Christoph Waltz plays a troubled man in an oppressive, apparently pointless job in his corporate cubicle. As you'd expect from Gilliam, he explores this not with a bleak gray background, but a garish cartoony near-future world full of madness and humour. I suspect this choice won't be for everyone, as the first hour of the film is slightly over-the-top, particularly David Thewliss's David Brent-like supervisor - though it's always entertaining. But by anchoring the film on Waltz, who is able to show a mannered but more serious side than his Tarantino roles, Gilliam gains unexpected levels of gravitas as he explores themes of isolation in a connected world, constant surveillance and feelings of doom. This can be filed next to Brazil in tone, and is highly recommended for Gilliam fans as his most successful film for many years.
Review of The Zero Theorem
