05.04.07
Terry Gilliam is not short of genius - he’s pure genius
I Netflixed Tideland about 2 months ago and it arrived in the mail last week. I didn’t have time to watch it until last night. All I can say is holyfuckingshit!
I’m a fan of Terry’s work like Monty Python, Brazil, Fisher King, etc. Terry does things…differently, we’ll say. He has a unique vision and when it hits you, it hits you like a runaway freight train. Tideland is no exception.
I’ve read several user reviews of Tideland and those people just don’t get it. They harp on the drug use and the kissing and stuff. The DVD I watched had an intro by Terry in which he said “this movie is seen through the eyes of a child.” Apparently, some people forgot what it is to be a child and were repulsed at what they saw. Oh well. Their loss, in my opinion.
The movie itself was excellently executed. I loved the visuals, the settings and the story line. The performances were all top notch with one exception. Brendan Fletcher’s portrayal of Dickens, the mentally handicapped brother of Dell, went beyond excellent. It’s hard enough to portray someone who is mentally handicapped in a way that’s accurate and believable (Forrest Gump - are you kidding me?!) but to portray them *and* give them a soul, to show you that there is a living, breathing, loving, caring, fearing person inside is exceptional. I think he stole the show in that movie.
