Director: Rian Johnson
Writer(s): Rian Johnson

Cast:
Rachel Weisz – Penelope Stamp
Adrien Brody – Bloom
Mark Ruffalo – Stephen
Rinko Kikuchi – Bang Bang
Robbie Coltrane – The Curator
Maximilian Schell – Diamond Dog

Preamble:
In the long line of confidence game movies, it’s hard to say what separates the good from the great. The viewer’s belief (or lack thereof), in the hook of whatever scam anchors the tale is completely subjective even beyond the norm of movie enjoyment.  In ‘The Brothers Bloom’, however, the most enjoyment comes not from the particular details of the crimes, but in enjoyable character development presented by a very likeable cast.

The Main cast of The Brothers Bloom

Plot Points:
Two brothers, lifelong con men, team up for “one last job” with varying degrees of success.

The Meat:
As the brothers Bloom finish their supposed last heist, the younger Bloom laments to his big brother regarding a lifetime full of more pretending than living. Never having experienced anything significantly real and occupying his days and thoughts with characters he’s played has left him devoid of meaningful memories.  As a result he walks away, retiring from the life he’s known for so long to pursue a peaceful, isolated existence.  Unfortunately he’s given this same speech and walked away many times before, it becoming a well rehearsed exchange between the two at this point.  So when his elder brother tracks him down some time later (well rested and at ease but clearly bored), he quickly submits to Stephen’s new ploy to bilk a rich lonely woman out of her fortune.  He suspects all along that his brother is trying to scam him into falling for this woman (she of the impossibly cute name and quirks), but Stephen assures him it’s not the case.  Begrudgingly he teams up with Stephen for yet another “final” job.

Despite his best attempts to stay distant, he does of course fall for Penelope.  ‘The “bloom” in The Brothers Bloom’ becomes a verb as both Stephen and his younger brother – for so long content to act out childish fantasies in lieu of facing a reality they knew to be harsh – experience their long delayed entry into adulthood.  Stunted adolescence is ended in turns by tragedy and joy.  As Diamond Dog (their former guardian) points out, some people are destined to bloom and fade quickly, some are not.  The brothers find out which they are, and the divergent nature of their paths becomes obvious.  They love each other, but the languages they speak in trying to convince each other of the best courses of action are completely different.  Stephen can’t convince his brother to live more, and Stephen can’t be convinced that there’s such a thing as living too much.  This believable sibling disagreement holds things together for an extremely taut first act.

Adrien Brody’s performance is especially noteworthy. He turns what could have been (and usually is - in American movies) a whiny, annoying character into a sympathetic every man. He’s not especially good at fighting, he doesn’t have all the brains, and he’s not especially good at planning.  He’s also clearly afraid of commitment despite not having a lot going for him without it.  But he’s loyal, he sees things through, and he wants life to be better.  His cautiousness in reaching for the things that might provide that improved life is where the movie’s heart lies, and where it mostly keeps its focus.

Bang Bang

Penelope’s habit of collecting other people’s solitary habits is fun, and Weisz pulls it off as usual with her nice combination of charm and physical presence.  Once the scam on Peneleope begins, though, the pacing suffers a bit.   There is an odd transition from the second to third act, as “Oh, no! the gang is in danger” – a standard segment of the caper flick – is introduced.   Things turning serious is handled well enough, but the emotional connection one has to the characters is not as strong as Rian Johnson would have intended. Most of the characters here felt like quirky theater performers, a perfectly fine trait for entertainment value, but perhaps too cute in their speech and daily lives (especially for Rufallo’s character) for true drama. It’s probably the nature of these drama/comedy hybrids, but the depth of emotion isn’t quite where it could have been.

Further, the gang’s final con is fairly well done, but not especially fascinating.   Some of this is due to the “just wait till a character at the end explains everything” approach one takes towards most con man films.  A larger issue however is the “afterthought” nature of the villain.  It’s tough in this kind of movie when the villain enters so late, and for the first half of the running time the general law enforcement agencies of the world are the actual villains. Once they are replaced by Diamond Dog, Rian Johnson has to force in back story AND a new angle for this villain to antagonize the brothers, and it jars the film from its leisurely stroll. Since the con game is just a back drop for character development, the climax being tied into their con provides a conclusion to events that is not quite the sum of the movie’s parts.

At its best, The Brothers Bloom is a great combination of strong direction, sight gags (in a wall with a painted gun, a door slams shut and sounds like a gun blast, Boom Boom’s silent performance etc.), and charisma.  They are frequent enough to make the lulls in the 2nd act  and the transition problems to the third act easier to accept, although they prevent it from being an A+ entry into the genre.   You do get to see Rachel Weisz’ ass which is a big bonus.   If you don’t manage to see it in theaters it’ll make a very good rental.

Movie – 7/10

‘The Brothers Bloom’ Trailer:

Review by Steve Broome
sbroome at coalminds dot com