The Brothers Bloom

[Silh]

Didn't like Brick? That's alright, just don't let that keep you.

I originally planned to go see this in theatres back in May, but being that I was unable to (i.e., the majority of my friends hated Brick) I decided to just wait for it to come out on DVD. On September 29th, it finally happened, but it wasn't until my recent trip to Blockbuster (this past Monday) that I learned of its release. Kind of disappointing that the buzz for this is all hush-hush.

On a side-note, I am absolutely terrible when it comes to renting movies; I'm always putting them off until they're almost due back!

Plot (click for trailer)

As orphans, the brothers Bloom were often transferred from one family to another because they repeatedly got in trouble. The older brother, Stephen (Mark Ruffalo), is the shit stirrer; he is both brilliantly cunning and manipulative. The younger brother, Bloom (Adrian Brody), is forever dispositioned to play along with whatever Stephen is scheming. The two make full use of these traits, and go on to become the most quintessential con men in the world.

Twenty-five years later, Bloom has grown tired of living a dishonest lifestyle and also of his brother controlling his life through many scripts, despite his good intentions. He feels he is losing his identity, and thus leaves. Three months later however, Stephen tracks him down and persuades him to help execute one final con. The target is the quirky Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz), an heiress who has lived in isolation all her life.

Thoughts

The Brick haters who went ahead and eyeballed through this should give Rian Johnson another chance with this one because it's a definite improvement from his debut. In comparison it's better crafted and flows a lot better (it's quicker-paced and the dialogue can actually be understood without explanation). The acting is also a lot more charming, especially Rachel Weisz's who does a wonderful job as Penelope. On the other hand, Brick fans should keep an eye out for some cameos… well, some of them are hard to miss anyway.

At this point I can admit that to having an obsession with class. Those with an eye for fashion will love this movie. As Bloom puts it, the brothers are "gentlemen thieves." Along with previously vowing to never con women, their wardrobe is the cherry on top to their questionable sense of chivalry.

The script is also very subtle. It really just adds more to the experience once that hits you, further proving that Johnson is a talent whose next work should be more anticipated. It's a story that has been told millions of times, yes, but Johnson handles it with care and effectively makes the story his own.

[Vandread]

My mom actually saw Brick (I want to say at a festival or something in Austin, but I can't say for sure) and said she loved it. We have the DVD but I've never actually seen it myself. That said, I saw a commercial for Bloom a few weeks ago and noticed the Brick name drop, so that caught my attention. I'll have to check it out sometime.

[Massive Attack]

I hated 'Brick'. Thought I was the only one, sweet.

But I'm not going to judge this one, as it's a completely different type of film. The whole concept of 'Brick' was mainly what bugged me. But I like Adrien Brody, so I might check this out... that is if it comes out here. Well, IMDB shows no release date for here, so I don't know.

[Red Socks Pugie]

In my opinion Adrian Brody is a what makes this movie appealing. Hopefully it will be a good flick, it sounds promising enough.