The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) runs a traveling carnival show featuring a magic mirror that leads to fantastic worlds. Long ago he made a deal with the devil, called Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) -- with his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) as the prize -- and the deadline for the deal is nearly up. So Doctor Parnassus strikes a new deal with Mr. Nick: the first one to collect five souls wins. Meanwhile, one night after a show, the doctor's crew, including Percy (Vern Troyer) and Anton (Andrew Garfield), discover and rescue a hanged man. The man, Tony (Heath Ledger), can remember nothing, but Doctor Parnassus is convinced that he has been sent for a special reason. And still there are many more secrets yet to be revealed.

Gilliam is incapable of telling a story casually and his personal obsessions often come along as a bonus. The director's very specific way of looking at things, i.e. his use of space, lighting and cutting, will thrill more adventurous moviegoers, but may upset moviegoers looking for something a bit simpler and more streamlined. Though it's a fantasy, it's not necessarily a family movie, and most of the elements here are probably much too dark for younger moviegoers.