A&E Smith & Reeve at the movies: The Brothers Grimm Reeve: Being a huge fan of Terry Gilliam, I was half sold on this movie before the opening credits even began to roll. This film not only lives up to expectations, but may make a serious case for being one of Gilliam’s best. The story follows fictional versions of the famed German fairy tale authors through an adventure which no doubt becomes the impetus for their many timeless tales. As with any Gilliam film, the sets and art design are astounding. Everything from the trees to the animals to the costumes walks a perfect line between actual 19th- century clothing and fairy tale style embellishment. One thing that sticks out is the constant clever use of animals. Sometimes, they are a scene’s focus; other times, they’re scenery. The little German town that is the primary loca- tion is all the more believable with pigs, geese, and ducks scattered all over the place. While Gilliam’s penchant for the absurd, grotesque, and dark is a little less present in this film than his more adult-oriented films, it is still pres- ent. The little things like elaborate torture devices, scary old women, and the detailed skinning of a rabbit keep the film true to both Gilliam’s style and the style of the Grimm’s stories. The film contains some great acting turns, particularly from Heath Ledger, whom I have never been fond of in any other picture. Jonathan Pryce, no stranger to Gilliam films, plays a great villain as the French general Delatombe and many scenes are stolen by Peter Stormare as Cavaldi, the soldier tasked with watching over the Grimms. The story has some very excellent twists. The world itself is very fantastic and the constant tie ins from numerous Grimm fairy tales are very well done. The story is well paced, rarely drags, and doesn’t seem two-hours long by the end. Smith: Terry Gilliam’s The Brothers Grimm. I must admit that I had my doubts at first. Heath Ledger is not exactly an Oscar-worthy actor and Matt Damon is...well Matt Damon. But I threw that aside and decided to give it a go. The movie was fantastic. Matt Damon played the over-protective older brother, and played the part to per- fection. Strangely enough, and perhaps confusingly enough, Heath Ledger outshone him. As the younger brother, he was quirky, strange, and smart. His manner- isms matched the character so well that the audience for- got who the actor was and could focus more on the film. Jonathan Pryce shone as the French General. But he is an acting God anyway, and if he made a film that was just him standing in front of a blue screen for two hours it would probably be good. I was surprised at the attention to detail in the film. The subtle use of animals, for instance, was the thing that stuck out the most for me. For instance, there was a scene where one of the brothers rides out of the village in a rush, only to be stopped by a gag- gle of geese on the road. It got me because stuff like that happens. I know when I ride out of town in a rush I always get stuck behind sheep, geese, or pigs, so it really hit me. Last but not least (well, maybe least) were the sets, costumes, and makeup. The sets were mesmerizing. I kept thinking that if I closed my eyes I would be able to smell the air in the town. The costumes were just as good as the sets, and the character makeup was won- derful as well. An old town hag was so gruesome you almost wanted to cringe and the old queen was sickening. ) va o The only ive was the pre- DJ TOMMY THE TUNE TWISTER!!! Besteeets nent Every Friday & Saturday Night BXitccanzuuontaritemecon emia out the ending. Or at least I could fig- ure it out, the guy next to me...maybe not. However, in the end, the positive much outweighed the negative and the movie was freaking amazing. I highly recommend it. On a scale of The Shawshank Redemption to The Core, 1 give it a Labyrinth. Blast From The Past: Terry Gilliam’s Brazil Tain W. Reeve, Assistant to the Executive Director of the Commission of Art & Entertainment Reviews With the release of The Brothers Grimm (reviewed elsewhere here in this wonderful section) and with the release of another film within the year, former Monty Python genius Terry Gilliam is back at the directing game with the force of a giant foot crushing the members of a bad sketch. Absent from the movie scene since he delivered several awesome films in the 90s, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and 12 Monkeys, Gilliam was also the director of two out of three of the Monty Python films and created the animations used throughout the Python’s run together. Perhaps his greatest film, however, was 1985’s Brazil. Taking place in a unnamed town in what could best be called “the not too distant future,” the film follows the life of Sam Lowry. Lowry is a lowly clerk in the information arm of a mas- sive futuristic bureaucracy, but at night he has surreal dreams of himself as a mighty hero sav- ing a beautiful woman in distress. However, his life is turned upside down when he attempts to correct a mistake made by his department only to find the very woman he has dreamt of. The world Gilliam creates is an outstanding sort of retro-future that is at the same time old and new. The Orwellian overtones in the film are ever-present—the viewer is constantly reminded of 7984. However, Gilliam’s film is seven parts satire and about three parts dark social commentary in the Orwell style. The film is hilarious and brutal, chilling and insightful with many wonderful stabs made at everything from class relations to bureaucracy. Jonathan Pryce is perfect as the perma-awkward Lowry and is supported by a brilliant supporting cast including Ian Holme, Robert DeNiro, Bob Hoskins, and former Python member, Michael Palin. If you’re a fan of nightmare-future sto- ries, this is for you. If you thought 7984 was boring or lacking any humour, this is might also be for you.