Zero Theorem

There's a black hole swirling at the bottom of Qohen Leth's (Christoph Waltz) soul. He's waiting for a phone call from God, explaining the point of it all. Because at the moment it seems like existence is an erroneous quirk in the cosmic standard of nothingness. Everything will return to nothing, so why make something of life? Love, in the form of romance (Melanie Thierry as Bainsley), friendship (David Thewlis), and parenthood (Lucas Hedges) provides Qohen with the answers, but he's too absorbed in his work on the "Zero Theorem" to accept it.

There are elements of David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis in Qohen's philosophical quest, in the oddball characters he meets along the way, and his perennial absence of feeling. And in the Zen imagery of a nude Waltz spiralling through the void, there's a bit of Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain. Both of those films were more coherent and emotionally engaging than The Zero Theorem, although Terry Gilliam's film grows on you, once you accept that it's not Brazil Part II. There are definite touches of Gilliam's 1985 masterpiece here, particularly the awkward marrying of archaic and ultra-modern technologies. But don't expect a script of Tom Stoppard wit, swerve, and clarity.

Waltz is a fantastic presence – which is necessary, because most of the story plays out in his home: an echochamber of a converted church, whose baptismal font now serves as a washing up bowl. We see him at work, attempting to order the universe via a 3D game block game, fighting against entropy; against the inevitable demise of conscious matter and with it the question: What does it all mean? The problem is, he's waiting for an answer. The very point is uncertainty, the propulsive force of our species.

Whether all this makes for a particularly cinematic experience, I'm not sure. The Cronenberg and Aronofsky films I mentioned were successful because, for all their vast questions, their focus was narrow and their plots simple. The Zero Theorem is at its best when at its least manic – perhaps, its least 'Gilliam-esque' – lost in the quiet intimacy between Qohen and Bainsley. Like Wes Anderson's latest, this feels like the film of an auteur fighting against two opposing impulses. The results, particularly when seen as a straightforward study of depression, are interesting, if not entirely successful.

Once again I find myself tired, weary, and insomniac struggling to find the words to describe a movie that has rooted itself in my thoughts for the better part of a week. I speak of course of Terry Gilliam's latest sci-fi venture The Zero Theorem (2013), which, even after a second viewing tonight, has left me bewildered, enchanted, and ultimately feeling hollow. Directed by Gilliam and written by Pat Rushin, The Zip-T, as they refer to it in the film, deals with that age old question of the meaning of life and whether or not everything is nothing or if nothing is everything.

While I imagine most of you dear readers will initially be turned off by that previous line of philosophical rigmarole, the first thing you need to understand about this movie and really the only accurate way to describe it is that it is a Terry Gilliam film. If you are unfamiliar with Gilliam as a director, you might have heard of a little known comedy troupe known as Monty Python. Gilliam was the only American member of the legendary group (though he has since renounced his citizenship), and the man behind the iconic cartoons and animations. While he has an extensive and cerebral filmography, I'm only going to confine myself to only referring to what has been dubbed Gilliam's Dystopic Triptych: Brazil (1985), 12 Monkeys (1995), and now the Zero Theorem. Gilliam's films are visually stunning and often characterized by being wildly imaginative and fantastical – generally being layered with satire, symbolism and surrealism.

True to his nature, the ZT is a visual and intellectual feast that is today what Brazil was in 1985; a surrealist commentary of the times. While Brazil was satirizing being a cog in the soulless bureaucracy, the ZT is treatise on dreams and the struggle of finding meaning in the digital world we live in. The film stars Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained) as Qohen Leth, or simply Q, who is a reclusive phobia-ridden programmer of sorts that believes that one day he will receive a phone call that will provide meaning to his life.

He lives in a burnt out church that he bought from an insurance company, and detests the vibrant and absurdist world he has to interact with on his daily commute to work. Preferring the solitude of his home, Q begrudgingly treks to his quasi-cubicle at Mancom, the 'big business' of the future, where he 'crunches entities' (basically playing a 3-d version of a Tetris/Sudoku hybrid). He is also joined on screen by that kid from Moonrise Kingdom, Lucas Hedges as Bob, and a ridiculously good-looking and often scantily clad Mélanie Thierry as Bainsley. Matt Damon also makes a few appearances as 'Management', often making a fashion statement and offering a few cryptic lines to Q.

Preferring solitude, Q is eventually rewarded with a home office in exchange for working to prove the Zero Theorem, which essentially is meant to prove existence is meaningless and from the chaos of the big bang, all of reality will eventually revert to nothingness. Pretty deep right? Well naturally Q finds the project overwhelming and is soon burnt out. Management enlists the beautiful Bainsley and wunderkind Bob to get him back on track, and in the process they irreversibly change the character and nature of Q.

While in my first viewing of the film I left satisfied, albeit a little confused, I find myself the second round feeling almost at one with the Waltz's character, intent on finding meaning in everything or nothing. Every scene in this film is so very dense with symbolism and subject to interpretation that I cannot begin to imagine what really goes through Gilliam's head when he directs. At times certain things feel extremely contrived like the fact that Q lives in a burnt out church, but they are all rooted in the Orwellian and Kafkaesque landscape that Gilliam so often likes to employ. Gilliam has a very unique visual style that rewards the audience with masterful set design that is complemented by what I'd call a 'Paranoid POV' type shot that is reminiscent of Carol Reed's famous crooked angle shots in The Third Man (1949).

The best way I can describe this movie is as a spiritual and existentialist journey that ponders the meaning of life and the nature of reality. It's fairly obvious that Waltz's Q is absolutely insane, but in that insanity he is also perceived as being the best candidate to solve these puzzles. The film features outstanding performances, most notably by Waltz, and admittedly I fell in love with Melanie Thierry every time she was on screen. The future Gilliam portrays is both unique and at the same time frighteningly absurd, although ultimately a distorted reflection of the world of 2014. Whether or not you find something meaningful from this film, it is the type to linger in your thoughts long after you've left the theatre. My friends will understand me as I excuse myself to go search for my own Shell Beach, and for all others I recommend you stop whatever you're doing and watch The Zero Theorem followed by Dark City (1998).

Read this and other reviews on DriveInZeppelin's website

Too bad movies like this don't get a bigger budget, specially to enhance the special effects and futuristic scenarios, but that really doesn't matter when you are a creative genius like Gilliam, he does a great job with what he is given. This movie has great resemblance to his other retro futuristic movie Brazil, which combines retro and futuristic images and elements in a Dystopian chaotic Orwellian future.

Here we struggle with the main character (wonderful played by Christoph Waltz) and his meaningless solitary existence hoping to get an answer by a higher power of what life is all about.

So can the hero find out the meaning of life or the absence of it? and will he be willing to sacrifice his potential joy and happiness in order to get that mysterious call. Well you will be the judge.

If you like this movie I also recommend PI by Aronofsky, Brazil, Blade runner, 1984, THX1138 among other great ones. Hopefully this movie will become a cult classic and show new directors that they don't require 100+ million dollars to make good sci-fi movies. Thanks and cheers to Gilliam for sticking for what he believes in and daring to tackle difficult philosophical questions and having that original fingerprint he stamps in all his great movies.

"The Zero Theorem" (TBC) Director: Terry Gilliam. Starring: Christoph Waltz, Matt Damon, Mélanie Thierry and David Thewlis. Rated: TBC Running time: 107 minutes. Release date: 2014.

Set in the near future, Qohen Leth (Christoph Waltz) is constantly sat at his computer, working. Never able to enjoy his life, Qohen is constantly waiting for the a phone call, which he believes, will describe the purpose of his life. When re-assigned to work on 'The Zero Theorem' program at work, he begins to realise what life is really about.

Every year the BFI (British Film Institute) organises a brilliant event, named the British Film Festival. At the festival, film is honoured in spectacular form, with films being submitted from all over the world, including Britain.

Unfortunately (due to unforeseen circumstances) , I was only able to watch one film. I'm just glad it turned out to be, "The Zero Theorem".

Terry Gilliam ("Life Of Brian" and "The Brothers Grimm") has been directing films since 1968. Often though of (by me anyway!) as the director who defines, 'cult' films and nicknamed Captain Chaos, Gilliam constantly surprises audiences with audacious pieces of cinema; which really do entertain.

In recent years, Gilliam's works have (arguably) become slightly worse, than his more fresh and original films, such as "Brazil". From mystical beasts to a story following a travelling theatre company, Gilliam just hasn't delivered a fine piece, for at least fifteen years. Thankfully, we can put those mistakes behind him; as, "The Zero Theorem" is a fantastic ride.

Approaching this storyline with stunning visuals and and an addictive style, "The Zero Theorem" has a plot which may not explore it's ideas to a further degree, but entertains extremely well.

The film is quite daring, because it talks about exploring the purpose of life and the effects that it might leave on certain people. Nothing quite like his past efforts, Gilliam approaches this piece lightly and lets the film develop slowly as it goes along.

The cast are exceptional, with Christoph Waltz delivering an often comedic performance, that frequently mirrors the portrayal of his character (Dr. King Schultz) in "Django Unchained". Mélanie Thierry plays Bainsley (A future type of prostitute) in an entirely believable role, which often proves how good an actress she really is. Matt Damon also acts well with his short, but pivotal role as 'Management' in a commonly bewitching cameo.

Gilliam has delivered a long-awaited return to Sci-Fi, which repeatedly bewilders, in that classic Gilliam style, which is set to dazzle the least likely of Sci-Fi fans.

7 stars out of 10.

Written by Scott Gentry.

I'm not very fond of reviews so i will be quick.

I love his movies. Brazil, Bandits, Munchhausen. They represent wonderful memories from my childhood. These are special movies. Not that I don't like the 12 Monkeys and the others, I love them. But those are special. Dream injections in VHS format they were.

The Zero Theorem? I really liked it. It felt like one of the special ones. Very little CGI, beautiful sets, great actors, crooked angles and a compelling story. I think most people will relate to the main character and his very explicit dilemmas. It is a satire of the world we live in today, as Brazil was back in the 80's. In many aspects they are very similar.

If you are a fan, watch it. You'll not be disappointed.