I am a completionist fetishist. I read all of Atlas Shrugged, I read the entire “Ender’s Game” series, and I stuck with the Vampire Chronicles through Memnoch, but I simply could not complete twisted animator Terry Gilliam’s pile of eye-pain known as “The Brothers Grimm”.
Perhaps most shockingly for a Terry Gilliam movie, it was entirely derivative. The steampunk machinery and effects? Seen it in “Sleepy Hollow”. What about the brighter than life set and costuming? Seen it, “Big Fish”. Assembly of hot, as-yet-unsee-by-American-eyes European actresses, well no one tops Terry in that.
Please, stay away.
No wonder you didn’t like it - if you struggled all the way through Ayn Rand and the Vampire Chronicles you have wasted a large portion of your life. Give me the worst of Terry’s films over that bunch of schlock. Terry Gilliam, on the other hand - even his bad movies are better than lots of others. Sleepy Hollow was easily one of Tim Burton’s worst films (right up there with Planet of the Apes). Brighter than life costuming and setting…uh…how about most fantasies since the creation of colour film? No, the fact is is that Terry Gilliam has a bad reputation with the asswipes who run the movie studios and this was one of his lesser efforts to show he could make a film himself on time and within budget. (It even had a “happy” ending for gods sake!)
Not a bad film - don’t stay away - spend the money so that Terry can make movies outside the fucking studio system.
Kris,
You may not have liked Atlas Shrugged or The Vampire Chronicles. I didn’t enjoy either through and through, my inclusion of them specifically being an example of my great lenience in works with a few warts. Nevertheless, Grimm passed the pale of tolerance very early. Even more shocking, as a fan of Gilliam’s as you have shown yourself to be, should be that it felt entirely derivative. “Brazil” and “12 Monkeys” both felt new and fresh, frantic and visionary. Grimm did not.
What you say may be true about Gilliam’s work, his worst being better than many others is a bromide. By the same token the best of his work is less than many others. For example, Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” if you have to have a specific.
What I don’t understand is what either of these points have to do with the merits of his maverick film making style? For his audacity as a director I applaud him, having rather enjoyed “Lost in la Mancha.” So, yay Terry.
Nevertheless, if you were looking to financially support Gilliam through capital flows, might I recommend buying “Brazil” or “12 Monkeys.” One need not support lesser endeavors of talents simply because they are talents (the entire Star Wars prequels come to mind).