The Brothers Grimm (2005)

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writer (WGA):

Ehren Kruger (written by)

Release Date:

26 August 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

Eliminating Evil Since 1812

Plot:

Will and Jake Grimm are travelling con-artists who encounter a genuine fairy-tale curse which requires genuine courage instead of their usual bogus exorcisms.

Plot Keywords:

Village | Curse | Forest | Con Artist | Creature

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Petr Ratimec	...	Young Will
Barbora Lukesová	...	Mother Grimm (as Barbara Lukesova)
Anna Rust	...	Sister Grimm
Jeremy Robson	...	Young Jacob
Matt Damon	...	Wilhelm Grimm
Heath Ledger	...	Jacob Grimm
Radim Kalvoda	...	Gendarme
Martin Hofmann	...	Gendarme
Josef Pepa Nos	...	German War Veteran
Harry Gilliam	...	Stable Boy
Miroslav Táborský	...	Old Miller
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Mayor
Marika Sarah Procházková	...	Miller's Daughter (as Marika Prochazkova)
Mackenzie Crook	...	Hidlick
Richard Ridings	...	Bunst

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, frightening sequences and brief suggestive material.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

UK | Czech Republic | USA

Language:

English | French | German | Italian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:M | Hong Kong:IIB | Finland:K-11 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Philippines:PG-13 | Norway:11 | Brazil:14 | Germany:12 | Sweden:11 | Belgium:KT | Slovakia:12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Argentina:13 | Malaysia:U | Hungary:16 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Czech Republic:12 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ledec nad Sázavou, Czech Republic

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

According to the director, Matt Damon's hair style was based on the British TV chef Jamie Oliver.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Wilhelm falls out the tower at the end, and when he hits the floor you can clearly see a whole section of it bounce, showing the crash mat hidden under the leaves.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sister Grimm: Mama, it's so cold.
Mother Grimm: It's very, very cold. Will. Put another log on the fire, lad.
Young Will: There isn't any more firewood, mama.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Troldspejlet: (#35.5)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Waltz #15 in A flat major ('Lullaby'), Op.39

not bad

Well, my friends, I have just returned from the earliest possible showing of "Brothers Grimm" in my area, and I can assure you it was well worth getting up a few hours earlier than usual to watch. However, I would caution anyone who doesn't like Terry Gilliam's work, Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, or the REAL brothers Grimms' stories that this is not your average fantasy. The story is set in french-occupied Germany in the 1700s, a real time in which real people actually lived. Even some of the magical aspects of the story are explained by real events (I won't spoil it for you). So quite a bit of the plot deals with the realities of the day and age along with the fantastical aspects of the forest and its inhabitants.

That being said, the story also deals with the opposite side of unreality-- the dark and unnaturally gruesome. This is where I think the writer hit on a brilliant point; while the real brothers' stories have happy endings and some lighthearted moments, most if not all of their stories involve some degree of blood and gore. My hat is off to Ehren Kruger for being true to that aspect of their work.

The only aspects of this movie I disliked were the unresolved ending (which I won't spoil, either) and some of the acting. Lena Headey's performance did not impress me, but it could just be lack of material to work with (a very overdone character) and the fact that I've never seen any of her other work. Matt Damon is interesting to watch as usual. Peter Stormare and Jonathan Pryce are wacky to the point of annoyance as an Italian torture specialist and a French general. The only truly wonderful performance, however, is that of Mr. Ledger, whose bumbling, scholarly, tag-along Jacob was both a sympathetic character and a side we rarely see from this multi-talented actor.

This is not a movie for everyone (I wouldn't bring children with the tendency for nightmares or irrational fears, for example). It's not a movie you'll learn from or probably want to see hundreds of times. But for the moviegoer looking for beautiful cinematography, a few good laughs, and a fairly suspenseful story, look no further.