The Fisher King

A hidden pearl overflowing with Gilliam’s playfulness and care. A nice story about friendship, love and hope, spiced with paranoia and human suffering. Williams is precisely cast and Jeff Bridges performs the role of a laid-back, cool guy who fell into a pile of manure, lost the reason to live and is trying to pull himself together. The line between the fairytale, fantasy world and reality is extremely thin again. Gilliam on best form. (23/05/2012)

The inventive direction, a good script, and the Gilliam’s typical visuals clearly stand out. The camera is strikingly colorful, the sets are diverse, and there are plenty of visual and content tricks. However, the overall content didn't impress me as much. It was overly chaotic and too “out there” for my taste, making it difficult for me to enjoy or have the desire to rewatch the film. (28/05/2005)

A wonderful story in a somewhat "different" :))) but at the same time sympathetic, strangely playful, and above all confident show by Terry Gilliam. Under the baton of any other director, The Fisher King would have followed the established traditions of drama combined with romantic elements, but in Gilliam's rendition it is a very original affair, though quite strange for some. And Robin Williams is absolutely amazing. (27/09/2010)

The film, which first captivated me with Gilliam's imagination, but ultimately held me spellbound mainly with its acting performances, which are simply fantastic. Of course, Bridges and even more so Robin Williams will stand out the most, but someone like Amanda Plummer is not invisible here, even though her character doesn't have as much screen time. It's not as strange for Gilliam, and the finale is positively beautiful. (26/05/2015)

Forgive me Terry for having ignored this gem of yours for so long. All the actors deserve praise, both in the main and the secondary roles, and the direction is Gilliam’s typical fantasy stylisation (it’s not as insane as Brazil, but there are a couple of scenes going in that direction). That said, I have one serious problem with Fisher King: in the last half hour I think the film loses some of its quality; it should have ended with the phone call, when Jack finds out what happened after that unforgettable dinner. That would have completely changed the tone, yes, but I would have been a lot more satisfied. I respect that the creators preferred the conclusion they resorted to, but the unpleasant aftertaste of disappointment is still there. (01/09/2009)