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Lost in La Mancha | Year: 2002 Classification: Documentary Directed: - Keith Fulton - Louis Pepe Actors/Actresses: - Terry Gilliam - Johnny Depp - Jeff Bridges The windmill wins one For a film maker, as with any other working stiff, it sometimes just doesn't pay to get out of bed in the morning. LOST IN LA MANCHA is a cautionary tale about the making of a feature film, or rather the un-making of it. For years, Director Terry Gilliam dreamed of making a screen adaptation of the Don Quixote story - you know, that old and senile Spanish knight who tilts at windmills. In 2000, with a budget of $32 million, Terry set about to do just that. His film, entitled "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote", stars Jean Rochefort as Quixote and Johnny Depp as Sancho Panza. After several months of pre-production, Rochefort and Depp arrive on location, and shooting begins in the Spanish desert. During the first week, the crew copes with continual overflights of screeching F-16 jets, a thunderstorm that generates a flash flood that destroys equipment, and an injury to the 70-year old Rochefort that'll apparently keep him off his faithful steed unless cured. (Don Quixote on foot? Hmm, doesn't call-up quite the same image, does it?) In the second week of shooting, a visit by the investors is followed by one from the insurance adjuster, who begins to mumble about "acts of God" precluding payment. Meanwhile, Rochefort is back in Paris to see his physician, and things don't look promising for a timely return. Then, the First Assistant Director, Phil Patterson, delivers the final blow. Viewing LOST IN LA MANCHA, there's a certain terrible fascination watching the director's dream crumble before his (and your) eyes because of appallingly bad luck. One can't help but feel sorry for the poor devil. The film will, perhaps, only appeal to one that loves the movies and appreciates, at least to a minor degree, the organization, preparation, and coordination necessary to mount and complete a major production. A postscript in the end credits informs the audience that Gilliam has since re-acquired the rights to "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote", which defaulted to the insurance company, and plans to give it another go. If it's ever released, I'll pay to see it just out of sympathy. Interesting but No-Frills Documentary "Lost in La Mancha" chronicles the attempts of Director Terry Gilliam ("Brazil," Monty Python series and movies) to bring the story of Don Quixote to the screen. The movie, entitled "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," could have been a spectacular adaptation of what is considered one of the greatest books of all time. Other directors have struggled to adapt this difficult novel to the screen and hammer out a workable script; however, Gilliam seemed to have solved that problem by adding a new character from the present (played by Johnny Depp), who travels back in time and meets Don Quixote. Sounds like more fantastic mind-bending Gilliam fare, doesn't it? This documentary was obviously intended as a behind-the-scenes short to be included on the DVD release. However, "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" was plagued with a series of mishaps and bad luck, including a sick leading actor (Jean Rocheport) and a storm (caught magnificently on tape) that destroyed the set and equipment. The movie ended up being abandoned, but we do get to see a few tantalizing minutes of film - and it looks like it could have been extraordinary. Although the film seems to have been cursed, many movies every year are announced but never get finished. Thus, "Lost in La Mancha" shows the lay public what actually happens when film-making goes awry. The directors (Keith Fulton & Louis Pepe) know their topic well, as they've worked with Gilliam before; they made the behind-the-scenes documentary that appears on the DVD for "Twelve Monkeys." As such, they had a great deal of access to Gilliam, and he seems very comfortable discussing the catastrophes. The narration by Jeff Bridges is fair but a bit too sparse. Ultimately, the documentary is interesting but somewhat insubstantial and no-frills, which does impinge somewhat on the overall enjoyment of the movie. Make sure, though, that you watch it all the way through the end credits - the "coming soon" gag is hilarious. Insightful companion to Gilliam's work OH! The pieces of film the documentary shows is alone worth the price. The clips of Gilliam's film look gorgeous. Watching the making and unmaking of this creation is compelling viewing. Buy Lost In La Mancha at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Lost In La Mancha Search with the Priority Search Engine on Lost In La Mancha This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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