The Fisher King's problems begin with Richard LaGravenese's screenplay and are amplified by Gilliam's showy direction and an unbearably fey performance by Robin Williams.
The Fisher King (1991)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:49
Fresh:43
Rotten:6
Average Rating:7.1/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 55 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), a self-obsessed shock jock who thinks he has it all, is about to hit rock bottom. The cult personality spends his time on the radio insulting and berating his listeners,... Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), a self-obsessed shock jock who thinks he has it all, is about to hit rock bottom. The cult personality spends his time on the radio insulting and berating his listeners, but when one caller takes Jack's advice literally and shoots up a New York City hotspot, Jack is sent swirling down into a depression that has him suicidal three years later. However, he is rescued out of the night by a different kind of knight in shining armor--a homeless man named Parry, played fabulously by Robin Williams, who thinks he's on a quest for the Holy Grail, which he believes to be in a Fifth Avenue town house. Parry serves as the living embodiment of Jack's guilt--Parry's beloved wife was killed in the nightclub massacre. Jack soon becomes conviced that by helping Parry he will also wind up helping himself, so he tries to help Parry win his lady love (Amanda Plummer), at the expense of risking his own relationship with Anne (Mercedes Ruehl, in an Academy Award-winning role), who has stood by his side during his downward spiral. Terry Gilliam's romantic parable THE FISHER KING is yet another visually stunning work from a master filmmaker, with a different kind of heart from Gilliam's other films, delving deep into the nature of love and loss, of guilt and redemption, of character and tragedy. Featuring a terrific cast and unusual locations for a fantasy story (New York City, brilliantly photographed by Roger Pratt), THE FISHER KING is both an exciting adventure and a charming romance. [More]
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, John DeLancie
Director: Terry Gilliam
Director: Terry Gilliam
Screenwriter: Richard LaGravenese
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Reviews for The Fisher King
Visually impressive, frequently pretentious, and extremely fluid as narrative (the 137 minutes sail by effortlessly), this mythic comedy-drama presents Gilliam as half seer, half snake-oil salesman and defies you to sort out which is which.
As always, Williams turns romance into slush, but Gilliam reigns it in with his mad and magical design.
Although there are moments when the mixture of comedy, fantasy and drama don't come off, this is still an original, touching movie that is well worth the price of a ticket.
The Fisher King has two actors at the top of their form, and a compelling, well-directed and well-produced story.
Working within the constraints of a big studio film has brought out Gilliam's best: he's become a true storyteller and a wonderful director of actors. This time he delights not only the eye but the soul.
A touching and funny one-of-a-kind gem about two lost souls who help each other find redemption. Bridges once again proves what an underappreciated actor he is, while Williams is at his manic best.
As original as Gilliam is as a filmmaker, he too falls victims to Hollywood cliches as far as the portrait of the homeless is concerned (here Robin Williams)--they are either mad saints or misfit geniuses
Scary, touching, often hilarious, this modern fairytale is surprisingly enchanting.
With director Terry Gilliam at the helm, Robin Williams actually succeeds in a drama.
The Fisher King emphasizes the purpose of fairy tales in our lives, and the way a fantasy can help us see reality more clearly.
Unlike the standard Fisher King tale, the concerns of individuals within the film are more important than the concerns of society. Terry Gilliam's myth feels more like a lark, a safe little foray into a mythic world of impoverished individuals who don't
Classic and disturbed urban fantasy. Fine performances by Bridges and Williams both.
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