After a few aborted attempts (due to Nigel), Marcia and I watched “The Brothers Grimm” yesterday afternoon and night. This is the Terry Gilliam directed movie (Monty Python alum) starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger.
This was one that I wanted to see in the theater. Though honestly at first I was not happy with the choices of actors. I thought Damon and Ledger were both good, but not to be brothers. They were done up well though and looked the part.
The biggest and most important note to those watching this, and one we didn’t figure out until partially through the movie, is that this is not a biography or even close to the story of the brothers. This is pure fiction. The idea is that the Brothers Grimm are con-artists in the early 19th century (the movie takes place in 1811 in French occupied Germany). They go around exorcising demons or killing witches or destroying enchantments for villages or people that are being haunted or terrorized. This is brought on by the myths and legends that Jacob (Ledger) collects, and they use this knowledge to set up their cons. Of course, this time around, by virtue of a pardon by French General Delatombe (played by Jonathan Pryce), they are sent off to the village of Marbaden where they have to deal with a real enchanted forest.
Gilliam brought in references to a few of the more famous of the Grimm tales. The most prominent being the “who’s the fairest of them all?”, with Monica Bellucci playing the Mirror Queen. The scenes and sets are typical Gilliam, being very gritty and sometimes disgusting. (Remember, this is the same person that brought us such cheery and heart-touching films like “Jabberwocky”, “Brazil, “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen”, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, and “12 Monkeys”.) So visually the movie scores a very high grade.
At first the plot of the movie seemed jumbled to me, like there was too much going on and not enough explanation. But once things settled in on what was happening with the brothers (their near execution and exile to Marbaden), and the depth of the enchantments in the forest, then it became a quirky and interesting drama-action-comedy. Both Damon and Ledger were good, with Ledger playing a more subtle, shy character then normal (and being believable). And though hard to understand the faked Italian accent at times, Peter Stormare as would-be torturer extraordinaire Cavaldi was a good addition.
This wasn’t Gilliam’s best work, and in some ways given the content, a bit of a let down. But not a dud by any stretch of the imagination. It is still a very worthwhile and entertaining movie to see.
Recent Comments