Grade: B-
Synopsis: A bureaucrat (Jonathan Pryce) in a dystopian future becomes obsessed with a woman from his dreams.
Brazil has style and vision to spare. It’s an almost dizzying array of symbolism, satire, and fantasy. Writer/director Terry Gilliam throws in everything but the kitchen sink in creating a truly unique world.
Unfortunately, what the film is lacking is a story. The basic plot involving Jonathan Pryce’s character’s pursuit of Kim Greist’s mystery woman is severely hampered by Greist’s flat performance, but the real problem is the script. It’s all over the place, trying to cram in so many set pieces and allegories that the two-hour running time feels much closer to three. This isn’t so much a story as a glimpse into Gilliam’s psychosis.
Still, Brazil is like nothing you’ve ever seen and, in this case, that’s a good thing.
Bottom Line: A brilliant, but flawed, vision that has to be seen to be believed.
