Malevolent Movie Mania!
Though work takes its toll on my mind and body, I still have managed to make time to see movies, simply because I need my recommended daily allowance of schlocky cinematic badness to survive.
The Brothers Grimm
Terry Gilliam- the Python, the myth, the legend. Master of the wackjob movie. Director of things that don't quite make sense. Creator of visual hijinks that go way beyond crazy. He has an interesting track record of movies, from his involvement in the Monty Python films to Brazil, Time Bandits, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, among others. It's interesting to note that several of these films involve mythological/legendary/fairy tale-driven plots. Also of interest is that they usually involve a reconstruction of the classic versions of those tales. In The Brothers Grimm, we have very much the same situation, as we get to see the supposed "origin" of some of our fairy tales.
Starting with the actors, we have Matt Damon as Heath Ledger and Heath Ledger as That Geeky Kid You Beat Up In High School. Seriously. Go look at a poster copy of A Knight's Tale, with Heath Ledger on the front. Then look at a commercial for this movie, with Matt Damon. Tell me they don't look exactly alike. But that's beside the point. They are the stereotypical comic duo- the strapping ballsy one who does all the fast talking and the timid brainy one who's more interested in the stories. Along the way they're joined by Lena Headey as Angelika, the tough independent female love interest, and Peter Stormare as Cavaldi, the insane Italian interrogator sent to hunt them down and make sure they obey the commands of the French General Delatombe, played by Jonathan Pryce (who, surprisingly, appeared in Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen). Finally, Monica Bellucci is, as always, HOT. 'nuff said.
The story is simple, and a bit random at times. The Brothers Grimm are con artists, falsifying hauntings and then charging simple village folk exorbitant fees to "banish" the demons. They are caught, and sent out into French-occupied German territory to investigate another "haunted" village with the assignment of catching the tricksters, based on their own knowledge of trickery, or be executed for their crimes. Surprise- the village is really haunted by real magic, and the Brothers Grimm have to come up with new strategies in order to break the spell and save the village. The entire involvement of the French army in this story is what throws the pace off- had the movie focused on Cavaldi himself as the primary villain-who-gets-redeemed character, I think it would have worked better.
Visually, the movie does a pretty good job of portraying the fantastic. From The Amazing Spider-Horse, to the trees of Fangorn the haunted forest, to the mock Gingerbread Man ("I do bite my thumb at you!"), to the magic mirror, to the wolf... there are a lot of fairy tale sequences that are done well and creatively, if perhaps a bit heavy on the insect budget. The Brothers have all the trappings of a theatrical troupe, complete with gaudy armor and complex stage devices.
What does it all add up to? Fluff, of course. But a magical blend of fluff, like that marshmallow spread you buy at the supermarket. It's bad for you, but it is kinda tasty. It's fun to watch just to play "Name That Fairy Tale" as it happens (and there's quite a few in there, from Snow White to Sleeping Beauty to Rapunzel to Hansel and Gretel to Red Riding Hood and more). But in the end, it's something that can be watched on Cable with the same effect. So save your money; Harry Potter and Narnia are coming soon.
The Brothers Grimm
Terry Gilliam- the Python, the myth, the legend. Master of the wackjob movie. Director of things that don't quite make sense. Creator of visual hijinks that go way beyond crazy. He has an interesting track record of movies, from his involvement in the Monty Python films to Brazil, Time Bandits, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, among others. It's interesting to note that several of these films involve mythological/legendary/fairy tale-driven plots. Also of interest is that they usually involve a reconstruction of the classic versions of those tales. In The Brothers Grimm, we have very much the same situation, as we get to see the supposed "origin" of some of our fairy tales.
Starting with the actors, we have Matt Damon as Heath Ledger and Heath Ledger as That Geeky Kid You Beat Up In High School. Seriously. Go look at a poster copy of A Knight's Tale, with Heath Ledger on the front. Then look at a commercial for this movie, with Matt Damon. Tell me they don't look exactly alike. But that's beside the point. They are the stereotypical comic duo- the strapping ballsy one who does all the fast talking and the timid brainy one who's more interested in the stories. Along the way they're joined by Lena Headey as Angelika, the tough independent female love interest, and Peter Stormare as Cavaldi, the insane Italian interrogator sent to hunt them down and make sure they obey the commands of the French General Delatombe, played by Jonathan Pryce (who, surprisingly, appeared in Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen). Finally, Monica Bellucci is, as always, HOT. 'nuff said.
The story is simple, and a bit random at times. The Brothers Grimm are con artists, falsifying hauntings and then charging simple village folk exorbitant fees to "banish" the demons. They are caught, and sent out into French-occupied German territory to investigate another "haunted" village with the assignment of catching the tricksters, based on their own knowledge of trickery, or be executed for their crimes. Surprise- the village is really haunted by real magic, and the Brothers Grimm have to come up with new strategies in order to break the spell and save the village. The entire involvement of the French army in this story is what throws the pace off- had the movie focused on Cavaldi himself as the primary villain-who-gets-redeemed character, I think it would have worked better.
Visually, the movie does a pretty good job of portraying the fantastic. From The Amazing Spider-Horse, to the trees of Fangorn the haunted forest, to the mock Gingerbread Man ("I do bite my thumb at you!"), to the magic mirror, to the wolf... there are a lot of fairy tale sequences that are done well and creatively, if perhaps a bit heavy on the insect budget. The Brothers have all the trappings of a theatrical troupe, complete with gaudy armor and complex stage devices.
What does it all add up to? Fluff, of course. But a magical blend of fluff, like that marshmallow spread you buy at the supermarket. It's bad for you, but it is kinda tasty. It's fun to watch just to play "Name That Fairy Tale" as it happens (and there's quite a few in there, from Snow White to Sleeping Beauty to Rapunzel to Hansel and Gretel to Red Riding Hood and more). But in the end, it's something that can be watched on Cable with the same effect. So save your money; Harry Potter and Narnia are coming soon.