The Brothers Bloom
The really long con
The problem I have with some movies about con men is it’s difficult to get a rhythm going. A good con should be like a good magic show – you look one way while the trick is being set up. Unfortunately as a viewer you don’t get the usual cues to let you know when the movie has hit the climax, and when the story is about to wrap up. In The Brothers Bloom there is a lot of preparation, but not a lot of magic. All of the performances are better than good, but I found myself struggling to pay attention. The initial introduction to the brothers as children was the most entertaining part of the film, and I kept waiting for it to recapture the eccentric energy from the first act.
The standout performance was delivered by Rinko Kikuchi as Bang Bang, the taciturn demolitions expert. Her character silently observed the story along with us, and although she was placed in the background her performance pulled my focus to her whenever she was in a scene. I wish we could have another version of this film from her perspective.
Where was Orlando?
Wunderkind Rian Johnson follows-up his debut Brick with another piece of anachronistic filmaking. Steven (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody) are brothers and con men who dress and live like it’s the 1920′s. Steven is the brains of the outfit and Bloom is the heart. Their wheelman and explosives expert is the appropriately named Bang Bang, played hilariously and also entirely mutely by Rinko Kikuchi. And of course, every con needs a mark – the offbeat to-say-the-least Penelope (Rachel Weisz) fills the bill here. Steven’s one admonition to his brother is that he cannot fall in love with Penelope…
While The Brothers Bloom does not reach the lofty heights of Brick, it’s a fun ride nonetheless. It’s sort of like a Wes Anderson movie made by someone with real talent (Rushmore and Bottle Rocket notwithstanding). The con man genre has been done to death, and Johnson doesn’t really re-invent it with this movie. But, his cast is really awesome, and his quirky touches will generate many giggles.
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