|
The Zero Theorem
| Released |
14 March 2014 |
| Director |
Terry Gilliam |
Starring
|
Christoph Waltz, Melanié Thierry, David Thewlis, Tilda Swinton, Lucas Hedges, Matt Damon, Ben Whishaw |
| Writer(s) |
Pat Rushin |
| Producer(s) |
Nicolas Chartier, Dean Zanuck |
Origin
|
United States, Romania, United Kingdom |
| Running Time |
107 minutes |
| Genre |
Drama, fantasy, sci-fi |
| Rating |
15A |
|
|
Less than zero.
When Terry Gilliam was first offered the script for The Zero Theorem, he was a little worried that it might be too similar to his 1985 dystopian classic Brazil. He was right to be worried; the similarity between the two futuristic fables is immediately striking. So much so that the later film can only suffer in the earlier one’s shadow.
Christoph Waltz stars as Qohen Leth, a button pusher in a company that does....something (I never quite figured it out). Qohen is an anxiety riddled hermit, who has been waiting his whole life for a telephone call that he believes will tell him the meaning of life. His superiors, supervisor David Thewlis and the secretive boss of the company known only as Management (Matt Damon) give him a special project - the Zero Theorem, a mathematical problem that will prove that human life has no meaning. As Qohen goes slowly mad in this pursuit, Management not only spies on his every move but also throws a high class call girl (Mélanie Thierry) in his direction to distract him from his goal.
While The Zero Theorem is visually quite different from Brazil, the thematic preoccupations between the two are very similar. Both focus on protagonists who are repressed button pushers, stifled by the age they live in and desperate to find meaning in their humdrum lives. Both escape into fantasy worlds with women who are too good to be true. It’s a scenario that may be ripe for re-imagining but this time around it’s just not cohesive. A big problem is the character of Qohen, a joyless man whose only expression is that of anxiety. Waltz admittedly does a good job but as a character, Qohen is difficult to take an interest in and is certainly no hero in the manner of Brazil’s Sam Lowry. In contrast to his dourness, Melanie Thierry pops as the intriguing and remarkably costumed Bainsley, a character who is exponentially more interesting than the monkish protagonist.
In terms of design, The Zero Theorem is certainly striking but as a vision of the future, the production design feels almost quaint. Though the technology may not be a million miles away from what is possible now (from virtual reality to talking pizza boxes), the world of the film has an old fashioned idea of what is futuristic. The ostentatious fashions for example aren’t a million miles away from those that featured in Back to the Future. Just like those plastic fashions, The Zero Theorem looks fun but feels seriously flimsy. Perhaps this is a film that would benefit from a second viewing but even if that made it more comprehensible, I doubt it would make it any more enjoyable.
-
Linda O’Brien |
