Waiting by the Phone

Terry Gilliam is never going to make Brazil again, so put that thought, that impossible comparison, right out of your head. He’s going to make mad trifles and appealing visions that don’t speak to everyone — but if you’ve seen any of his more recent films, you probably already know whether they speak to you.

The Zero Theorem spoke to me, and then it didn’t and then it did. Clever and playful and dark, it skips from notion to visual gag and back again so quickly that not all of its thoughts have a chance to gel. In a not-so-distant future — the kind dotted with countless forbidding signs and moving billboards, colorful outfits and inescapable screens — a man named Qohen Leth (Christoph Waltz) works as a programmer for a company called ManCom. He speaks with the royal “we,” lives in a wonderfully crumbling cathedral and waits for a phone call with such longing that he requests to be allowed to work at home, in case the call comes. He’s a skilled enough worker (his work looks like a really unfun video game) that Management (Matt Damon) grants his wish, and puts him on an important new project.

Qohen has the assistance, to varying degrees, of his nervously jovial supervisor, Joby (David Thewlis); a virtual therapist (Tilda Swinton, putting a spin on her Snowpiercer character, or vice versa); Management’s smart and no-bullshit son Bob (Lucas Hedges); and a young blonde named Bainsley (Mélanie Thierry), who he meets at a party.

Yes, the women appear for comfort and sex and the men appear for smarts and power, at least ostensibly; Gilliam sets Qohen up as someone working for the capital “M” Man and, unsurprisingly, the Man believes in tiresome gender norms. Everyone, in Gilliam’s biting but funny vision, is a tool of the Man, working endlessly towards a goal he (or she) might not even believe in. Awkward, peculiar Qohen at first seems the person least likely to pull himself free of these corporate shackles, but Gilliam (and screenwriter Pat Rushin) nudge him effectively enough down that bumpy path.

The Zero Theorem’s message is nothing we haven’t heard before, but Gilliam’s still has a worthy knack for blending inventive images with unexpected humor and a dusting of shimmering rage.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!