earth with our consumeristic, growth based economy? Is our culture sustainable in the long term? What fate awaits the human race?
There's also an interesting dynamic between Cole and the "modern day" therapist played by Stowe--they are both forced to question their sanity, which creates an intriguing ambiguity for the audience and the unusual and shocking conditions that create a somewhat plausible possibility of romance for the characters. It's all good stuff.
The acting is great--Willis, Stowe, and Pitt all play their parts to a tee, and as mentioned, the story is rich in every way. This movie makes you think while you're being highly entertained, and to me that's what it's all about.
Too bad about the crazy costumes...