The Future is Messy, Fun, and a Bit Predictable

Repetitive is not the go-to word used to describe director Terry Gilliam. Nor is predictable or unsurprising. But these and other unfavorable adjectives might be running through your head after watching Gilliam’s new effort “The Zero Theorem.”

While this is in no way a bad movie in comparison to a lot of the other dreck released right before awards season, this isn’t exactly a natural progression for the always inventive Monty Python member turned auteur director. Instead, what we get is Gilliam providing another of his signature visions of the dystopian future lead by a hapless cog-in-the-machine protagonist trying to buck against a bureaucratic system. For Terry Gilliam fans this is just same-old-same-old, but even for those new to the director, this idea isn’t exactly original (see Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” or the Wachowski’s “Matrix Trilogy”). Basically, this is Terry Gilliam doing his best impersonation of himself. And that’s better than nothing.

It also helps that Gilliam has a cast that just oozes with talent. The main attraction being two-time-Oscar-winning Christoph Waltz as Qohen Leth, a computer hacker assigned by his menacing CEO-type boss Management (Matt Damon finally dipping back into the role of villain) to work out an unsolvable mathematical equation that may uncover the reason behind all of human existence. Along the way Qohen’s work is continually interrupted by his supervisor Joby (David Thewlis a.k.a Harry Potter’s Professor Remus), a psychiatrist installed on a desktop called Dr. Shrink Rom (the one and only Tilda Swinton), and countless commercials popping up everywhere (keep an eye out for the late Robin Williams in one of his last cameos).

Gilliam overloads the screen with color, chaos and special effects that amount to a future that is dizzying in its excess. Video advertisements follow Qohen around as he commutes from his bachelor pad (a renovated cathedral) to his place of work, filled with monitors and cameras. The outside world is dirtied in graffiti and garish colors. People’s day-to-day wardrobe consist of a lot of long neon colored coats made out of vinyl or pleather along with seemingly needless goggles – Parsons students keep an eye out. The future looks a mess, but in Gilliam’s hands it at least looks like fun.

Apart from all the bright colors and chaotic scenery, a slim and muddled plot arises through Qohen meeting both a love interest in the future version of a web-cam girl Bainsley (French actress Melanie Thierry) and a sidekick in a the boy-genius son of Management named Bob (Lucas Hedges, budding young actor who is a real scene stealer). Bainsley wants Qohen to give up his efforts at proving that 0=100, thus the Zero Theorem, a seemingly paradoxical mathematical equations that translates in layman’s terms to ‘nothing is everything.’ While Management assigns Bob to assist in solving the equation, Bob and Bainsley do some indirect fighting over Qohen who becomes steadily more and more mentally unstable and this squabbling takes up a better part of the film.

Qohen’s attempts at solving the unsolvable is Gilliam’s and screenwriter Pat Rushin’s way of waxing philosophical in terms of the future and while it’s an admirable attempt, it’s a little unclear why this is the main objective. Qohen just wants to be by himself, but why Management wants the answer to the Theorem is never really stated explicitly. This in addition to Qohen’s “math” skills when it comes to solving the Theorem, which is just him clicking away at a future computer on a game/program that looks like Minecraft on acid, make for a confusing watch.

Confusing or not this film is a unique candy colored and grimed up picture of the future that only Terry Gilliams could make, and that’s all the more reason it’s a shame he didn’t strive for new heights this time around. Although it may seem to move in new directions, the movie itself is just cut and pasted from other Gilliam films. Bainsley is just Madeline Stowe’s Katherine Rally from “Twelve Monkeys,” a romantic interest trying to help the stubborn but genius protagonist. Qohen is just Jonathan Pryce’s Sam Lowry from “Brazil” trying to figure out a meaningless task in front of him while the world throws every distraction it can his way. Even certain costumes and set pieces seem lifted from Gilliams’ own back catalog. This gripe may only be applicable to those familiar with the director’s past efforts, but for a guy who’s worked with Hollywood giants like Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Jeff Bridges and Robert De Niro, it’s hard not to be at least somewhat aware of a Gilliam film.

Terry Gilliam is just playing the hits with this new film. It’s still a delight to look at with zany characters made even zanier by great actors, but you can’t help but feel that the end result is a bit recycled from previous screen gems.

Rating: [Get down to a theater in the near future] only because this one’s a blast to see on the big screen.

Now playing at IFC Center (West Village) and Nitehawk Cinema (Williamsburg).