Insane heroism

Bruce Willis has done some of his best work in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His most recently acclaimed hits - The Sixth Sense, a tear-jerker with a cute kid who sees dead people and Unbreakable, a superhero-in-the-real-world movie were both shot there. But besides being shot in Philadelphia by the same director, what else do these films have in common? That Willis gets to be a multi-layered character instead of someone shooting a gun for millions of dollars. Neither The Sixth Sense nor Unbreakable are incredible movies, but these fallible characters are proof that Willis can hold his own acting department despite the moronic roles like The Whole Nine Yards, which simply pays the rent.

But let’s go back in time just a little bit, as this movie topic of choice does, and look at 12 Monkeys, an apocalyptic thriller directed by Terry Gilliam. Gilliam has directed some of my all time favorite movies, including Time Bandits, Brazil, , and tons of Monty Python. Even if you don’t like everything the man does, you can’t deny his talents in terms of creating a distinctive fantasy universe. A recent friend of mine was bored by Time Bandits and yet completely enthralled during 12 Monkeys. Something of Gilliam’s will surely find an appreciative bone in a varied audience.

And now to explain why…The Characters

12 Monkeys is as spellbinding as it is confusing (for some) on the first viewing. Part of the captivation comes from the fact that you actually care about, or can’t help but be entertained by, the characters. Usually science-fiction or future-based films care more about showing off computer effects or keeping your adrenaline pumping through constant violence that you are led through the movie with the “perfect hero”, yawning until the credits start rolling.

But because James Cole (Willis) is actually insane, as well as the protagonist we are to route for in an unfair and hostile society that may create more criminals than assist them, you actually don’t know what to expect from one moment to the next. We are forced to see and observe life through the slow mental-processing his character is consistently experiencing as he has no control over where he ends up. Because he is not in charge of what happens to him and innocent in terms of the ways of society (especially in different time periods), we are stuck with him in his internal prison, and that makes the journey more compelling for us.

Brad Pitt and Madeleine Stowe round out the major supporting roles. Pitt plays Jeffrey Goines, a jittery fellow inmate at the asylum Willis is briefly sent to and miraculously disappears from. Stowe gets to play the tough but sensitive and intelligent psychologist, Dr. Railly. There are some great subtle moments when she must prove herself to her all male “boys club” colleagues and these nicely build to the emotional impact when she starts to believe in Cole.

Both characters work off the core of Cole’s story forms extremely well. The banter between Jeffrey and Cole is a fine mix of old pal charm and arch enemies. Since the are both insanity incarnate, whatever happens between them is fresh and entertaining. For Dr.Railly’s part, it takes her an appropriate amount of time to believe in her patient and to want to see him succeed, and though at one point Cole does defend her, she is anything but a wimp.

The Plot…

…or at least what I can tell you without giving it all away. Cole is an inmate in a prison in the future. Humans now live below ground as the earth has turned uninhabitable and the scientists in charge decide to use him to collect samples of atmosphere from above. All earth’s creatures would eventually love to return to the surface eventually.

Cole is considered a good observer after coming back with a jar of bugs, which are used instead of fur because their shells are slick enough to obtain clear samples from (thanks for that tip ZentropaJK). The scientists then entice him to go back into the past to find the virus that killed millions of people, in its pure form before it was spread to the masses. In exchange for his services, if successful, he’ll be given parole.

His first stop is a jail that transfers him to an insane asylum where he meets Jeffrey, a quirky inmate who is able to steal the key to the outside for Cole. Dr. Railly is the psychologist in charge of his case and her credentials are undermined when he suddenly disappears from solitary confinement after his attempted escape, which in actuality are the scientists from his time retrieving him for study.

Cole does go back again, this time to just before the virus was spread (after a quick accidental step into World War I). He hijacks Dr. Railly, who slowly begins to believe in his delusions of grandeur. But how to save the human race if indeed it needs saving?

Technicalities

Not only do the characters and story keep the blood running swiftly through your veins, but the way in which the film was shot is claustrophobic and protective at the same time. You can’t leave to go to the fridge without missing a crucial moment. You won’t even want to pause to relieve yourself. Because even though this isn’t an action or adventure story, there is plenty of dark eye candy to focus on and admire.

The production design is flawless. The prison is just dank and metallic enough to be scary and depressing without resulting in an over-abundance of unnecessary computer graphics. Prisoners are kept in small cot-like cages side by side so that they can jeer at one another as they are called to “volunteer”. You don’t need long, bright hallways to denote a hospital, simply a white room with drooling people will do the trick. The details I have just described are actually minor and don’t take up that much screen time, but the larger environments that are shot are just as well defined and add to the overall rush of watching the film.

Conclusion

If this review is a bit disjointed, it is because I wanted to portray its talent to entertain without giving away all the details that make it so impressive. I will say that it’s a film for practically every age, gender, economic background, race, and creed. A crowd-pleaser no matter the audience.