The Brothers Bloom

The Brothers Bloom

2008

Directed by Rian Johnson

A beautiful film. Rian Johnson is the best new writer and director in film today. His high-school film noir Brick came out of nowhere and made a big impression on critics with its sharp writing and sly humour. The Brothers Bloom is his stylish entry into the con-artist sub-genre, starring Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody as Stephen and Bloom, brothers and con artists extraordinaire, Rinko Kikuchi as Bang Bang, their mysterious companion, and Rachel Weisz as their eccentric target.

As in Brick, the first thing you'll notice is the high quality of the writing. The lyrical tale of the brothers' childhood at the start of the film was funny, moving, and truly original. Things pick up years later, with Stephen and Bloom at odds regarding their careers as wildly successful international con-artists. Bloom, sensitive and forlorn, is ready to call it quits, but Stephen convinces him to join him for the con of a lifetime. The target is one Penelope Stamp, a super-rich heiress who lives alone in a giant, tacky mansion in New Jersey. Weisz is superb as the excitable and odd Penelope. A natural talent, she picks up hobbies with virtuosic and hilarious results. She is also quite intelligent and seems to know more than one would expect. Rinko Kikuchi, who made waves with her performance in Babel, is charming as the brothers' aloof fellow artiste. The whole cast, in fact, is amazing. Personally, I'm partial to Mark Ruffalo, even if he does tend to overact. As a natural swindler looking for the perfect con job, he is perfectly cast. It's a joy just to see watch everybody do their thing. You really get attached to each character. Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid!) even shows up to steal a few scenes.

The story is certainly rather fantastic; too fantastic to be true, in fact, but that's rather the point. The con itself is a ridiculously elaborate, world-traversing romp. You really have no idea when one con begins and another ends. You have no idea who is conning who at any given time. Bloom is trying to escape from this life, where you can't tell if you're living someone else's story, or if its the real thing. The film bounces easily between romantic adventure, quirky comedy, and emotionally resonant drama. The whole thing feels so... cinematic. I mean that in the best sense of the term. Films like this are the whole reason the movies exist; pure escapism, but poignant as well. I think its destined to become a classic, even if it has been criminally overlooked thus far.

9.5