The Brothers Grimm (2005) Directed by Terry Gilliam.
Bunst: I... I do believe I've soiled myself.
Hidlick: Oh, good... I thought it was me. The year is 1811, and the Brothers Grimm make a fine living slaying witches and trolls and werewolves. They are brave, and famous, and beloved of the populace.
Sasha: It's alright! They're the Brothers Grimm! People talk about them in Marsburg! They're famous!
Will Grimm: Right you are, son! The famous Brothers Grimm. Look at this strapping young man.
Gregor: *He* is my daughter.
………………………
Will Grimm: And a fine wife he'll make some lucky man. Of course they are total frauds and con men, with the latest in 1811 special effects equipment and two idiot accomplices to do the hard work, Bunst and Hidlick.
However, their reputation works against them when the French General in charge of Malbaden, in occupied Germany, Delatombe, has them arrested, and scheduled for execution. But he is willing to grant them amnesty, if they can unravel the strange events in Malbaden, uncover the con men, like themselves, who have been terrorizing the community. He assigns Cavaldi, (I? Who am I? I am Mercurio Cavaldi, of the great Cavaldis du Parma, the master of the torturing arts.) to watch over them and prevent them from escaping or having anything less than a miserable time.
Ten girls have gone missing, including two of the hunter woman Angelika’s sisters. Angelika, familiar with the woods, leads them with accuracy with bad grace.
But there is something unnatural in the woods, and at its heart, a strange tower without doors.
Angelika, look. You see that window, way, way up high? Many centuries ago, that's where the Queen lived. She was treasured by all of Europe, famed for her incredible beauty, but also vain and selfish. Her world was her own reflection. It was on the Queen's wedding day that the plague arrived. The King was the first to die. His bride built a tower. She locked herself away, safe from the horrors below. But what she forgot was that plague is carried on the winds. When she first fell sick, and her gorgeous flesh began to rot away, they say you could hear her screams across the oceans. My princess isn't afraid, is she? It's just an old story. Papa's here to protect you. Angelika’s Father, the Woodsman.
But though many things are strange Will refuses to see it. Jacob of course is more receptive. But when Jake’s horse, infected by a magic spider, swallows yet another girl to take to the woods, it becomes clear that there really is something supernatural at work here. Add trees that move, ravens that are organized, and the werewolf with Angelika’s father’s eyes, and you have something decidedly unnatural.
Add the sociopathic Delatombe threatening the life of every villager, and the psychotic Cavaldi beating and torturing anything that crosses his path, the Brothers Grimm are caught between the Devil of the Military, and the Deep Blue Sea of the enchanted forest.
The Cast Matt Damon ... Wilhelm Grimm. Practical and rational, Will is a con man, and any mention of real magic makes him beyond cranky. He believes in nothing.
Petr Ratimec ... Young Will
Heath Ledger ... Jacob Grimm. The younger brother (In real life, Jacob was the elder) whose head is full of stories, and his heart is full of wonder. He is not a con man at heart, just a dutiful brother. He drives Will crazy.
Jeremy Robson ... Young Jacob
Barbora Lukesová ... Mother Grimm
Anna Rust ... Sister Grimm
Mackenzie Crook ... Hidlick. The Grimm’s henchman. He’s an idiot, but brave enough in the role of witch on a wire, less so when confronting the real supernatural.
Richard Ridings ... Bunst. The other henchman. Big and stupid, he has sense enough to run when things get weird.
Harry Gilliam ... Stable Boy
Miroslav Táborský ... Old Miller
Roger Ashton-Griffiths ... Mayor
Marika Sarah Procházková ... Miller's Daughter
Alena Jakobova ... Red Hooded Girl
Denisa Vokurkova ... Greta
Martin Svetlik ... Hans
Jan Unger ... Gregor. Sasha’s dad.
Laura Greenwood ... Sasha. The girl who recognized the Grimms, but was mistaken for a boy.
Frantisek Velecký ... Old Crone. A Classic crone in the old tradition, voice of doom, and apple seller. She is important in remembering the way magic works.
Lena Headey ... Angelika. The cursed. Fierce and independent, she is the love interest. She can beat up both brothers together, and her knowledge of the woods and its lore is vital to the success of the mission.
Denisa Malinovska ... Young Angelika
Tomás Hanák ... Woodsman. Father of Angelika and two of the captured girls. He also has a darker part to play.
Peter Stormare ... Cavaldi. Rude, crude, and vicious. What can we say, he’s French.
Jonathan Pryce ... Delatombe. Cultured, refined, and vicious. He is the epitome of French.
Monica Bellucci ... Mirror Queen. Her vanity and selfishness set all this in motion. She is both hideous, and lovely, and a great villainess.
The Analysis Like any good faery tale, this one is plot driven. The characters are less than fully three dimensional, but despite this, the development of the three principles, and to a lesser extent, Cavaldi, was interesting. This is not so much a morality tale, or a cautionary, like real Faery Tales, but an action flick. And it does not disappoint.
Fast paced and quick witted, this story combines the best of the buddy movie and a thrillomedy. It is not great cinema, but it is entertaining.
The real power here is in the plot, which is nicely convoluted, and in the actors, who have enough star power to make this hokey vehicle shine. Finally, the special effects bring the haunted forest to life. These factors take an otherwise mediocre movie, and make it fun.
Check out these Faery Tales.
MirrorMask Night Breed The Dark Crystal The Spiderwick Chronicles Legend The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian The Water Horse Princess Mononoke Werewolves of the Silver Screen Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection
She-Wolf of London
Werewolf of LondonThe Twilight Saga: New MoonFrankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
The Wolf ManDog SoldiersWolfTrue BloodAn American Werewolf in Paris
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
UnderworldAn American Werewolf in London Silver Bullet The Brothers Grimm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban The Brotherhood of the Wolf Wolves of Kromer
France
Germany
United Kingdom
Australia
USA
MovieMars.com
