Tideland

Tideland ****

"Tideland" is by far the most creepy film I've ever seen. This is true horror, and not that manufactured stuff that comes out of Hollywood every few weeks or so. This is true terror, mainly because it takes one of the most magical things of all, and turns it into fright: innocence. "Tideland" is all from the perspective of a happy, little girl, who is innocent to all of the horrible, dreadful, and screwed up things around her. And as much as it is depressing, scary, and sad, it's also one of the most imaginative and wonderful films I've seen of late. And it's not wonder that it comes from Terry Gilliam, who has one of the most original minds of this generation. After all, he did make "Brazil" and the animation in Monty Python. His new film is somewhat of a labor of love. Always shunned by Hollywood studios, Gilliam finally gets creative control over his work, and "Tideland" does not have any boundaries. This film crosses the line, and then some.

"Tideland" begins with an actual introduction by Gilliam, who reminds the viewer that some will love the film, some will hate it, and some will not know what to make of it. A perfect assessment, as there are many varied opinions over this. We are then introduced to Jeliza-Rose, a little girl of about seven who lives in one of the worst environments a child can be in. Her father, a falling rock star played by Jeff Bridges, and mother, an even worse example played by Jennifer Tilly, are both junkies. Their daughter is oblivious to this part of them, not knowing what heroin is, and she even ends up making their fixes. Jeliza keeps herself busy playing with four puppets, which are really dolls heads which have separated from the bodies of their owners a long time ago. After an overdose, her mother dies on the bed, and her father brings Jeliza-Rose to the prairie where he grew up, paranoid about what will happen if anyone finds the dead body. Jeliza's luck does not get better, as her father ends up dying from an overdose soon after, dying in a chair right in the middle of the living room. Jeliza understands that whenever her father does this, he is going on what he calls "vacation," and she never catches on that he is dead at all. Days later she continues to talk to his rotting corpse, which does not get any better in the living room. Jeliza continues her travels around the area, eventually meeting Dell and Patrick, a supposed wish and her sexually frustrated mentally challenged brother who believes that a train that comes by every now and then is giant shark, who end up making things even worse.

It's very difficult to describe what else happens in "Tideland" from here, as most of it I wasn't even able to catch on. It is one long rambling scene, so it seems, never pausing to take a breather and never stopping to enjoy itself. Instead it goes from scene to scene, moment to moment, and slowly gets more and more screwed up. Jeliza goes through all of this horror, but it never gets to her. She is amused by it. The innocence of being a child blinds her to everything around her. She talks to her fathers rotting body as if he is alive, wants to "make love" to Patrick, and even watches Dell give oral sex to the newspaper boy who needs his payment, but never fully registers any of it. And this is the happy part of "Tideland," and we imagine a world where we can experience all of this horror and hurt, and never have to deal with any of it because it doesn't matter. But then there is the depressing part, which hits you in the middle of the third act like a rock on the head. Jeliza is all alone in the world. Her parents are both dead, and she is stuck in the middle of the prairie with a crazy woman and a mentally challenged man. She has nothing and nobody, and we know that one day this innocence will somewhat disappear and she will have to come to terms with her life. Luckily for us, Gilliam does not leave us with a somber ending, and provides some sort of closure, and gives a happy ending of some sort.

The performances are fine. Jeff Bridges is a Gilliam vet, from "The Fisher King", and even though he is dead for most of the film, his life scenes were a lot of fun as well. Jennifer Tilly is amusing, and Janet McTeer is interesting as always. But the focus of the film is Jordelle Ferland as Jeliza Rose, who is a very special screen talent. I really do wonder if she knew the extent of this film while she was making it, but she does understand her character and captures innocence perfectly. She brings the heart and soul to the work, and she gives us hope when we finally have given up on life. She manages to swim slowly through each event, not a care in the world except maybe about where her doll heads went.

"Tideland" is indeed a horror film, but a beautiful one at that. This is the type of horror that we need around, and the only horror worth a damn. Not horror where we are introduced to big scary monsters and ghosts that jump out every now and then. No, horror needs to be more human, and characters with disturbing lives doing their best. And while "Tideland" doesn't often go for realism, but when does Gilliam do, it is an engrossing story of a child, and what childhood will do to you. Not everybody will like this movie. Many will be annoyed by the pace of storytelling, and the fact that not everything is explained. Gilliam is the type of director that likes to leave a lot to the imagination, often showing many scenes and images that don't seem to make sense, and where you have to really think about them. He is extremely creative, and simply wants to be able to make the film that he wants to make, which is very hard in Hollywood, especially now. But it is hard to sit through, and that might turn many off, and yet it is the truth that this is one of the best films that you will probably never see. I say that you try it out, and give it a chance. It is certainly one of the most unusual things you will ever see, and nobody could make this except for Gilliam. One of the most original pieces of work that I have ever seen."Tideland" stayed with me long after I left the theatre.