The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009)

The most shocking scene of Terry Gilliam’s dark, nightmarish “let’s make a deal” film comes early: Heath Ledger is first seen hanging by his neck from a bridge during a miserable London night. Nearly two years after his death, Ledger’s mere presence still inspires awe. But, here, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Ledger plays Tony, a man with apparent amnesia found in his awful state by the daughter (Lily Cole) and employee (Andrew Garfield) of the centuries-old, traveling storyteller Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer). The group’s find is lucky, as Tony provides a boost to their business, centuries past its expiration date. Hounding the group is Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), Satan himself, who’s the card dealer to the not-so-good doctor’s addiction to betting. The film, like any Gilliam treat, is a wondrous shifting, warping Rubik’s Cube. Yet, Ledger died mid-production, so in the alternate world scenes, his Tony is played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. Fascinating concept, but hurtful. As tragedy smashes down (happy endings are not guaranteed), the film loses dramatic payoff as the final Tony just isn’t the Tony we've come to love. It isn't Ledger. B