13. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Twelve Monkeys is the sort of strange, twisted, brilliant time travel movie that only Terry Gilliam could have cooked up; despite taking his influence from Chris Marker's short film La Jetée (itself considered something of a sci-fi classic), it's a picture that feels wholly original and totally unique in its downright balminess. So Twelve Monkeys tells the story of Cole (Bruce Willis), a disillusioned convict who is sent back in time to the present from an apocalypse-ravished future to prevent the end of the world. As soon as he arrives, though, he winds up being thrown into a mental hospital - here, his doomed journey to escape and stop a devastating plague begins. Not only does Twelve Monkeys contain what is perhaps Bruce Willis' best performance (you can really feel the desperation in him here - he's totally unlike John McClane, which is nice), this might also be Gilliam's most complete and essential film. The mood that he creates through innovative camera work, a deft script, and a cast of truly nutty characters separates this film from the rest of Gilliam's canon in a way that feels refreshing - all his bonkers traits are still in place, but there's a sense of story here that moves the narrative along at a brisk, exciting pace. What's more, the ending is both shocking and clever; obvious, and yet you'd never have guessed.
First Posted On:
15th May 2014
