The Fisher King.

‘A good old-fashioned story of guilt, poverty, love, madness and free video club membership’ is the tagline on the DVD of Terry Gilliam film The Fisher King (1991). It stars Robin Williams as Parry, a homeless history professor who lives in his own fantasy world that includes Castles, Red Knights and damsel’s in distress. Jeff Bridges plays Jack Lucas New York’s number 1 shock jock whose off hand arrogance on his radio programme inadvertently prompts a depressed caller to commit multiple murders in a crowded restaurant, one of the victims was Parry’s wife! The incident stops Jacks career in its tracks he becomes depressed and turns to alcohol. The attractive Mercedes Ruehl take the part of Jack’s strong willed girl friend. With Pulp Fiction’s Amanda Plummer cast as Lydia, a shy insecure young women who gives both Parry and Jack a reason to engage again with ‘normal life’. The story involves the search for the Holy Grail, a flaming Red Knight on a giant horse and lots of other Gillianest nonsense. To be honest the first 30 minutes made me wonder why I was watching this and I’m not a fan of Robin Williams madcap style of acting, but once Amanda Plummer joined the on screen cast the story picked up and I’m glad I stayed the course. There are comparisons with Jeunet’s recent Micmacs (2009) and similar to that movie it’s filled with humour, heartbreak, and romance and like the French comedy it leaves you with a curious warm glow.