I have loved Terry Gilliam ever since I saw Time Bandits when i was like 14. My automatic response whenever anyone asks that "Who is your favorite director?" question is always the same, Terry Gilliam. It is quite safe to say that he is one of the most original directors of the last 20 years. If Tideland is any indication of the direction he is currently going though, I'm afraid we may have lost him.
I love weird. I love weird. Tideland is something beyond weird.
Maybe I'll come back to that thought.
I think the one thing that is most impressive about Gilliam's style is his constant ability to get completely unique performances out of his actors. He does it every time. If you think about Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, Heath Ledger in The Brothers Grimm, Johnny Depp and Benecio Del Toro in Fear and Loathing, and EVERYONE in The Fisher King, they are all completely unlike anything else you've ever seen from them.
The performances in Tideland are top-notch. It is pure entertainment. However, it will not be accepted well by many in the theatre-going community.