Brazil (1985)
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond
Synopsis:
A low-level bureaucrat in a dysfunctional totalitarian state becomes obsessed with a truck driver who is quite literally the woman of his dreams.
Impressions:
I'd heard praise for this film, but I didn't look into it further before the opportunity to see it came up, so I really didn't know what to expect. Imagine being told to do an adaptation of 1984 and then dropping acid before writing the screenplay. That catches the spirit of things. Terry Gilliam's quirky sensibilities are on full display here and it's arguable that the frequent dream sequences are less surreal than the everyday reality of the setting. There are a lot of targets for satire, and your mileage may vary on how well those targets get hit, but the rather low-hanging fruit of bureaucracy--especially the British variety of it--gets lampooned rather well. Jonathan Pryce does well as the tweaky protagonist, Katherine Helmond brings a particular charm to love interest Jill, and a number of British notables leave an impression in their assorted roles. It's quite the experience that isn't going to hit with general audiences, but it's definitely a movie serious film buffs should see. If you think you're up for some mind-bending dystopia, give it a watch.
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