Brazil

I finally got around to watching the film Brazil, by Terry Gilliam. I have always enjoyed Gilliam's work and this one was probably one of his best. Granted, I saw a director's cut and several of his films have been reportedly ruined by studio meddling, but it seemed to be his best executed film. Everything really flowed and made sense in that bizarre Terry Gilliam way. The film seemed complete, whereas some of his others seem to be missing something once you get to the end.

I also enjoyed the story and world that he created. His idea of a future where information is commodity, privacy is non-existent, and bureaucracy reigns supreme is disturbingly prescient. The excessive security enacted to combat terrorism is the very complaint many have lodged against the Patriot Act. For anyone who has had "contraband" confiscated at the airport, there is a hilarious scene when the main character and his mother enter a restaurant and the gift she has bought him triggers an alarm.

The story is a wonderfully tragic tale, echoing the classic greek tragedies, where the main character, in order to avoid the thing he dreads, sets off a chain of events that bring his fear to fruition. It all leads to an ending that is so brilliant and off-beat, that you can't think of a better one. And of course, I'll never be able to listen to Pink Martini quite the same again...