By PHIL VILLARREAL
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Give Terry Gilliam this much: His movies are never boring.
The imaginative director crafts movies that defy expectations. "The Fisher King," "Twelve Monkeys" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" are all eye-poppers that leave you much to ponder. Even his bizarre failures, such as last year's "The Brothers Grimm" and his new film, "Tideland" _ a disturbing story of a somewhat sadistic young girl _ are interesting.
Adapted from a Mitch Cullin novel, "Tideland" is a twisted, fantasy-tinged drama involving death, abandonment, mental disorders and a love affair between a little girl and a mentally disabled man. Many of the scenes are repulsive. Example: A girl gives her father's corpse a makeover, dressing him up in a woman's wig and makeup. She also hops on his chest to expel gas from his bowels. This is dirty, dirty stuff and recommended only to Gilliam's most fervent fans.
It would help if there were a coherent story to tie the off-putting set pieces together, but Gilliam is content to meander in details rather than advance in broad strokes. The scant plot involves a schizophrenic girl who makes off for the country with her dad (Jeff Bridges) after her bitter mother (Jennifer Tilly) dies suddenly.
Jodelle Ferland turns in a stunning, otherworldly performance as the little girl, Joiza-Rose. She has an overactive imagination, hardly any fear and a penchant for talking to her imaginary friends, little doll heads she keeps on the tips of her fingers. Ferland reveals a dark side that's all the more disturbing and powerful because of her youth.
Sometimes Joiza-Rose imagines herself falling through a rabbit hole like "Alice in Wonderland." Often, the film makes the viewer feel the same way.
Joiza-Rose plays by herself amid tall grass fields and eventually comes to the care of a witchlike aunt (Janet McTeer) and befriends Dickens (Brendan Fletcher), a man who operates on the same emotional level as the girl. He seems sweet but hints at ulterior motives.
"Tideland" is frustrating for the way it refuses to coalesce. You watch the film feeling abused and exploited, never knowing whether there's a bottom to this rabbit hole.
2 stars out of 4
Rated: R for bizarre and disturbing content, including drug use, sexuality and gruesome situations _ all involving a child _ and for some language.
Cast: Jodelle Ferland, Janet McTeer, Brendan Fletcher, Jeff Bridges.
Director: Terry Gilliam.
Family call: Extremely disturbing _ definitely not for kids.
Running time: 120 minutes.
(Read Phil Villarreal's blog at scrippsnews.com/philmguy and contact him at pvillarreal(at)azstarnet.com.)
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