THE ZERO THEOREM

Basically…
Set in the future, Qohen (Christoph Waltz) dedicates his days to waiting by the telephone for the call that will reveal the meaning of life. His job, however, is getting in the way, as he’s expected to number crunch his way to proving the zero theorem formula and show that life has no purpose.

In other words…
George Orwell on acid.

The main men and leading ladies…
The utterly faultless work of perfection that is Christoph Waltz steps away from the unnerving silent assassin roles we saw him play in Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds to play a character which perhaps would have suited John Malkovich to a tee. But he doesn’t for a second do a substandard job conveying the eccentric and anxious character of Qohen. His distractions come in the form of love interest Melanie Thierry and son-of-the-boss Lucas Hedges. Tilda Swinton is excellent while Matt Damon strikes a remarkable resemblance for a young Philip Seymour Hoffman.

In the chair…
Many have linked The Zero Theorem to Brazil and 12 Monkeys, calling this the final part of a loose trilogy but Terry Gilliam himself denies that was the thinking behind the film. His latest work of art is yet another mesmerising insight into what goes on inside his mind, with the only fault being it doesn’t feel as tight as some of his previous masterpieces.

So…?
If this is anything to go by the future is a candy coated multicoloured paranoid nightmare. With a feel of 1984 and A Clockwork Orange, you’re caught up in Qohen’s tangled web of thoughts. The fast paced and breathtaking scenes take the viewer on a journey where you could literally blink and miss something both picturesque and delightfully hypnotising. It’s a movie with as much style as it does substance, coupled by the important message – the longer you spend searching for the meaning of life, the longer you waste living your life. Dazzling, thought provoking and outrageous…did you really expect anything less from Gilliam?

Worth the money? 
Yes, but you might need to save some for a second visit to help you digest what you just witnessed.