The Brothers Grimm Soundtrack CD

Composer: Dario Marianelli.
Original Soundtrack/Dario Marianelli: London Oratory School Schola (vocals); Dessislava Stefanova.
Personnel: Dessislava Stefanova (vocals); Michael Watkins (soprano); Simon Allen , Paul Clarvis (percussion).
Recording information: AIR Recording Studios, London, England.
Director Terry Gilliam's update of the Brothers Grimm legend casts the two siblings as a pair of self-proclaimed "Ghostbusters" who trick villagers out of their hard-earned money. Gilliam, who intended to have Bosnian folk-rock legend Goran Bregovic score the film, opted instead for the more mainstream style -- probably at the studio's behest -- of Italian composer Dario Marianelli (Pride and Prejudice, V for Vendetta). The resulting score is competent, tense, atmospheric, and instantly unmemorable. Taut strings, obligatory female soloists, and pounding percussion keep the majority of Marianelli's better ideas from ever surfacing. One wishes that Gilliam, a true maverick whose failures are as legendary as his triumphs, would have left the safe route for the Michael Bay's of the film world and gone with Bregovic. ~ James Christopher Monger
Terry Gilliam's THE BROTHERS GRIMM follows the dark, humorous, and dangerous adventures of the titular fairy-tale tellers (played by Matt Damon and Heath Ledger). For the film's soundtrack, Gilliam enlisted Italian composer Dario Marianelli, whose songs expertly reflect GRIMM's moody, macabre tone. The music here largely consists of ebbing-and-flowing strings, bold brass, delicate woodwinds, and precise percussion. Admirers of Danny Elfman and Howard Shore's dynamic arrangements will find Marianelli's work particularly appealing.Mojo (Publisher) (p.127) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] keeps the right Euro-noir feel of something with sharp teeth lurking just out of sight."