When you have Terry Gilliam delivering one of his keenly observed and beautifully twisted takes on life, there are plenty of reasons to get excited. With his latest, The Zero Theorem, he’s back in Brazil territory, which only adds to the anticipation. The first poster for the film is below, courtesy of The Film Stage.
Theorem sees Christoph Waltz as the film’s main protagonist, Qohen Leth, a low-level genius programmer for “entity crunching” corporation ManCom. Obsessively waiting for a phone call that will change his life, he’s constantly befuddled by the world around him but also tempted by the beautiful Bainsley (Melanie Thierry).
Gilliam himself has set out to define his aims with the film, in a director’s statement. Take it away, Mr. G…
“When I made Brazil in 1984, I was trying to paint a picture of the world I thought we were living in then.** The Zero Theorem** is a glimpse of the world I think we are living in now. Pat Rushin’s script intrigued me with the many existential ideas he had incorporated into his funny, philosophic, and touching tale. For example: What gives meaning to our lives, brings us happiness? Can we ever be alone in our increasingly connected and constricted world? Is that world under control or simply chaotic? We’ve tried to make a film that is honest, funny, beautiful, and surprising; a simple film about a complex modern man waiting for a call to give meaning to his life; about inescapable relationships and the longing for love, full of quirky characters and sparkling performances; raising questions without offering obvious answers.
“Hopefully, it’s unlike any film you have seen recently; no zombies, no caped crusaders or alien spacecraft. Actually, I might have lied about that last item. Having not worked with a budget this small for several decades, I was forced to work fast and instinctively, pressured only by time and money. We relied on the freedom to spin on a dime, to make outrageous creative leaps. The results surprised even me. I’m proud to have been part of** The Zero Theorem**.”
The film will premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month and should hit our screens in 2014. For more, check out our exclusive On Location piece, available in the current **Empire **(though hurry - it won't be on shelves for long now), or our coverage of the film's Comic-Con footage.