Have I liked this movie when I saw it 3 months ago? Yes I have. But now, after giving it some thought , I love it.

This movie had such a strong effect on me that I don't know which segment to start with. Should I write about its setting and scenery, or its sick and morbid story, or the wonderful interpretations given by one of the best actors of the last two decades (Jeff Bridges) and a beautiful young female revelation (Jodelle Ferland) who made one of the best performances by a young actor in ages?

I'll start with the story. It is so complex and confusing, but I will simplify it as much as possible, without giving out too much. The story is about a little girl and her junkie father, who after a tragedy in their family decide to move to his childhood house in the prairies. There, the little girl, whose only friends are 4 doll heads, meets a weird woman dressed in black and builds a special relationship with her retarded brother. With him and her doll friends, she travels to her imaginary world where these heads speak, where squirrels converse with humans, where she and her friend drive a submarine and play a dangerous game with dynamites. It was that imaginary world which helped her retain her innocence and naivete. Without it, she would simply be an another child lost in grown-ups sick and malfunctioned world.

The movie abounds by metaphors and motives which represent the decadence and rottenness of their world, situations and relationships. I will mention only few - pumpkins, doll heads, embalmed bodies and many more. All of them give the viewers that feeling of unease and awaken certain questions which partly get answered at the end.

The performances in this movie are its best part. They were so powerful and sincere, as if the actors haven't acted at all. Jeff Bridges, although present in 1/4 of the movie once again proved to be one of the best actors in Hollywood. Two supporting roles (brother and sister) were also masterfully played and they portrayed two sinister persons, without a purpose in life. But the one who stole the movie, was Jodelle Ferland, the leading actress who carried the whole movie by herself. Her performance was at times so scary that she seemed a grown woman trapped in a child's body. She gave her voice to all of her dolls, using different accents with such ease that many older, acclaimed actresses should learn from her.

Terry Gilliam is the master of weirdness and this movie just proves that he is one of the greatest visionaries in Hollywood, who combines reality and fantasy into a blend which you won't soon forget.

LovelyT