Imagine a movie with a wall-to-wall soundtrack of wonderment — like the music that plays when Lucy first transverses the wardrobe and finds Narnia. “No, no … more piccolo, but understated … great … now a soft bell and some wind chimes … and for the fifteenth time, lose that bassoon!” And aside from a weird and unnecessary Beatles intervention in Act II, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away is one solid soundtrack of wonder – no talking, no sound effects, just mystical Narnia background muzak.
I don’t pretend that this movie is going to be loved by any more than a small selection among you.
We open on the periphery of a grade D+ fair. There stands a young woman (Erica Linz) who has apparently traded her hair for curiosity. She gets roped into the Circus Marvelous, a one-tent collection of carnie trash … except that is for The Aerialist (Igor Zaripov), the reason she’s there in the first place. Midway through his 
act, Aeri spots her. I’d say his attention is distracted by her beauty, but truth is there’s nobody else in the stands. Devastated by the living audience member, Aeri loses concentration and falls to the sand below, which becomes a vortex into Hell. What follows is a netherworld Nutcracker, where absurd costumery, visually shocking body contortion and acrobatics are the norm.
I’m not actually sure it was a vortex into Hell, but after seeing two Silent Hill films, it’s hard not to see the similarities – magical passageway, weird and vaguely sinister stuff going on, alarming visuals everywhere, and a grand feeling of trepidation. Yup, Hell. Anyhoo, our short-hair beauty will not be deterred by the show. Pamphlet in hand, she solicits all manner of unhelpful beings in an effort to find the missing man: “Why, say, mime Tom Waits, have you seen this dude? No? How about you, zebra-butt girl? Moon-pointing stuffed sperm? Puppet-less Saw tricycle? Fish-bowl breast women? ” In retrospect, I’m a bit alarmed by how many of the visuals were vaguely sexual in nature. What’s this circus about, anyway?
Did I say “circus?” Oops. Yes, Cirque du Soliel: Worlds Away is, essentially, just a circus in transvestite clothing. The missing man storyline is simply an effort to drag our muted heroine from one act to another. I think the only thing Curious Georgette says in the entire film is “Help!” I swear we are in a gilded age of cinematography: the pictures on screen are as stunning and beautiful as any age has ever seen. The stories … less. But battle one in any film is put something on the screen that I’ll want to see. So you get a passing grade, for now. Next time, write something, Adamson, y’hear?
Let’s go to a fair today
In some quicksand we slip away
The world below
Is not one I know
Cinematography yeah, script nay
Rated PG, 91 Minutes
D: Andrew Adamson
W: Andrew Adamson
Genre: Rock opera
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Acrobatophiles
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: The uptight
