Model Performance

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Movie Review

An adventure into the imagination of a drunken, gambling addicted, narcissist, who happens to be a complete genius, is quite a “trip”. An appropriate word to describe the movie, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

Of course my original objective was to go see Lily Cole’s first on screen performance. She just happens to be my favorite editorial model!

In the film she plays Valentina, the daughter of Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and the helpless pawn in his dealings with the devil (Tom Waits).

I was hoping she would give a memorable performance. I was initially afraid of building myself up for the newest acting prodigy, only to be disappointed by an amateur. To my relief she did a fabulous job! In asking the friends I attended with about her performance, collective opinions were “Her face was always right on”… “The emotion was always perfect”. Sounds like a model to me.

For me the hint to her background came with the moments she spent standing next to other members of the cast, her 5' 10" stature towering over Collin Ferrell. Did she happen to have a perfectly straight one foot in front of the walk? It could just be my imagination :).

It seems a natural path, the transition from modeling into acting. Of course along with a creative form of career comes negative stigma attached. In the past, model to actor shifts have been looked down upon. Cole has made a positive step in changing this archaic mindset.

What an amazing first chance she had! To perform with the late Heath Ledger, Jonny Depp, Jude Law, and Collin Ferrell while working under the influence of director Terri Gilliam. If this doesn’t set her up to remain in the big cinema's eye I don’t know what will.

Her next endeavor is equally intriguing, and could turn out to be a similar fantasy style role. She plays Alice, the ghostly vision and nightly tormenter of Lewis Carroll, author of The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll will be directed by the infamous Marilyn Manson. Production dates are still being thrown around but I will be better at staying on top of this one and will keep you posted!