What really struck me in "The Fisher King" were the visuals. It was the way in which director Terry Gilliam managed to give us a picture of Parry's insanity. Robin Williams was excellent in the part. It was a perfect character for him - a combination of laughably crazy and tragically insane - and he pulled it off brilliantly, but it's still the imagery that stayed with me. The pictures of the "red knight" that stalked Parry in his mind at least and that wouldn't let him go, even when he thought he had finally escaped and started to return his life to normal with his budding relationship with Lydia (Amanda Plummer.) Those images have a haunting quality to them; they don't easily leave you after the movie's over.
After the imagery, it's the performances that stand out in this. As I mentioned, Robin Williams was brilliant as Parry, and Jeff Bridges was almost his equal as Jack - the former radio shock jock whose off the cuff comments led an insane man to shoot up a bar , which led to Parry's wife being killed in front of him and resulted in his insanity. Obviously, Parry's life is devastated. Jack's life is devastated. The story picks up three years later, when Parry and Jack inadvertently meet, and Jack sees his opportunity for redemption - can he help Parry get his life back?
Gilliam did a good job directing this. It starts out tentatively, perhaps a bit slow paced, but it builds brilliantly to what I thought was the real climax - the return of Parry's demons after he walks Lydia to her apartment and says good bye. As he ran screaming through the streets, and ended up beaten and bloodied, it was one of the most powerful scenes I've seen. Well done by Robin Williams. For all the strength of the performances by Wiliams and Bridges, it's surprising to me that the only acting Oscar this won was Best Supporting Actress for Mercedes Ruehl, as Jack's girlfriend Anne. Williams was nominated for Best Actor, but lost to Anthony Hopkins for "Silence of the Lambs." I can't argue with the choice of Hopkins, but Williams was superb. It may be the best performance I've ever seen from him.
For me, the biggest weakness to this was the ending. I'd have left it with that climactic scene, and cut out much of what came after. Frankly, I wasn't that taken with the whole "Holy Grail" theme, and the extended scenes of Jack trying to get the Grail didn't do anything for me. I was ready for this to come to a close with that aforementioned scene, even if it had meant Parry's fate being left up in the air. I can live with the happy ending, but the Holy Grail material was just distracting. Still, that ending aside, I enjoyed this immensely. It's a very impressive movie. (7/10)
After the imagery, it's the performances that stand out in this. As I mentioned, Robin Williams was brilliant as Parry, and Jeff Bridges was almost his equal as Jack - the former radio shock jock whose off the cuff comments led an insane man to shoot up a bar , which led to Parry's wife being killed in front of him and resulted in his insanity. Obviously, Parry's life is devastated. Jack's life is devastated. The story picks up three years later, when Parry and Jack inadvertently meet, and Jack sees his opportunity for redemption - can he help Parry get his life back?
Gilliam did a good job directing this. It starts out tentatively, perhaps a bit slow paced, but it builds brilliantly to what I thought was the real climax - the return of Parry's demons after he walks Lydia to her apartment and says good bye. As he ran screaming through the streets, and ended up beaten and bloodied, it was one of the most powerful scenes I've seen. Well done by Robin Williams. For all the strength of the performances by Wiliams and Bridges, it's surprising to me that the only acting Oscar this won was Best Supporting Actress for Mercedes Ruehl, as Jack's girlfriend Anne. Williams was nominated for Best Actor, but lost to Anthony Hopkins for "Silence of the Lambs." I can't argue with the choice of Hopkins, but Williams was superb. It may be the best performance I've ever seen from him.
For me, the biggest weakness to this was the ending. I'd have left it with that climactic scene, and cut out much of what came after. Frankly, I wasn't that taken with the whole "Holy Grail" theme, and the extended scenes of Jack trying to get the Grail didn't do anything for me. I was ready for this to come to a close with that aforementioned scene, even if it had meant Parry's fate being left up in the air. I can live with the happy ending, but the Holy Grail material was just distracting. Still, that ending aside, I enjoyed this immensely. It's a very impressive movie. (7/10)