Screen Scene
By Daily Bruin Staff
Aug. 28, 2005 9:00 p.m.
The Brothers Grimm” Directed by Terry Gilliam Miramax
Films
After a seven-year hiatus that included the infamous abandonment
of his Johnny Depp-starring dream project “The Man Who Killed
Don Quixote,” director Terry Gilliam is back with “The
Brothers Grimm” ““ and though hardly worth recommending,
“Grimm” nevertheless must be one of the most
fascinating films this summer. Gilliam has received perhaps the
most negative reviews of his career ““ one best-known for
“Twelve Monkeys” and the brilliant “Brazil”
““ for this wonderful mess of a film that reinvents the story
of the real Grimms behind the legendary fairy tales. An admittedly
conscious grab at mainstream attention, what has ended up on screen
is the result of the relentless conflict between an auteur’s
vision and a Hollywood blockbuster’s responsibilities (for
example, Terry versus the Weinsteins). The pieces don’t all
quite fit, the whole thing occasionally loses itself, and the want
of some emotional authenticity undercuts too many scenes. The film
tries to be a great many things, and never really succeeds at any.
Still, “Grimm” exhibits more genuine invention than
most summer fare and features a visual artistry that often accents
the darker edges of the story. The picture stars Matt Damon and
Heath Ledger as the title characters, who aren’t the educated
writers of their real-life counterparts, but a pair of con men who
scam unwitting German villagers by rescuing them from made-up
monsters and demons. Damon’s Will is the skeptic,
Ledger’s Jacob is the wide-eyed believer, and soon the two
have their hands forced by some French authorities into resolving a
magical curse in a forest ruled by the evil Mirror Queen (the
age-defying Monica Bellucci). They pick up a romantic interest in
Angelika (Lena Headey), who we spot a mile away because she’s
the only villager who won’t help the Grimms at first, and
also the only 20-something female around ““ and, apparently,
also because the tops of her arms aren’t too big ““
reportedly the reason that Gilliam’s first choice, Samantha
Morton, was vetoed by the Weinsteins. The actors are energetic, but
the real discovery here is Ledger, who’s gone from “A
Knight’s Tale” to stealing the show from the much more
lauded Damon (unless Bellucci is on screen, at which point
there’s no reason to look at anything else). With
Ledger’s upcoming turn in the anticipated Ang Lee drama
“Brokeback Mountain,” this is shaping up to be quite a
year for him. When Gilliam’s films are successful, he packs
them with seemingly random parts that are ultimately pulled
together by breathtaking, uncompromising genius. With “The
Brothers Grimm,” he only goes halfway. But it’s the
best flop of the summer. ““ Alfred Lee
