A Second Chance for Gilliam's Tideland
Filed under: Drama, New on DVD, Fantastic Fest, Cinematical Indie
Odds are, you haven't seen Terry Gilliam's dark tale, Tideland. The film had a brief and unfortunate festival turn peppered by audience walkouts and critical panning. The film, which is preceded by a black-and-white of Gilliam telling his audience that some will love the film and some will hate it, but asking them to give it a chance. Our own Jeff Anderson, who admits to watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas once a year, just for fun, found the film's subject matter, especially the exploration of sexuality around a young girl, too harsh to give the film an unqualified recommendation. Jette Kernion, in her review, said of the film, "But in its own unlovable way, the movie is an unforgettable experience." If you have seen the film, feel free to weigh in down in the comments with your own thoughts on the film. If you weren't one of the folks who got a chance to catch the film at a fest, now's your chance to see it -- it's just been released on DVD. You can listen to excerpts from the DVD's commentary track over on Dreams, the Terry Gilliam fansite, where they also report that Gilliam has just finished his latest script, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, with writing partner Charles McKeown. Mckeown previously collaborated with Gilliam on The Adventures of Baron Munchasen and worked on the shooting script of Brazil.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-28-2007 @ 12:23PM
Dan said...
I went into Tideland now knowign what to expect, and I was absolutely blown away by it. I'd not had such a visceral reaction to any film in many years. It is far more successful in evoking fear and rage and disgust and horror than any horror film I've ever seen - but it has a real heart and respect for both its characters and its audience. Gilliam is absolutely right that many people are going to find the film too difficult to tolerate, but some, probably a minority, are going to recognize the film as a testimonial of not only of his genius, but his deeply humane and compassionate belief in the redemptive power of imagination.
That said, the film is beautiful, and funny, and amazing. It goes places few films dare to go, and finds things I've never seen in film before. Among the things it finds are an absolutely astonishing performance by a kid acto, and the most well developed and executed example of Southern Gothic storytelling a generation. Though less appealing and approachable, this film is the follow-up to Brazil that I've been waiting for.
It had me curdled in a fetal position and whimpering in my theatre seat. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It's a simple device to build suspense by putting a child in danger, and then making tings worse and worse - but Gilliam's approach is fresh and invigorated, and I knew I was in the hands of a masterful storyteller from the get-go.
This is not a good introduction to Gilliam's films, but for fans, it is a pinnacle of his achievement, and a purging and cleansing from The Bros Grimm. It is my favorite film of 2006.
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