The Brothers Grimm (2005)

In 1811, folklore collectors and con artists, Jake and Will Grimm (Heath Ledger and Matt Damon), travel from village to village pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures and performing exorcisms. However, they are arrested by Cavaldi (Peter Stormare) and General Delatombe (Jonathan Pryce), but they have a chance to redeem themselves in the village of Marbaden, where ten young girls have vanished. Will and Jake are guided by the local Angelika (Lena Headey) through an enchanted forest where they face the evil Mirror Queen (Monica Bellucci) that depends on the sacrifice of twelve girls in the eclipse to stay beautiful and young. Enchanted hilarity ensues.

Trivia: Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins were cast originally, but both had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. Johnny Depp was originally set to star as Will Grimm. The "hand forest" sequence in this film is an idea Terry Gilliam has had for almost 25 years. It was originally written for Time Bandits (1981) and almost used in Brazil (1985). Matt Damon and Heath Ledger were originally cast in opposite roles. They petitioned and switched their roles. Because of problems with the Writers Guild of America, Terry Gilliam and Tony Grisoni were not able to credit themselves as writers of the screenplay, despite the many changes they had made to Ehren Kruger's original script. They invented a credit for themselves as "Dress Pattern Makers" and thus were quoted as saying that the film was not necessarily made from a "screenplay" but from a "dress pattern". The Mirror Queen using the blood of young girls to restore her youth is based on the legend surrounding Countess Elizabeth Bathory, one of the first serial killers from the turn of the 17th century.

Matt Damon and Heath ledger are the stars of this picture but it is the supporting characters that really make it fun to watch. Lena Headey is a local outcast that survives by hunting, both brothers are after her. Monica Bellucci is the mirror queen, "Mirror mirror on the wall..." you know the rest. Jonathan Pryce is the French general, who feels he is better then all the rest and is stuck in hell or, in this case, Germany. But the best supporting character is Peter Stormare. He is fabulous as the torturer Cavaldi. The rest f the support comes from the setting of the movie. This alternate world is pure Terry Gilliam. Oh, and you can never go wrong when there is a character named "Will."