Tideland

CLAY

The latest film from Terry Gilliam. If you are NOT a fan of his other films (12 Monkeys, Time Bandits, Brazil, etc), then you will not enjoy Tideland. However, if you are the sort of person who enjoys films that take big risks with narrative and plot, you will be in a good position to enjoy Tideland.

I don't want to spoil the film for those who have not yet seen it. However, it is good if the viewer understands that the storyline attempts to mimic the structure (or lack thereof) of a dream...very much a modern Alice In Wonderland. Overt references to AiW lead me to believe that Gilliam intentionally created a storyline that abandons the need for resolution or 'happy endings'. The vibe of the film is very dark, the subject matter is not for the faint-of-heart, and the 'humor' is black as night.

Jeff Bridges gives an excellent supporting performance in what could be described as a reprisal of his Big Lebowski character. However, the real star of this film is the little girl who plays the leading role. Rarely does one see such mature, unfliching performances as the one given by this 8? year old girl.

Given that I am a huge fan of all things Gilliam, I'm giving this one a 7/8 slice rating. Tara will be sure to observe that I give a lot of high reviews.....I'd simply that I am less inclined to review boring or average movies.