Review of The Fisher King (1991) by Allan C — 08 Apr 2015

Rewetting this film, I'm reminded of Terry Gilliam's opening comments on his Criterion Edition commentary, where he said he had three rules he planned to live by as a filmmaker; 1) he'd never do anyone's script but his own, 2) he'd never work for a major studio, and 3) he'd never work in America.

He violated all three of these rules to make "The Fisher King," but it ended up being one of his best films, which us saying something considering that Gilliam has made some undeniable classics.

Richard LaGravenese wrote a sensitive and wildly imaginative script about a shock jock, Jeff Bridges, who's offhand comments one show lead to a listener going on a fatal shooting spree. Bridges goes into a depression and finds himself living above a video store with the Mercedes Ruehl, who won an Oscar for her performance.

Bridges is not the big man he used to be and won't let himself until he meet homeless man Perry, played by Robin Williams. Both men come to find themselves again with the help of one another. That's a pretty bland description though for a story that involves a quest for the Holy Grail, musical numbers and a frightening incarnation of the Red Knight.

The film perfectly fits into Gilliam's themematic obsessions of fantasy, reality and escapism, but compared to his own written work, this film has considerably more heart and soul to it and I think that helped advance Gilliam as a filmmaker greatly.

With the character of Perry, William get what I would say is arguably his best film role, which offered him a chance for him to showcase both his talent for drama and for improvisational comedy. You also get some fine before they were famous performance by David Hyde Pierce, Kathy Najimy, Amanda Plummer, Michael Jeter.

You also get a small part by Harry Shearer and an uncredited appearance by Tom Waits. There's also a soaring score by George Fenton that's one of my favorite of his compositions.