Review of The Zero Theorem (2013) by Phil P — 19 Mar 2014

"I think I can help".

It's clear from the moment the film started that this is Gilliam's vision. There's no tinkering from outside sources, this is 100% 'Gilliam' and for me that's part of the problem. I fully respect the man, he's made sure it's what he wanted to a T. Naturally, this is a film that will resonate with a particular crowed, a crowed can fully understand what it's doing. I am not one of them. But I did still enjoy it for the most part.

'The Zero Theorem' deals with a lot of different issues. The point of life, what's real and what isn't, loneliness. There's some interesting starting points but none of them feel finished. This may be the intention, but I found it hard to tell either way. 'Qohen' (Chrstoph Waltz) a genius programmer lives in a burnt-out church closed off from the rest of the world. He seeks to make his life even more closed by working from home but when he does is tasked with what is considered impossible - 'The Zero Theorem'. A theory that would prove that the world is made up of nothing. 'Qohen' is a man of particularity, he's constantly corrects 'Joby' (David Thewlis) calling him 'Quin'. But things start to change when the task given, prostitute 'Bainsley' (Melanie Thierry) and 'The Managements' son 'Bob' (Lucas Hedges) come into his life and he becomes more human. He's an interesting character referring to himself as 'we' - something usually in sentient beings. This is all heightened due to a strong performance from 'Waltz'. He's mesmerizing because of these peculiar ticks, and ticks that aren't clichéd.

There's a lot of balls in the air, and balls that I believe 'Gilliam' could have answered, but none of them are. Everything comes to nought, 'Bainsley' disappears, 'Bob' is severely ill and 'Qohen' is left in what I understand to be limbo. As I alluded to before maybe this is the point, after that's what the 'Zero Theorem' is about but it's irritating. There's no sense of it all being worthwhile in the end. 'Qohen' finds a happiness through something fake but it's as real as it can be for him. But there's not much to it, it's a mere suggestion and everything else being left in limbo elicits thought but a frustrating and wondering one. The world it's set in is in a typical oddball fashion. A dystopian world that has a combination of the high tech and industrial like density.

Even with the nothing ending, the rest of the film posses some interesting queries and a vibrant and quirky world to make it a decent watch. An undeniably interesting film, with well-rounded characters and a great performance from newbie 'Lucas Hedges'. I will probably please 'Gilliam' fans and it did with me for the most part but a lack of anything tied up is an annoyance I can't ignore. Everything coming to nothing may well be 'The Zero Theorem' but it makes for an empty ending.