A grim review
Terry Gilliam’s latest oeuvre pokes fun at the real-life creators of fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. The inspirations to these tales were amassed during the brothers Grimm’s adventures as con men swindling money out of gullible villagers with lies, superstition and staged exorcisms. Naturally, they would soon stumble into a real enchanted forest, and realized they bit into more than they could chew.
Almost all of the fairy tale hallmarks make their appearances – frog-licking, sleeping beauties, a vain and villainous witch-queen, even Hans and Greta. Sadly, they were badly contrived, and so were the jokes. It astonishes how a revered ex-Monty Python member could direct such an unfunny movie. The comedic timing is so off! And just when you would expect an ironic or funny revelation in the end, which is typical of Gilliam’s movies, it doesn’t come. Brazil, it ain’t. - BMF |
