A review by Brooks Rich
This is the film that led to the start of Terry Gilliam month. This is one of his most successful films. It was a box office smash, not something that can often be said about Gilliam. As I said in a previous review, Gilliam has faced his share of bad luck in the film world. He always seems to be the most ill fated director. But in 1995 Gilliam struck box office gold with the science fiction thriller, 12 Monkeys. Now to be fair Bruce Willis had been close to becoming box office poison at the time. But luckily for Gilliam he had been in the powerhouse that was Pulp Fiction the year before and in 1995 returned as John McClaine in Die Hard with a Vengeance. So he was back on top. Brad Pitt meanwhile become the new hot thing thanks to his roles in films such as Thelma & Louise, True Romance, Interview with the Vampire, and Se7en. Thanks to the box office power of Willis and Pitt 12 Monkeys grossed 168.8 million on a budget of 29.5 million. That's insane for a film in 1995.
This is the film that led to the start of Terry Gilliam month. This is one of his most successful films. It was a box office smash, not something that can often be said about Gilliam. As I said in a previous review, Gilliam has faced his share of bad luck in the film world. He always seems to be the most ill fated director. But in 1995 Gilliam struck box office gold with the science fiction thriller, 12 Monkeys. Now to be fair Bruce Willis had been close to becoming box office poison at the time. But luckily for Gilliam he had been in the powerhouse that was Pulp Fiction the year before and in 1995 returned as John McClaine in Die Hard with a Vengeance. So he was back on top. Brad Pitt meanwhile become the new hot thing thanks to his roles in films such as Thelma & Louise, True Romance, Interview with the Vampire, and Se7en. Thanks to the box office power of Willis and Pitt 12 Monkeys grossed 168.8 million on a budget of 29.5 million. That's insane for a film in 1995.
12 Monkeys is set in a future where all but one percent of the world's population has been wiped out by a virus. Convict James Cole, played by Willis, is sent back in time to try and find out where the virus came from. They believe a group known as the Army of the 12 Monkeys is responsible. While in the past Cole befriends a psychiatrist and believes a deranged patient he meets at a psych ward, played by Pitt, might be responsible for the outbreak.
This film used to bother me to no end. I always thought the story was interesting but believed that Gilliam's wacky style of direction was just too over the type. This very much looks like a GillIam film, set in a world of Gilliam madness. The future just seemed off to too odd for me. But a few years back I heard an interesting theory about this film. One percent of the world's population survives the outbreak. One percent of the world's population is also diagnosed with schizophrenia. So perhaps we are seeing a future run by lunatics being tormented by the voices in their head. Perhaps the world really does just go mad.
I adore this film now. I think this is not only Gilliam's best films, yes including the Python films, I think this is the best time travel movie of all time. Yes I said it. This film is a masterpiece and has one of the most beautifully haunting and tragic endings of all time. Willis is fantastic as the broken down and insane Cole and Pitt is chewing scenery left and right and relishing in every moment of it. Watch this movie immediately. Make this one of the ones you watch for this month. You won't be disappointed.
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