It is 1796, in French occupied Germany. Wilhelm (Damon) and Jacob (Ledger) Grimm are con men, traveling to different towns to exercise demons and other paranormal creatures, which they create. They have case of impressive looking tools (like a gold crucifix that catches on fire), and two willing assistants: Hidlick (Mackenzie Crook) is all witches and other feminine characters while Bunst (Richard Ridings) is all creepy monsters like trolls. Together they put on an impressive show and get a large sum of money from the town for doing so.
After their most recent con they are captured by Italian master of torture Cavaldi (Stormare) and taken to the leader of the French soldiers Delatombe (Pryce). Delatombe forces the brothers to work for him by going to the town of Marbaden and find the fiends who are stealing young girls. Ten little girls have already been taken, and the people of Marbaden blame the enchanted forest. The brothers and Cavaldi go the Marbaden and take on local huntswoman Angelika (Headey) as their guide. While in the mysterious forest they learn about the Mirror Queen (Bellucci) who is 500+ years old who may still be alive, and planning something big.
I studied German in high school and college, and have read the original Grimm Brothers Fairytales, which are much darker than the versions from what the kind of fairytales we read now. Many of the characters and situations found in the film are taken from these fairytales (there are the obvious ones like the children named "Hansel and Gretel", but there are more subtle ones, but I won't spoil them for you). Besides that the casting is excellent. Matt Damon and Heath Ledger are playing against type...and it was their choosing. Until that point, Ledger had been playing the heartthrob character, while Damon was the dreamer / smart one...which is how director Terry Gilliam initially saw the casting, but both actors wanted the other role, so they swapped...and in my opinion it is better that way.
Peter Stormare goes over the top as Cavaldi, who talks big but is actually spineless, while Jonathan Pryce's Delatombe speaks softly but powerfully, they make a good pair! The chemistry with Lena Headey doesn't work out as well, but she is a good Angelika, and Monica Bellucci is an excellent Mirror Queen. This film is quirky and funny, and clearly the actors are having a blast (and so is Gilliam). The sight gags and dialogs work...and the chemistry is there between the brothers.My favorite little scene involves the brothers wearing bonnets and aprons, scrubbing the floor as Cavaldi's little Aschenputtels (which he calls them in a deleted scene).
Dude, it's quotable: plus it's Matt Damon and Heath Ledger...how could it be bad?
Rent it multiple times: as with all Gilliam films, it takes multiple viewings to appreciate the film...you need time to take it all in, understand the plot and characters, and time to accept and appreciate the effects, and then you can truly acknowledge Gilliam's masterpiece (the man is amazing)
The Brothers Grimm (2005) 118 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for violence, frightening sequences and brief suggestive material.
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Matt Damon as Wilhelm Grimm
Heath Ledger as Jacob Grimm
Jonathan Pryce as Delatombe
Lena Headey as Angelika
Peter Stormare as Cavaldi
Monica Bellucci as Mirror Queen
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